HotelChatter

Tags: Snapshot / Do Not Disturb Signs / HotelChatter Galleries / Santa Monica Hotels / → All Tags

'Do Not Disturb' The Counting of The Sheep at The Hotel Oceana

Where: 849 Ocean Ave [map], Santa Monica, CA, United States, 90403

So we continue to geek out about Do Not Disturb signs (as well as in-room coffee makers) and today we thought we'd show you this cute little DND sign from The Hotel Oceana in Santa Monica. No, it's not real lambswool but it is soft to touch. So you can totally forgive us for swiping this from the hotel, can't you?

Tags: Snapshot / Kimpton Hotels / Manhattan Hotels / Boarding Passes / → All Tags

Kimpton Hotels Want To Print Your Boarding Pass For You

Where: 653 11th Avenue [map], New York, NY, United States, 10036

Often times when staying in hotels, we're just happy to get free WiFi which we can certainly get at all Kimpton Hotels (by becoming a member of their InTouch program). But we realize there are some times when you need things printed out on paper. You remember paper, right? We used to feed it into this thing called a printer and words would magically appear on it? Yes? No? Hmm....

At the new Ink48 we noticed they wanted to print out boarding pass for hotel guests. You simply fill out this sheet with your pertinent flight info and drop it off at the Front Desk and your boarding passes will be delivered back to your room three hours before your flight or by noon the day of your flight (whichever comes first.)

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Tags: Snapshot / Hotel Breakfasts / Napa Valley Hotels / → All Tags

Skip The Continental Breakfast and Order the Good Stuff at The Vintners Inn

Where: 4350 Barnes Road [map], Santa Rosa, CA, United States, 95403

There are no shortages of good places to eat in Sonoma and Napa so we're pretty sure that if you find yourself heading there one weekend, you will be well-fed. But since we're always asking what you did over the weekend, we thought we'd fill you in on what we did this weekend.

We headed up to Santa Rosa in Sonoma County for a family wedding and shacked up at the so-so Flamingo Resort which is essentially an old 60s motel that has been renovated for the 21st century. Room rates were $109 a night and the sheets were extraordinarily crisp and clean. Other than that, we have really nothing to rave or rant about.

But on Sunday morning, we found ourselves at the Vintners Inn, a hotel on a proper vineyard.

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Tags: Snapshot / Swine Flu Hotels / Guadalajara Hotels / → All Tags

This Little Piggy Doesn't Care About Swine Flu

Where: Av. Lopes and Moctezuma, Guadalajara, Mexico, 45050

Last month we spent a few nights at the Intercontinental Guadalajara and we couldn't get over how every time we got off the elevator in the lobby, this little piggy was ready to greet us. The pig actually was a part of the hotel's lobby restaurant Frutas y Flores which serves breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Diners did not seem to be deterred by this figurine and we never asked whether the pig had always been there or if it was an "Eff Swine Flu" sort of display. Still, we got a kick out it. Until we returned home from Mexico with a stomach virus. But that's another story.

Tags: Snapshot / Hotel Golf Carts / Ojai Hotels / Hotel Cars / → All Tags

Ride Around The Ojai Valley Inn and Spa in a Bentley Golf Cart

Where: 905 Country Club Rd. [map], Ojai, CA, United States, 90323

While we were getting a preview of the Ojai Valley Inn and Spa’s upcoming Celebrity Chef Golf Classic last week, we poked around the resort’s Casa Elar, and spotted this Bentley golf cart just sitting there in the villa’s garage.

Apparently normal golf carts just aren’t good enough for the VIP’s that rent out five-bedroom villa. Of course, if we were spending $15,000 a night for a three-night minimum, we’d want a Bentley golf cart to ferry us around the property too…if not an actual Bentley.

Can’t pony up the cash for the Casa Elar? Don’t worry. The rest of us plebes (paying a measly $350 per night!) might just be able to sweet talk our way into an afternoon of pimpin’ in the Escalade golf cart we spotted elsewhere on the property.

Now if only there were a Batmobile golf cart…

Tags: Snapshot / Halloween Hotels / Hotel Staffers / Hawaii Hotels / → All Tags

'Tinkerbell' Tends the Garden at the Kona Kai Resort

Where: Key Largo, FL, United States

Before we left on Friday to celebrate the Halloween weekend we Tweeted for hotel staffers working in Halloween costumes over the weekend to send us some pics. And we have to say, Tinkerbell at the Kona Kai Resort, a B&B in Key Largo, Florida is the best. Not only does she look cute, but she's actually still able to water the garden. Where form meet functionality.

Rates here start at $244 a night but they do not take online reservations. Go here for booking information. Thanks for sending this in, Tinks!

We're still accepting hotel Halloween costumes if you want to send 'em along. And don't forget to follow HotelChatter on Twitter!

Tags: Snapshot / Hotel Key Card / Mexico Hotels / → All Tags

What Is Going On With This Hotel Room Key?

We spent the past four days in Guadalajara, Mexico and we'll have more on the hotel scene there tomorrow but we just had to post this snapshot for ya of our hotel room keycard. It says, "Taller de sexualidad. Desmitificando las disfunciones sexuales en Mexico." And it's accompanied by a picture of a man and woman in a bed that's being carried away (or rescued?) by a parachute.

We're pretty sure you don't need a Spanish to English dictionary to understand what this advertisement is for (a doctor's name is also listed on the card) but we thought it was something you'd get a kick out of.

Seen any other hotel keycards with sexual dysfunction ads on them? Or any other kind of ads? Send 'em to us!

Tags: Snapshot / Hotel Bathrooms / Hotel Openings / Kimpton Hotels / → All Tags

The Vu Hotel Lives On at Ink48...on The Bath Towels

Where: 653 11th Avenue [map], New York, NY, United States, 10036

Yes, we spent the night at Ink48 and our in-depth review will be coming on Monday but we just had to show you this snapshot of the towels inside the bathrooms at the hotel. What do they say? VU. As in The Vu Hotel, the hotel's original name.

We've inquired about this embroidery mishap and we're waiting to hear back. But we have to say, we really loved the VU name and it was very apropro. The windows in the rooms (which look pretty much identical to what you see on the website) really do offer up some great Manhattan views.

Ink48 is a cute name and is also a shout-out to the building's history as a former printing warehouse but we were a little disappointed there were no ink blotters on the desk.

All the juicy detes on what is at Ink48 will come on Monday so tune in then.

Tags: Snapshot / Sheraton Hotels / Boston Hotels / Hotel Rebranding / → All Tags

Sheraton's Rebranding Begins Now...

Where: 39 Dalton Street [map], Boston, MA, United States, 02199

Sheraton Hotels are ready to party. They have just completed a massive $6 billion renovation of their 86 North American properties which means Sheraton now has 50,000 new or newly renovated guestrooms complete with brand new Sheraton Sweet Sleeper all-white, high-thread count beds. And as we told you yesterday, Sheraton is offering you a chance to spend a night in one of these freshened up hotels for free.

The contest kicks off on October 6th, but we were fortunate enough to get an up close and personal look at the Sheraton Boston Hotel which recently finished a $50 million renovation. This is a shot of one of the executive suites at the hotel.

So let's play a little game here--can you spot the newness?

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Tags: Snapshot / Viva Vegas / Hotel Sex Kits / Steve Wynn / → All Tags

Yes, It's True: The Encore Has Intimacy Kits in the Minibar

Where: 3131 Las Vegas Blvd South [map], Las Vegas, NV, United States, 89109

Hotel sex kits have been around for a while now so it never surprises us when we walk into hip boutique hotels in urban areas and find a pack of condoms with some fun extras awaiting in the mini-bar.

But we were taken aback when we saw this: The Wynn Intimacy Kit atop the mini-bar at The Encore Las Vegas. Old people use hotel sex kits?

We kid, we kid. Actually, the Encore is the hipper younger sister to the Wynn Las Vegas and during our recent stay, we saw more folks below the age of 40 than we've had in recent memory at the Wynn/Encore properties. Certainly, the average hotel guest age was a lot lower than it was when we first stayed here back in January.

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Tags: Snapshot / Green Hotels / Starwood Hotels / Element Hotels / → All Tags

Get Charged at the Element Lexington

Where: 727 Marrett Road - B [map], Lexington, MA, United States, 02421

We told you about the electric car-charging station at the Element Lexington when they announced that they were installing one back in July. But now we can bring you photos of the charger in action. And doesn’t it look cute?

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Tags: Snapshot / Hotel Openings / Hotel Photos / DC Hotels / → All Tags

Photo Op at the Just-Reopened Jefferson Hotel

Where: 1200 16TH AND M ST NW [map], Washington, DC, United States, 20036

Alright, so we confess we haven't yet had a chance to check out DC's Jefferson Hotel, which reopened Monday after a two-year, floorboard-to-ceiling renovation. When we toured the construction site back in May, the place was a long way from being guest-ready, but the parts that were ready were more than suitably swank. Of course, we're still skeptical about $300 and up introductory room rates, but that's probably more a reflection of our ever-thinning wallets. Anyways! We hope to have some real photos of the lobby and public areas next week, but to tide you over here's a press photo op that's sort of fun.

The photo shows managing director Franck Arnold (pictured right) and doorman Ahmed Omer doing the honors of the ceremonial ribbon cutting. Omer is The Jefferson’s longest standing employee, with his 25th anniversary coinciding with the hotel’s re-opening. When we met him briefly back in May, his dedication to the hotel struck us as endearing, so we like that he was honored at the festivities.