Tag: Renaissance Hotels
View All TagsHotel Lawsuits / Miami Hotel Mambo / Renaissance Hotels / Marriott Hotels / Hotel Owners / → All Tags
Now It's The Eden Roc's Turn for a Hotel Management Shakedown
Ruh-roh. There's even more trouble in Miami Beach.
Just after we learned about the Setai Shakedown, we saw that the owners of another Miami hotel that made our sexiest bathrooms list, The Eden Roc Renassiance Hotel, are now suing Marriott Hotels and their Renaissance brand for grossly mismanaging the hotel after an extensive renovation. Business Week has this choice bit from the hotel owners' lawsuit:
“In the face of Renaissance’s failures, Eden Roc has quite literally shoveled money into the project to make up for Renaissance’s incompetence,” Eden Roc said in the complaint. “And while Eden Roc loses its shirt, Renaissance and its parent company and guarantor, Marriott International, have lined their pockets with management fees.”
Renaissance Hotels / Barcelona Hotels / Hotel Openings / → All Tags
Barcelona's Getting a Renaissance Hotel on April 26th
Antonio Gaudi's Park Guell
When we compiled the Master List of 2012 Hotel Openings, we forgot to list an opening in one of our favorite cities in the world, Barcelona.
On April 26, The Renaissance Barcelona will open in the city's downtown nabe near the Paseo de Gracia with 211 rooms, a 24-hour fitness center, the CRU Steak House, CUIT bar and lounge and perhaps best of all, La Terrassa roof top bar and lounge with flowing waterfalls and lounge furniture.
Despite the opening being less than a month away, there's no website up and running yet so we can't determine what the room rates will be like. But given that Renaissance is Marriott's boutiquey design brand, we'd expect rates somewhere upwards of 250 Euros. In the meantime, do not confuse this about-to-open property with the Renaissance by the airport.
[Photo: HotelChatter]
For the Sake of Hotel Art / Hotel Art / Renaissance Hotels / New Orleans Hotels / Hotel Lobbies / → All Tags
For The Sake Of Hotel Art: An Indoor Sculpture Garden In New Orleans
Lots of hotel lobbies are trying to be hipper, cooler, and more action-packed these days. And while the Renaissance New Orleans Arts Hotel is not necessarily any of those things, we were repeatedly lured out of our room to enjoy the hotel's indoor sculpture garden, an eclectic collection of local art nestled among plenty of plants and trees on the mezzanine level.
Housed under a giant glass ceiling, the entire atrium gets plenty of natural light, and all the rooms look down onto the garden. The open design means some guests can look out at the sculptures from their rooms, but why would you want to limit yourself like that?
With all the light pouring down from above, and all the leafage framing the art, strolling around the "garden" actually feels like being outside.
Hotel Lobbies / Renaissance Hotels / Chicago Hotels / Hotel Design / Hotel Art / → All Tags
Some People Just Don't Respond Well To Giant Chess Pieces In Their Hotels
Though we've seen the chess board put to fairly creative use in other places (Forty 1 North, Gamboa Rainforest Resort), we cannot say the same for Renaissance Chicago North Shore.
The hotel recently underwent a complete renovation of guest rooms and meeting spaces—everything from new carpeting to refrigerators to artwork was installed—though when we hopped over to the website to inspect new photos, we noticed one pre-existing design motif that had been left in place: ten foot tall chess pieces in the lobby.
To say the little statuettes stick out like a sore thumb would be an understatement (in a Renaissance? really?), but don't just take our word for it. We found a user review from a previous guest who seemingly had his whole world shattered by the offensive knight and rook sculptures.
Take a look at his assessment below:
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Make New Friends At These 7 Gay-Friendly US Hotels
Maybe we got hit with the Valentine's Day bug a little early, but we're feeling extra-romantic this week. So we're channeling that energy into this list (as promised), of some of the country's gay-friendliest hotels and resorts. But don't worry—it's not all rose petals and glasses of champagne. Whether you want a DJ, a mountain view, or vintage patio furniture, we're pretty sure you'll find what you're looking for here.
Hilton Sedona, a 219-room resort located in northern Arizona's Red Rock country, was recently TAG-approved for its commitment to LGBT travelers. What's more, last September, it hosted the Sedona Pride on the Rocks Festival, which drew all sorts of fun-seeking folks from the entire Verde Valley region. And if the 2012 bash is anything like last year's, guests at the hotel can expect a private pool party, a drag show "Gay-La," and of course, the main festival itself, which takes place among the resort's three heated pools, two restaurants and 20,500 square feet of event space.
Rates start at $179
London Hotels / Renaissance Hotels / Hotel Architecture / Historic Hotels / Hotel Renovations / London Hotel Scene / Hotel Reviews / London Hotel Reviews / → All Tags
London's St. Pancras Renaissance Gets Another Cringe-Worthy Review
File this story under "Ouch": London's much vaunted and hyped St. Pancras Renaissance has received a less than stellar review by The Telegraph, whose reviewer describes rooms in the sprawling property as "bland" and "overpriced," with "lacklustre service" to match.
Among writer Fiona Duncan's main gripes: loud street traffic, curiously absent employees to answer questions, non-functioning internet, and no business centre for guests' use.
The first complaint comes as no surprise to those of us on the ground in London; anyone that's emerged above ground from King's Cross International Station, site of the Eurorail link and a major tube station, can attest to the constant swarm of travelers, buses, and horn honking taxi drivers around the area and the headache-inducing cacophony they produce.
Additionally, the noise complaint was brought up just after opening by The Daily Mail who mentioned that the "room shakes gently" when a train pulls out of the station. The non-functioning internet is new, however, and such a shame as it costs £6 an hour or £15 pounds for 24-hour access. Ugh.
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The Renaissance Times Square Was So Scary, Blake Lively's Face Froze
Don't be scared, Blake, it's just make believe!
OK, we'll be honest. When we first saw this photo, and read the caption about a special Halloween suite at the Renaissance Times Square being decorated by Madame Tussauds, we thought they were referring to a wax sculpture of Ms. Lively. Sorry, Blake! Your features just looked so....erm, lively lifeless.
Blake Lively stopped by last week for the debut of the hotel's "Dare To Check-In" Halloween suite. And since she is on the rebound from her short-lived relationship with Leonardo DiCaprio, Renaissance made sure there were plenty of toys to keep her distracted. Like tarot cards. Obviously, when you've just had your heart broken on the national news, a fortune teller is exactly the person you want to speak to.
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Yes, Those Unicorns Are Local
Look at that adorable critter! No, we're not talking about Aimee Teegarden of Friday Night Lights (although she's pretty darn cute, too). We mean the life-sized mama and baby unicorns who live at the new ELLE Spa at the Eden Roc Renaissance Miami Beach.
Now, we have to admit: we spent some time working in this spa for its launch, and no matter what kind of spa-stress was going on (yes, it happens), we were always charmed into a smile when we passed these guys. But beyond that, we had no idea who the unicorns belonged to, and why the hell they were hangin' out. So, we did some investigating and it turns out that, in fact, these unicorns are local.
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When You're Drunk And Hungry, There's Always The Renaissance
It was 4:58am this past Saturday morning—late Friday night, whatever you want to call it—and a Mundelein, IL, local was hungry. So he did what every other red-blooded, stumbling-drunk opportunist would do at five in the morning: break into a nearby Renaissance banquet hall and raid the kitchen.
While we've never done anything like this (well, at least not at a Renaissance—this is New York, after all, so inevitably there's always better grub to chase), we can see how the allure of an empty banquet hall kitchen's refrigerator, on a hot summer night, would be a literal beacon in the night. What is unclear is how the suspect, Michael Young, actually ended up inside the Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel And Convention Center, a forty-five minute drive from his hometown.
Hotel Renovations / Hotel Restaurants / Renaissance Hotels / Marriott Hotels / Chicago Hotels / → All Tags
What Can You Get for $5 at the Blackstone Chicago? Quite a Lot Actually
Nowadays, it's hard to get a hotel breakfast for under $10, but the Blackstone Renaissance is doing what seems to be the impossible: offering breakfast and lunch for only 5 smackers at its new Bodega N. 5.
Most foodies head to the hotel to dine at Mercat a la Planxa, headed by Iron Chef Jose Garces, but the chef recently unveiled this cheapie spot that's hidden away on the restaurant's lower level. It's perfect for a quick bite before heading out to go sightseeing or a won't-break-the-bank Chicago lunch.
Vancouver Hotels / Renaissance Hotels / Hotel Press Releases / → All Tags
Still Wanna Have 'Downtown Fun' in Vancouver?
Boy, we knew Canadians liked their hockey but we didn't think that they would riot after losing the Stanley Cup Finals to the Boston Bruins. Like, full-on rioting too. Not just yelling and kicking tires and throwing the occasional Molson Ice bottle but flipping over vehicles, harassing the police and lighting fires throughout downtown.
Which makes this press release from the Renaissance Vancouver Harborside all the more unfortunate. The release hit the wires before the Canucks lost the final game with the headline, "Stay an Extra Night for Downtown Fun With Hotel Deals in Vancouver". Downtown fun, indeed! Oh we has a sad face for the Renaissance.
That said, clean-up efforts are underway in Vancouver and the area should return to normal pretty soon which means you can totally take advantage of the hotel's offer of a third night free when you stay two consecutive nights. Rates start at $390 CAD a night.
Hotel Spas / Miami Hotels / Renaissance Hotels / Hotel News / → All Tags
Live Inside the Pages of Elle Magazine at Eden Roc Renaissance Miami Beach
Here's a first in the world of hospitality brand experiences: Elle magazine, an undisputed global fashion authority since the 60s, is launching its own branded spa inside the Eden Roc Renaissance Miami Beach. For once, you will actually be able to see all those impossible beauty tips and product mentions come to life.
And while you're putting yourself into the hands of experts for things like the "Elle Spa Signature Facial" or getting your nails done in the spa's salon (which, on this Wednesday morning in noisy, humid Brooklyn, sounds pretty good to us), you'll be right on the Eden Roc's Miami beachfront property.
Now, it's easy for a big name like Elle to throw its weight around—especially after last week's announcement that the Hearst Corporation had acquired almost all of the Elle titles for a whopping $1 billion—so we're going to take a minute and try to figure out if this is a true pamper experience worth your time, or just buzz.
