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HotelChatter’s 2010 Celebrity Hotel Report Card

Where: 1300 Ocean Dr. [map], Miami Beach, FL, United States, 33139

Celebrities are known for demanding the very best (and bringing out the very worst) in hotels around the world. This week we’ve been uncovering a few of the most outrageous requests divas like J-Lo and Justin Timberlake have made during recent hotel stays.

So it only makes sense that some of these needy nabobs think they can go into the hotel business for themselves. And sure, sometimes it works out (see Gloria Estefan below). But other times? Not so much (see Jay-Z).

We thought it would be interesting to update our Celebrity Hotel Report Card. Especially given the news that set the blogosphere atwitter last week: that Posh Spice was offered $40 million to design a hotel in Dubai!

For more about which celebrities are looking to conquer the hospitality industry, read on!

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How Do You Solve a Problem Like The Plaza?

Where: New York, ny, United States

The NY Times has a depressing article about the faded star that is The Plaza Hotel in New York. It turns out the massive renovation that took place a few years ago--which included creating a bunch of overpriced apartments inside--has been largely a failure. At least on the residences and retail side of things.

The folks on the hotel side of things, which is run by Fairmont Hotels say that occupancy was up in December, the first five-diamond rating from AAA was just issued, several princes and princesses stayed there recently and of course, every bride still wants to get married there come May.

But there's no denying that The Plaza just isn't what it used to be. That's not to say it isn't very pretty. We absolutely loved the rooms when we stayed there in June. It just did not feel like the old hotel that belonged to Eloise. Maybe the Plaza just needs to bring its price point down a bit for everyone to be able to try it out. Currently, rooms are $595 a night.

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Celebrity Hotels / Richard Gere / Hot Hotelier News / Hotel Openings / Bed and Breakfasts / → All Tags

Good Luck Trying To Book a Room at Richard Gere's Hotel

Where: 954 Old Post Road [map], Bedford, ny, United States, 10506

Just as all normal folk would and should be, we were highly excited at the prospect of sleeping with Richard Gere when we first got wind of his plans to open up an eight-bedroom bed and breakfast above his restaurant at the Bedford Post Inn in New York State.

So when we spied on the website that the B&B (the Inn part of the title) was already in its soft opening period, we thought we’d try and go along. The only problem – there were no prices advertised, and the website didn’t take reservations. No matter, we thought; we’ll just call.

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Richard Gere's Got a Bed & Breakfast, And Yoga Is Only $20

Where: 954 Old Post Road [map], Bedford, ny, United States, 10506

Looks like someone took Nights in Rodanthe a little too much to heart: Richard Gere has opened his own Bed & Breakfast an hour outside of New York City in Bedford, NY. Called the Bedford Post Inn, the vintage house and barn with 8 guest rooms is the first step Gere and his wife are taking towards fulfilling their dream that the place "will be a magnet for like-minded, powerful souls to come together to save the planet—or at least to chat about big-picture ideas over veggie burgers."

Gere, a Buddhist, has even cleared the attic to make way for a serene "yoga loft," which opened in late 2008 along with the Bed & Breakfast's restaurant, Moonbat, focused on on local ingredients and the slow food philosophy.

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Forget the Ace NYC and Go Sleep With Richard Gere

Where: 954 Old Post Road [map], Bedford Village, ny, United States

No, but really: who would want to wait around to stay at the Ace NYC when you could take a quick trip to Westchester to stay with Richard Gere?

When we first caught wind of the silver fox's plans to open up a 14-acre hotel country hotel in Bedford, New York, we were pumped — but then we'd heard the proposal for the hotel had been turned down by the town because the plans didn't include any handicap access. And originally, we thought the name was going to be Squirrely Acres (we know, right?), but now we're happy to report that things are shaping up nicely for Gere's more appropriately-named Bedford Post Inn.

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Richard Gere into Squirrels, Not Gerbils

Richard Gere is another celebrity hotelier who has run into some problems opening up his dream hotel.

We thought he may go down a la George Clooney-Las Ramblas but apparently Gere has gotten the A-OK from the Bedford, NY township to reconstruct a 19th century inn into a 125-seat restaurant, and:

outfit the barn with a cafe for horseback riders on bridle paths, add a yoga studio and resurrect the hotel as a nine-roomer

Page Six reports the name of the place will be Squirrely Acres but we sincerely hope not.

Related Stories:
· Star Hotelier [NY Post]
· Is Richard Gere the new George Clooney? [HotelChatter]

Las Ramblas / Hotel Hype / Richard Gere / → All Tags

Is Richard Gere the New George Clooney?

Richard Gere's very own hotel project, a 14-acre country hotel in Bedford, New York, has been turned down by the town who said the plans did not include any handicap access.

Gere and his partner Russell Hernandez spent $2.7 million on the property "with hopes of converting the 18th century barn into an upmarket complex, complete with country inn and restaurant."

For now the duo are going back to the drawing board to figure out how to keep the barn's historic structure while modernizing the entrances for handicap access.

We don't like to bring up Las Ramblas but it's worth a mention here. However, at least Gere had some plans to put forth before a town board. Clooney and friends didn't even get that far.

Related Stories:
· Richard Gere Instructed Back To Drawing Board For Luxury Country Hotel [All Headline News]