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On December 1st, The Hotel Sax Chicago Will Be Thompsonized

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 333 N Dearborn Street [map], Chicago, IL, United States, 60610
November 4, 2009 at 1:10 PM | by juliana | 1 Comment

Room 1433 at Hotel Sax Chicago.

We received a couple of tips lately that there was something brewing with Thompson Hotels and usually when more than one tip comes in, we know something's up. But today we have confirmation that indeed The Hotel Sax in Chicago, best known for its RockBand studio and where we recently shacked up the other week, is turning into a Thompson Hotel.

The conversion will officially happen on December 1st and while the hotel was recently renovated a few years ago, we fully expect the place to get "Thompsonized."

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The Thompson Dudes Form 'Do Not Disturb' Restaurant Group

May 1, 2009 at 11:35 AM | by Jenna | 0 Comments

Big news out of Thompson today. First up: remember how we reported on some cha-cha-cha changes at Cha inside the Donovan House, near and dear to our hearts because of a Hanson sighting and some delish sushi? We knew Todd English was out and Toronto chef Susur Lee was in (the same chef behind Shang at the Thompson LES), but we didn't know the name was changing too.

'Cha' is now 'Zentan', and "the menu will feature favorites from Shang in NYC and his restaurant, Lee in Toronto, as well as a selection of sushi, sashimi and Asian crudos." The new Zentan is set to open June 8, 2009, and until then, you can still snag sushi and small bites at the bar like we did.

Even bigger news: the dudes behind Thompson — Larry, Michael and Jason Pomeranc and Stephen Brandman — have gone and launched their own restaurant group.

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Some Folks Hate the H&M Ads On the Hollywood Roosevelt

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 7000 Hollywood Blvd [map], Hollywood, CA, United States, 90028
January 13, 2009 at 11:14 AM | by Jenna | 0 Comments

On the East Coast, New Yorkers are not happy with Thompson Hotels due to their failure to open Smyth Tribeca in a timely fashion — or open it at all, really. We're not sure if they're adding finishing touches or what. Meanwhile, over on the West Coast, some people are unhappy with Thompson because they've been making too many, er, "finishing touches" to the Hollywood Roosevelt building. And by "finishing touches," we mean plastering the architectural landmark building with ads for a Swedish clothing company. Whoops!

From LA's CityWatch blog:

The Hollywood Roosevelt first sported huge supergraphic ads in 2006. The company that installed these 6,000 sq. ft. plus ads, In Plain Site Media, was cited by the city’s Department of Building and Safety for failing to obtain permits or inspections for the signs. The company then applied to the city for permits. Last July, the Cultural Heritage Commission voted to deny the application, but one of the supergraphic sign still remains on the east side of the building.

It's an H&M ad! Come on, who doesn't love H&M?

Some people, apparently. The blog actually provides Stephen Brandman's email addy, and the author encourages people who are unhappy with the "owners' custodianship of an historic building" to voice their concerns to Brandman directly. While we're sure the B-man will read and respond to those emails, we're going to go ahead and throw out a bit of unsolicited advice here: maybe wait until Smyth Tribeca is up and running — you may get a better response once the opening-delay crisis is over with.

[Photo: JonDoeForty1]

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Thompson Partners With Cornell to Breed Baby Pomerancs

November 10, 2008 at 9:00 AM | by Jenna | 1 Comment

Cornell University's renowned School of Hotel Administration (full disclosure: this HC-er's alma mater, where she learned everything she knows about hotels that the Internet couldn't teach her) has just announced a partnership between its Center for Hospitality Research and Thompson Hotels.

Thompson's co-owner, Stephen Brandman, will now sit on the research center's advisory board, contributing his insights and hopefully sharing the secrets to the "sophisticated but personal approach to service" Thompson is known for.

Turning the Cornell Hotel School into a breeding ground for baby Jason P's, perhaps? Maybe...

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Thompson Hotels Looking to Get Some Seoul

Where: Seoul, Korea
August 28, 2008 at 12:11 PM | by juliana | 5 Comments

That's right. Thompson Hotels, having finished with their monopoly on New York, is expanding overseas to Seoul, Korea.

We have to say, this destination is shocking. We thought for sure a London property was in the works. Yet today a press release was making the rounds of the interweb that Jason Pomeranc and co. are heading off to Seoul.

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Express Check-Out :: Thompson Hotels Definitely Not Into Hooters

June 10, 2008 at 5:51 PM | by juliana | 1 Comment

A travel blog called Travel Blog is reporting that Jason Pomeranc and co. was involved in the group that was set to buy Hooters Casino Hotel. As we reported this morning, that group failed to make a payment by June 6 and the entire deal went through.

However, we got a call from Stephen Brandman, a Thompson Hotels co-owner who adamantly insisted that Thompson Hotels and Jason Pomeranc were not involved at anytime with this project. Brandman counters:

We haven't looked at it. We haven't walked by it. We have nothing to do with that project.

Of course, that isn't to say that Thompson isn't looking to expand in Vegas anymore. The interest is still very much there. When and where, however, have yet to be determined.

Update 6/12/08: Turns out David Landsel of the New York Post was the original source of the "is/was associated with Jason Pomeranc's Thompson Hotels" claim we talk about above.

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WiF Week Continues: Hotel Execs Sound Off On Offering Complimentary WiFi

May 9, 2008 at 1:51 PM | by juliana | 3 Comments

In continuing our Hotel WiFi Week here at HotelChatter we decided to ask some of the hotel groups that made our Best Hotel WiFi list just why they have decided to offer complimentary internet for their guests.

Thus we spoke with the chief operating officers at the Gansevoort Hotel Group, Thompson Hotels and Kimpton Hotels as well as with the hotelier behind Personality Hotels.

Keep on reading to see what they have to say about the WiFi offerings in their hotels.

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Thompson Toronto Coming With Pool and Ice Rink

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 550 Wellington St. W, Toronto, ON, Canada, M5V
February 18, 2008 at 9:40 AM | by amandak | 0 Comments

Listen up, Canadians: Thompson Hotels co-owner Stephen Brandman says "We think of Toronto as a great extension of cities where we already have hotels, in New York and Los Angeles."

Sure, we might be taking him a little bit out of context, but that's what the Thompson Hotel Toronto really is: a test case for expanding the brand outside of the US.

Due to open in the summer of 2009, the Canadian expansion of the Thompson brand will be a 102-room hotel paired with a 340-unit residential project, all with some fairly spectacular features. A few of these include:

floor-to-ceiling windows, 42-inch plasma TVs, private 40-seat screening rooms ... an outdoor skating rink with an ice-side lounge, and on the roof, an infinity outdoor pool and bar, with unobstructed views of Lake Ontario, Fort York and the CN Tower.

We just checked the climate figures for Toronto, since we weren't too sure that roof-top infinity pool will get that much use--and summer temperatures tend to hit a maximum of 80 degrees so we're still not convinced that it's worth it.

We're happier with the outdoor skating rink, though, since the average maximum temp in winter is below freezing. Weather aside, we are keen to see how the first non-US Thompson turns out, and of course, whether or not it can open on time.

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BondST at Thompson Beverly Hills Expected Mid-January; Better Reviews Expected By Then Too

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 9360 Wilshire Boulevard [map], Beverly Hills, CA, United States, 90212
December 18, 2007 at 3:42 PM | by juliana | 0 Comments

So it seems the Thompson Beverly Hills has officially transitioned from a Best Western to a Thompson Hotel. But despite this, the construction is not yet complete on the hotel and the BondST restaurant has been pushed back yet once more.

Stephen Brandman told us to expect the Jonathan Morr restaurant sometime in mid-January. Oh we will, Brandman. We will wait with bated breath.

Meanwhile, the hotel has its first review under Thompson Beverly Hills on TripAdvisor. A reviewer from Chicago just posted this yesterday, titled "You pay for what you get":

I phoned the property directly to book this stay. They were slightly dishonest about the current state of the construction. When we stayed on December 16th things were still pretty rough. Think dirty, unorganized, and lacking basic services. My saying is that "you pay for what you get" We did not pay much or get much here.

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Heard Around the Hotel World: A Thompson Hotel at the Rio Looks Likely

December 14, 2007 at 3:57 PM | by juliana | 0 Comments

We have spies all over the hotel industry who like to send various miscellaneous tips our way. Some of these are post-worthy, others are not much more than one sentence tid-bits. So here's the latest batch of whispers through the hotel grapevine.

·  Our Vegas sources say that the Thompson Hotel inside the Rio Hotel & Casino is getting closer to a deal. Stephen Brandman, everyone's favorite hotelier, was in Sin City on Tuesday at the Rio checking the place out.
· Prive nightclub inside the Planet Hollywood Hotel & Casino will open on New Years Eve with Avril Lavigne set to host.
· Kor Hotels have announced yet another expansion of the Viceroy Hotel brand, this time in Asia. Viceroy China Beach will open in 2010.
· NYLO Plano is opening on Tuesday, December 18th and we were able to talk with the senior VP of operations, Patrick O'Neil. We will have that interview next week but it's interesting to note that so many of the partners/execs at NYLO Hotels came from Starwood. They of the similar brand, Aloft. And so the battle begins.

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Heard Around the Hotel World: Britney Spears Gets Blacklisted

November 30, 2007 at 4:22 PM | by juliana | 0 Comments

We have spies all over the hotel industry who like to send various miscellaneous tips our way. Some of these are post-worthy, others are not much more than one sentence tid-bits. So here's the latest batch of whispers through the hotel grapevine.

We had a little surprise bit of Heard Around the Mexican Hotel World earlier this week and now we bring you our regularly scheduled programming.

· Britney Spears has reportedly been blacklisted from the Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills after a paparazzi there got into a scuffle with a hotel security guard. Apparently, the Peninsula is not willing to sacrifice the peace and quiet of their swank hotel and their other high-profile guests for trainwreck that is Britney Spears.

· This has been a big week for Thompson Hotels. First we introduced a Thompson Hotels map, then we saw some sketches for the Beverly Hills property uniforms, and then Stephen Brandman defended his hotels' service reputation. In between all that, we heard that Thompson Hotels will announce a few more projects in early 2008. No word on where they will be but discussions are happening about a Vegas property which would include a Teddy's outpost.

· Ok this is not technically a piece of gossip, but we think you should hear it. Whist at the Viceroy Santa Monica is offering a Sunday New Year's brunch every Sunday in the month of January for just $20.08 a person. Get it? 2008...The brunch is usually $55 person and includes unlimited champagne, mimosas or bloody marys. So much for that "Drink Less" New Years Resolution.

· Care to spend your holiday in Minneapolis? That is where the hotel rates are the cheapest at around $83 a night, according to the CheapTickets.com Holiday Shopping Cheapometer.

· In some more holiday booking news, Booking.com was named the #1 hotel site in terms of room availability over Christmas.

· Lastly, the bitterness between residents and new management at the Hotel Chelsea still continues. Manager Glennon Travis has been called a "baby dictator" and a master of the annoying memo. While we certainly agree he is young at just 26 years of age, a dictator is stretching it. Afterall, isn't he just doing what BD Hotels tells him to? But since he is so proficient with the memos, we shall call him Baby Bill Lumbergh--"Did you get the memo?"

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OpenThread: Is The Thompson Hotel Experience Manifesto Worthy?

November 29, 2007 at 10:13 AM | by HotelChatter | 17 Comments

On Monday we published the Thompson Hotels Map, to track the aggressive growth of Thompson Hotels. We questioned whether or not Thompson would be able to provide the high level of customer service needed when you pay Thompson prices as they rolled out multiple hotels at the same time.

We all know certain Thompson hotels have had some customer service issues in the past, but when we heard from Stephen Brandman, the Thompson Hotels co-owner, the other day we began to wonder, is Thompson fast tracking so many new "lifestyle" hotels in 2008 because they are aggressively and successfully addressing guest services?

Brandman, who oversees all of Thompson Hotels operations including staff hiring and training, takes his company's service very seriously. He writes:

Our repeat business at all of our hotels is based on great service. Please remember when you charge a lot of money as we do at Thompson Hotels those that can't afford the experience are more likely to blog about it but really are not our customer.

Our hotels are full and continue to beat our comp set in RevPAR index because our repeat business makes us prosperous. We are not like a lot of other hotels that are bars with rooms attached. Even the Roosevelt is vastly improved over the past year.

Your shots at service are based on what? 60 Thompson has become iconic as a hotel, Roosevelt is famously popular and Gaige House is number 42 on Conde Nast yet you frown upon us? 6Columbus is getting great feedback so far...what gives?

Well, actually, our customer service question was based on experiences like this and the overflow in our inbox from hotel insiders who questioned Thompson's commitment to customer service. However, Mr. Brandman may have a point when he cites "improvement in the last year". Even the recent TripAdvisor reviews for the Roosevelt are above average. So Thompson Hotels is working hard to change that bad service reputation around. And we like that Brandman had the balls to email us in defense of his hotel brand.

However, we want to hear what you think. Help us figure out whether service at the 6 or so Thompson Hotels listed below is manifesto worthy.

Comment on service at a Thompson hotel here.

Related Stories:
· Introducing the Thompson Hotels Maps [HotelChatter]
· Getting to know the Thompson Hotels Co-Owners [HotelChatter]
· Stephen Brandman Podcast [Hotelsmag]