Tag: What Is This
View All TagsWhat Is This / Peninsula Hotels / Hong Kong Hotels / → All Tags
What is This at The Peninsula Hong Kong?
We like to keep it fun but informative here at HotelChatter so our series, What is This?, is devoted to odd-looking items in hotels that upon first glance look as if they serve only a decorative purpose. But everything happens for a reason, right? And we're here to tell you what these things really do.
There's quite a bit to explore at any Peninsula hotel, from bedside digital control panels to butler boxes, but the flagship property in Hong Kong has a few extra secrets waiting to be discovered. Take, for instance, this small slit of a window found not in a guest room or restaurant, but in The Peninsula Hong Kong's shopping arcade.
Pass the Goyard boutique (the only one in HK!), beyond Chanel and other big brands with guarded doors lies this peekaboo spot to tickle your curiosity.
What Is This / Atlantic City Hotels / Casino Hotels / Trump Hotels / Hotel Lobbies / Hotel Games / Hotel Casinos / Hotel Snapshot / → All Tags
What Is This At Trump Taj Mahal?
We like to keep it fun but informative here at HotelChatter so our series, What is This?, is devoted to odd-looking items in hotels that upon first glance look as if they serve only a decorative purpose. But everything happens for a reason, right? And we're here to tell you what these things really do.
Most things in Atlantic City hotels you can pretty much take at face value. Casino floor. Slot machine. Starbucks. Jimmy Buffett-inspired beach bar.
But we had to stop and do a double take while wandering around the lobby at Trump Taj Mahal the other day. At the bottom of the escalators, right next to the Baccarat Pit, we spotted what appeared to be a giant children's playpen—then we remembered where we were, and dismissed that thought. Bright, shiny beach balls scattered around a life-size tic-tac-toe board.
But who was playing? Were we allowed to jump in? What the heck was this thing anyway?
What is This / Hotel Art / Florida Hotels / Marriott Hotels / → All Tags
What Is This at The Marco Island Marriott?
It took us a few minutes to realize this gorgeous creature at the Marco Island Marriott wasn't made of stone or plaster, but rather, plain sand.
Her name is Margo and she was created by Dale Messick, best known as the cartoonist behind the Brenda Starr comic strip. This sand version was created by artist John Gowdy and sits in the hotel's stairwell, and is a sight to be hold, especially lit up at night. This is an actual replica of the bronze-statue of the Margo character made in 1966 by sculptor Tony Lopez.
You can see her in all her glory after the jump.
What is This / Manhattan Hotels / → All Tags
Answer Revealed: What Is This At The Hotel Chandler?
Not even 2 minutes after we posted the question "What Is This At The Hotel Chandler?", you smartypants posters had the answer down pat both on HotelChatter's Facebook and Twitter pages. We thought it would take at least an hour for someone to figure it out!
Well, you were right, Fred Geiger (the first to answer on Facebook), the image above are assorted 19th-century European clock tower hands. They're made of hammered copper with original gold leaf finish and came from a private museum in Germany before the Hotel Chandler's owner purchased them from an antiques dealer in New Jersey.
Another cool thing we discovered was that this fireplace mantel (below), original to the building, had hundreds of layers of paint on it. After a recent redecoration of the hotel's rooms, it was stripped (took a few weeks!) and these intricately hand-carved lions heads were revealed and lovingly restored.
What Is This / Manhattan Hotels / → All Tags
What Is This at The Hotel Chandler?
When we first looked at the above pieces on the wall at New York's Hotel Chandler, we honestly didn't know what to think. Was it art? Medieval weaponry? We felt like damned fools because we couldn't figure it out. So we just stood there staring at it for quite some time, like someone in a gallery, hands on chin in pretentious deep thought about a piece. But we weren't in deep thought, we were bloody perplexed and we don't like feeling that way.
Luckily the Chandler is chock-ful of quirky pieces, and the staff is quite used to questions about the fun pieces that dot the place. Normally, we like to pretend we're know-it-alls, but we couldn't fake the funk on this one. Being the inquisitive sort we couldn't leave without an answer, so we found out just what was hanging on the side wall of the hotel's lobby. And then we said "Ooooh." And felt silly. And kept staring because we couldn't believe we didn't get it at first shot.
But before we reveal the answer, we'll let you take a wild guess--there's always a smarty pants waiting to show us up--and tell us what do you think this is, anyway?
[Photo: Chanize Thorpe for HotelChatter]
What Is This / Hotel Art / Mexico Hotels / → All Tags
Revealed: Who is This At Secrets Huatulco?
Last week we showed you a pic of this handsome guy, who you can see at the all-inclusive Secrets Huatulco Resort & Spa, an under-the-radar property just a two-hour flight away from Oaxaca.
Our question to you was, who is he? And it seems we stumped ya! Well, we can tell you, he is the epitome of Mexico's icons-a mariachi!
This guy is moved to different locations around the sprawling resort based on events they think he should guest star. When we visited in August, he stood outside a conference room during the FIFA World Cup finals while Mexico played Brazil. We were surprised he didn't fall over with all the commotion coming from the crowd.
But that might be because he's made of sturdy stuff. The sculpture, crafted by artisans from Jalisco, is constructed from strong wrought iron, hammered into this intricate shape, and accented with a rustic finish.
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What Is This At Billie Swamp Safari?
This is a shot we took at a Seminole Indian Reservation in the Florida Everglades known as Billie Swamp Safari. Geared toward families, school groups, tourists, or just anyone who likes roughing it in the backcountry, the 2,000 acre reservation offers guests the chance to go airboating through the swamps, spying on bison, water buffalo, heron, turtles, snakes, and, of course, alligators.
The two frisky reptiles you see pictured above? Those would be a pair of African spur thighed tortoises, who live in a herpetarium at the main visitor's center. Though the land-dwelling creatures get plenty of attention, it seems they couldn't resist putting on a little show for us when we arrived.
But the best part about this place are the "chickees," or thatched roof dwellings, where visitors can spend the night. The accommodations are certainly rustic, but isn't that part of the fun?
For more info on booking a chickee in the Everglades, click below!
What Is This / Hotel Art / Mexico Hotels / → All Tags
What (or Who?) is This At Secrets Huatulco?
We like to keep it fun but informative here at HotelChatter so our series, What is This? is devoted to odd-looking items in hotels that upon first glance look as if they serve only a decorative purpose. But everything happens for a reason, right? And we're here to tell you what these things really do.
This one is kinda special. This piece is not actually in the rooms at seaside Secrets Huatulco, per se. But he is standing guard at this off-the-radar all-inclusive resort just a two hour flight from Oaxaca.
He is symbolic, and quite frankly, we think he's stunning, so we're bending the rules today because he'd totally be in our room for protection if the resort allowed such a thing.
Do you know who he is? His significance?
Give us your guess in the comments below!
[Photo: HotelChatter]
What Is This / Martha's Vineyard Hotels / Historic Hotels / Bed and Breakfasts / Relais and Chateau Hotels / Hotel Furniture / Hotel Antiques / Hotel Snapshots / → All Tags
What Is This At the Charlotte Inn?
We like to keep it fun but informative here at HotelChatter so our newest series, What is This?, is devoted to odd-looking items in hotel rooms that upon first glance look as if they serve only a decorative purpose. But everything happens for a reason, right? And we're here to tell you what these things really do.
Last year, we took a few steps around the Charlotte Inn's museum-worthy hoard of antique letterboxes, 19th century oil paintings, old medicine boxes, and stuffed pheasants in the lobby. But it turns out, the distinctive collection spreads throughout the entire hotel.
In the Coach House Suite, for example, you'll find this strange looking pulley system device hanging over one of the windows in the suite's living room.
But what does it do?
What Is This / Colorado Hotels / Historic Hotels / Hotel Amenities / Hotel Snapshots / → All Tags
What Is This At The Stanley Hotel?
We like to keep it fun but informative here at HotelChatter so our newest series, What is This?, is devoted to odd-looking items in hotel rooms that upon first glance look as if they serve only a decorative purpose. But everything happens for a reason, right? And we're here to tell you what these things really do.
We got a kick out of this blog post by comedian Paul F. Tompkins, who was recently staying at The Stanley Hotel in northern Colorado. Inside the room, he came across an ironing board, neatly stored in its own carrying case, with shoulder straps.
Thankfully, we weren't the only ones to catch the irony of placing a transportable ironing board in a hotel room. Click below to see Tompkins' hilarious commentary of the discovered hotel amenity...
What Is This / Hotel Bathrooms / Hotel Snapshots / Sweet Suites / Jordan Hotels / Hotel Bathtubs / → All Tags
What Is This At Le Royal Hotel In Amman?
Le Royal Amman, which happens to be the second-tallest building in the whole city, has been catering to the wealthy and well-to-do of Jordan's capital since it opened in 2002. From the lobby, a 3-story boutique retail outlet, 3 cinemas, and 10 restaurants provide plenty of distraction, but there's also some stuff worth seeing inside the rooms.
Like this decadent bathroom feature, found in one of the hotel's two Royal Suites.
What Is This / Bali Hotels / Hotel Bars / Indonesia Hotels / → All Tags
What Is This at Bali's Ayana Resort?
We like to keep it fun but informative here at HotelChatter so our newest series, What is This? is devoted to odd-looking items in hotel rooms that upon first glance look as if they serve only a decorative purpose. But everything happens for a reason, right? And we're here to tell you what these things really do.
So there's this bar, right? And it's down at the bottom of some cliffs, and it's in Bali. And from this bar, drinkers can have one of the coolest views of the legendary Bali sunset. The only downside is that you've got to get down...that...side.
The cliff drop-off between The Ayana Resort and the resort's Rock Bar is actually not an issue after all, since there's a mini funicular that takes load of about 5 people at a time down to imbibe only a few feet above the waves. That's what this white-roofed box is: the funicular at The Ayana.
