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The 'Techno-Glam Cool' Look of the New W Times Square

Where: 1567 Broadway At 47th St [map], New York, ny, United States, 10036

Thanks to Pat+, who dropped this snap into the HotelChatter Flickr Pool, we now have a visual on the new look of the just-renovated W New York Times Square. We weren't sure exactly what "techno-glam cool" meant when they described the rooms' fresh vibes in the press release earlier this week, so we're going to go ahead and assume this photo defines it for us.

Got your own hotel snapshots you want to share? Drop 'em in the HotelChatter Flickr Pool.

[Photo: Pat+]

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Inside The Grand Hyatt Shanghai

Where: No. 88 Century Boulevard, Shanghai, China, 200121

Thanks to Flickr member YY for dropping this excellent snapshot into the HotelChatter Flickr Pool. It's of the Grand Hyatt Shanghai which occupies floors 53-87 of the Jin Mao skyscraper. We've seen other views from inside this hotel but thankfully, this one doesn't give us a nasty case of vertigo.

Got your own hotel snapshots you want to share? Drop 'em in the HotelChatter Flickr Pool

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Hotel du Cap Eden Roc: We Want to Go to There

Where: Blvd. J.F. Kennedy, Antibes, France, 06600

It is February. It is cold. Tomorrow is Valentine's Day. Imagine the audible sighs that echoed off the walls of HC HQ when we came across this photo — hot poolboy and all — in the HotelChatter Flickr Pool, which comes to us courtesy of ChrisGoldNY.

This is a shot from Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc in France, an ultra-luxe hotel in a Napoleon III style building at the Southernmost tip of the Cape of Antibes. Rates here start around $600 USD — and that's in the off-season. But we're pretty sure the hot pool boy is included.

In the words of one Liz Lemon of 30 Rock: "we want to go to there."

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Historical Pool Plus Culture at Le Vieux Castillon in Provence

Where: 10 rue Turion Sabatier, Castillon-du-Gard , Provence, France, 30210

A grateful shout out to Chris Gold who dropped this fantastic pool picture into the HotelChatter Flickr pool. It was taken at Le Vieux Castillon in the small village of Castillon-du-Gard in scenic Provence.

Apart from the pool with the gorgeous old historic wall touch, Le Vieux Castillon also has an impressive restaurant, although some might think it's a little pricey.

This place is (appropriately) into a bit of culture: they have a Traditional Musical Evening Package going which includes breakfast and dinner (plus wine), and cocktails followed by a concert--they don't give too much away about what kind of concert but politely say the "program is available on simple request". That'll set you back €501 ($650) for a double, proving that traditional French culture obviously isn't that cheap, but at least the setting looks great.

[Photo: ChrisGoldNY]

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New Photos from the HotelChatter Flickr Pool

And now a look at some of the latest submissions to our HotelChatter Flickr Pool. Think you got some worthy hotel snaps of your own? Sign up to Flickr and drop 'em in the pool.

· What the Giraffe Sees from His Perch at FAO Schwartz: Why, it's The Plaza. [Chris Gold NY]

· The W Washington DC is Underway: The hotel is expected to open this Summer. [SevenSumerz]

· A Very Open Kitchen: At the Andaz West Hollywood's RH restaurant. [Huliana90212]

· Disney to Get New Villas: The Contemporary Resort's villas are under construction in Orlando. [Atwater Village]

· The Imperial Tokyo's Ho-Hum Room: Also, how do you watch the TV? [Kuyo]

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Obama Can See His New Digs From His Hotel Room

Where: 800 16th Street [map], Washington, dc, United States, 20006

As we reported last week, Barack Obama and his family has moved out of their Chicago home and the gang has headed to D.C. For the time being, they're living in the historic Hay-Adams Hotel; word on the street is that the girls started school today.

No doubt the fam is up in the Presidential Suite (duh), where the views are probably even better than this one from a Junior Suite at the same hotel: imagine waking up every morning and gazing out the window to see the White House — your new home for at least the next four years.

Big thanks to CourtneyMay for dropping this into the HotelChatter Flickr Pool.

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Peninsula Tokyo's Luxe Loo Gets Rave Reviews

Where: 1-8-1 Yurakucho, Tokyo, Japan, 100-0006

Lyh1 has totally become our go-to guy when it comes to Tokyo hotel bathrooms. We all have our roles, ya know? And while he spread the hate on the Mandarin Oriental Tokyo’s bathroom, he’s all about the luxe loo in the Tokyo Peninsula’s deluxe suite.

From the HotelChatter Flickr pool:

It goes without mention that there is a shower cubicle with rainforest shower ( I guess it's the Raindance from Hansgrohe ) that has such powerful water pressure that it was really a joy to use. And rounding up is the mandatory high-tech Japanese toilet, this one comes with proximity sensor so that it will "open up" when you approach it and automatically flush and deordourize after doing the "business". Very impressive!

The only drawback is that this bathroom can be kinda small, esp for a suite. But every thing you need is here and nothing is missing. This is one of the best hotel bathroom I have experienced. Oh Gosh, I sound like an advertisement for this hotel :-P

Uh, yeah you do, buddy, but if you’re happy we’re happy. Also according Lyh1, the bathroom you’re ogling is all marble, granite, and glass, with dual sinks, a full-length spa tub, 20” LCD TV, the Peninsula’s signature DAVI brand toilet--and a window view. Bottom line? “The best that hotels in Tokyo have to offer,” Lyh1 concludes.

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The Beds at the Fullerton Hotel Are a Let Down for One Guest

Where: 1 Fullerton Square, Singapore, Singapore, 049178

Thanks to Flickr Member YY for dropping this photo of a room at the Fullerton Hotel in Singapore into our HotelChatter Flickr Pool. And double-thanks for letting us know about the bed sitch:

The double bed is actually 2 single beds put together, so one cannot really sleep on the center of the bed. And as you can imagine the size of the room from the width in the photo, very tiny.

Another Flickr commenter asked YY exactly what we were thinking, "I thought Fullerton Hotel in Singapore is 5 star?" To which YY replied, "Yes, it is 5-star, but the room are not better than other 5-star hotels." Ouch.

To be fair, lots of European hotels seemingly push two beds together to make one giant one. But we can understand the let down here at a five-star hotel. This looks like a Post Master room which is the lowest room category. For a better experience, we say book one of the suites.

Also, according to TripAdvisor reviews, the service seems to be spot on so perhaps a ride in one of the two Rolls Royces at the hotel would make things all better?

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T.I. is Looking Kinda Sexy, and We Don't Mean the Rapper

Where: 3300 Las Vegas Boulevard South [map], Las Vegas, NV, United States, 89109

Mrkathika surprised us this weekend when he dropped this photo of one of Treasure Island Hotel and Casino's newly-upgraded rooms into the HotelChatter Flickr Pool. Suffice it to say that we just about stunned ourselves when we were like, "dayum, T.I. is lookin' kinda sexy" — and for the first time, uh, ever, we were talking about the old Vegas hotel and not the hip-hop artist.

But seriously: the rooms are lookin' kinda hott, right?

Aside from capturing our attention by hosting the launch of Michael Jackson's glitzy Vegas clothing line, we don't talk so much about T.I., mostly because they don't pull many of those sorts of D-list celeb stunts or host trainwreck-y Criss Angel shows like some Vegas hotels — but these newly-renovated rooms are definitely worth taking a look at if you're heading down to Vegas this winter.

TripAdvisor reviewers — recent ones in particular — seem to really be digging T.I., calling it "the perfect Vegas hotel" and giving major praise to the new beds.

Rates start around $69.

Got a pic you wanna share with us? Drop it in the pool!

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The Proximity Hotel's Old-Timey Cab

Where: 704 Green Valley Road [map], Greensboro, NC, United States, 27408

Continuing our obsession with hotel cars, we have this cool shot from SingNShoot of the old-timey Checkers cab at the Proximity Hotel. Another shot of an old London cab the hotel uses is here. We're loving this! How cute. Also, the rainy day is an apropro backdrop for the cabs. But we have to wonder, since the Proximity is a green hotel, are these cars hybrids?

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HotelChatter Flickr Pool :: A Guest Hates on The MO Tokyo's Voyeuristic Bathrooms

Where: 2-1-1 Nihonbashi Muromachi | Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Japan, 103-8328

Lyh1 was kind enough to drop this photo of the Mandarin Oriental Tokyo's bathroom into the HotelChatter Flickr Pool -- and the guest who snapped this shot was also kind enough to share a little bit of feedback:

The shower and tub area is fully exposed. And right pass [sic] the foyer, you see the toilet cubicle. Not a room that you want to welcome outside guests.

I hated this bathroom. It's poorly lit and small. ... The dull grey marble give the whole place a dirty look. For a 5-star premium luxury hotel, this bathroom is just awful.

We feel you, bud: we can totally see how doing your business on that toilet may make you feel like you're kinda, uh, doing something private in public. We've felt semi-exposed in bathrooms before (NYLO was particularly traumatizing because the carpetless floors in the room added a hot audio component) -- and we don't feel our sexiest while we're on the throne.

And we hear you on the speckled grey marble too. But on the flipside, it actually probably hides dirt better than straight up black or white so maybe it doesn't look as dirty as it may really be. Oh wait, no, that's gross too. Nevermind.

Thanks for sharing!

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Snapshot :: San Juan Water and Beach Club's Rooftop Bar

Where: 2 Tartak St, CAROLINA, Puerto Rico, 00979

Thanks to CourtneyMay who put this snapshot in the HotelChatter Flickr Pool, we are now entirely unsatisfied with sitting at our desks today.

This is the view from Wet, the San Juan Water & Beach Club's rooftop bar and lounge. Touted as San Juan's "only luxury boutique hotel on the beach," it has a swanky rooftop hotspot that serves up kickass views -- and also a delicious drink we want in our hot little fingers right now: the "COCO Nuts Martini." It's 4 oz COCO Vodka, 2 oz Flavored Coconut Rum, and 1 oz Coco Cream. Yes, please.