Tag: hurricane sandy
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7 Unlucky Hotels That Just Can't Catch A Break
In honor of St Patrick's Day coming up this Sunday, we thought we'd take a look back at a few hotels that just can't seem to catch a break. If any leprechauns are reading this right now, take note. You've got your work cut out for you!
#7: Le Parker Meridien.
We thought it was bad enough when a random construction accident managed to flood the entire Knave Cafe at LPM. But it turned out the hotel had more bad luck coming, when Hurricane Sandy tore through Manhattan, toppling a nearby crane, and causing Le Parker Meridien to be evacuated. Here's to a cheerier 2013.
#6: JW Marriott Chicago.
The JW Marriott Chicago made plenty of headlines (though not the good kind) this past fall when an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease claimed the lives of three guests who stayed there over the sumer. The Chicago Dept of Public Health reported that the hotel "fully cooperated with the ongoing investigation," and concluded by saying there was no further health threat at the hotel. Still, we're probably going to lay off those hot tub parties for a while.
#5: Revel Resort.
This $2.6 billion resort was supposed to be the saving grace of Atlantic City, but after barely a year of being open, it announced it was planning to file for bankruptcy. Ouch! Hurricane Sandy couldn't have helped things either. We feel like they need a lucky charm or something to bring them back from the dark side, but then again, if a four-night Beyonce run during opening weekend didn't manage to do it, we're not sure what will.
Four more unlucky hotels after the jump!
Hotel Woes / Hurricane Sandy / Hotel News / Brooklyn Hotels / FEMA / → All Tags
A Pregnant Sandy Victim Got Kicked Out Of Her Brooklyn Hotel
[UPDATE, 10:14am: A source from the hotel has informed us that Christian was in fact able to stay on at the hotel, and was not displaced. The Post ran the story while the situation was still being resolved. FEMA didn't confirm the extension until the last minute, which obviously made it difficult for the hotel, which was already full, to accommodate the request.]
For many Sandy victims in New York and New Jersey, government-provided hotel rooms have become an appealing solution: a warm bed in a safe, clean environment, and, if they're lucky, a built-in restaurant, and a pool for the kids to play in.
But what if FEMA screws up your reservation?
That's exactly what happened to eight-months-pregnant Keri Christian, who was staying at the NU Hotel in Brooklyn when she was abruptly kicked out of her room, two weeks ahead of her scheduled departure.
The NY Post reports that though FEMA had originally approved her stay through Dec 14, a reservation error meant the 27-year-old pregnant Staten Islander (and her 2-year-old daughter) were suddenly homeless—and there wasn't much the hotel could do.
To read a statement from the hotel GM, click below!
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Last Chance To Catch The Standard Hotel's Rainbow Laser (And Other News)
There's tons of New York hotel news flying around this week and we don't have time to give each and every story the love and attention it may deserve, so you will have to settle for some news briefs.
· Follow The Rainbow to the Standard Hotel: On Tuesday, a bold new work of public art debuted on top of (where else?) The Standard New York. Titled "Global Rainbow, After the Storm," by US artist Yvette Mattern, the work features seven beams of high-powered laser light projected into the sky. The rainbow is actually visible for up to 35 miles, though it only uses the amount of power equivalent to two hairdryers. Sadly, the installation is short-lived: tonight is the last night to see it in action.
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Here Are a Few Hotels Doing Good Post-Sandy
As it's now been over three weeks since Hurricane Sandy hit the east coast, you could be easily fooled into thinking everything is pretty much back to normal. And, in some ways, that would be true: power is back to Manhattan, the subways are running between boroughs again, and NYC & Co has declared that 98% of the city's hotels have all re-opened.
But there is still plenty of work to be done. Many homes in places like Red Hook, Far Rockaway, Staten Island and parts of New Jersey were demolished or declared uninhabitable by FEMA, and volunteers from the Red Cross have been working around the clock to bring relief to those still left struggling to cope with the storm's aftermath.
For obvious reasons, hotels have played a major role in this post-Sandy relief effort by organizing charity drives, housing relief workers, and giving shelter to homeless Sandy victims. The Daily Mail is reporting that the Red Cross has spent $181,000 alone on rooms at the Soho Grand.
Now, here are a few ways you, the philanthropic hotel guest, can pitch in too:
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Bono Ambushed The Carlyle, The Westin Times Square Has A (Not So) Secret Admirer
There's tons of New York hotel news flying around this week and we don't have time to give each and every story the love and attention it may deserve, so you will have to settle for some news briefs.
· The Carlyle's Got Bono Under Its Skin: Remember back in September when Mariah Carey dropped in at The Carlyle to do an impromptu performance of Lullaby of BIrdland? Well, it must be something in the water there, because just a few nights ago, Bono went and did the exact same thing.
According to the Huffington Post, singer Jim Caruso and pianist Bily Stritch were performing standards from The Great American Songbook at Bemelmans Bar, when Bono suddenly rushed up to the stage and started belting right along with 'em (the song was "I've Got You Under My Skin," in case you were wondering.) Apparently, right after singing the last note, Bono waved to the crowd, hopped off stage, and took off into the night.
Casino Hotels / Hurricane Sandy / Atlantic City Hotels / Revel Resorts / Borgata / New Jersey Hotels / → All Tags
Bettor Believe It! Atlantic City Casinos and Hotels Are Open Again
Last we heard, Atlantic City had completely shut down in preparation for the storm, ordering casinos to terminate gambling and hotel guests to be evacuated. That was last Sunday.
Over a week later, much of the Jersey Shore has been devastated, and the Atlantic City boardwalk has all but disappeared, but casinos and hotels are starting to open up once more.
For starters, Revel re-opened on Saturday at noon, with the following words:
"Revel sustained minimal damage and although our team is fully ready, we have elected to reopen tomorrow to allow for residents to return to their homes. We are grateful to our staff for their continued support"
The 740-room Golden Nugget, which recently completed a major $150 million renovation in April, was the first casino to re-open after the storm. In fact, owners were so anxious to get gamblers back in the building that the doors were flung open within hours of Governor Chris Christie's official go-ahead on Friday.
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FEMA Offers Hotel Rooms, But No Room Service, To Sandy Victims
As was the case in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, disaster victims in New York and New Jersey are now being promised temporary government-paid hotel stays, if their housing situation (or lack thereof) warrants it. Though, don't go thinking these folks are headed for The Plaza or anything. At this point, all they care about is a dry, warm bed and a toilet that flushes.
Here's how it works: FEMA agrees to foot the bill for pre-arranged hotel stays that have been assigned to victims by a third party contractor (whose name is Corporate Lodging Consultants, in case you were wondering). The cost of the rooms is set at a fixed rate--the same rate paid for all federal employees who stay in hotels while on business.
The trouble is, even with that cushy government discount, rooms in NYC are still kinda pricey. Like $295/night pricey.
Which is why FEMA is now stipulating that, while eligible victims will indeed receive hotel rooms, the government won't pick up any room service or telephone charges.
Name This Caption / Hotel Tonight / Hurricane Sandy / Hotel Indigo / Manhattan Hotels / → All Tags
Name This Caption!
It's Monday and just the right hour for some work procrastination. Take a minute and play Witty Wordsmith with us, whydontcha? That's right, it's time to Name.This.Caption!
This one's a toughie, because it touches on Hurricane Sandy and as much as we'd like to think "new week, new start", we're flummoxed. Plus we know people are still out there affected by this disaster. If we can put a name on this, it might help should we ever encounter it again. We'll explain.
You're captioning the above picture. But first, you must look at the one below. See the difference? We looked more than a few times to make sure we weren't seeing things.
Marathon Hotels / Hurricane Sandy / Marriott Hotels / Andaz Hotels / → All Tags
Hotel Tales From Two NYC Marathon Runners
As we learned late Friday afternoon, the NYC Marathon was officially cancelled by Mayor Bloomberg and New York Road Runners after tons of controversy. This decision was celebrated by many local residents, but made more than a few thousand runners, especially those who had flown in from far distances and booked hotels, especially upset. And then there were some who were fine with the decision, despite the expense. Here are two accounts from two would-be competitors and a information on an organization that will help runners donate their unused rooms to those in need.
David Noyes, Buffalo NY
What aggravates me is that the mayor could have cancelled this on Wednesday when he was on television. That would have been fine because no one was here yet! Runners weren’t trying to be insensitive, but when the mayor gets on television and tells you that things are going forward and you don’t live in the area, you tend to believe that he knows what’s best. I understand the controversy, but a lot of us had a lot invested in this, too. I was being sponsored and had raised $3,000 in charitable funds for a children’s hospital in Kenya. I spent six-months getting sponsors and now don't know what to do. People have raised over $35 million for charity. So, it wasn’t just “a race”.
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Did Marathoners Deserve Hotel Priority Over Hurricane Sandy Guests?
The Marriott admits they asked Hurricane Sandy guests to make way for marathoners
The 43rd New York City Marathon is was scheduled for Sunday, but it’s now been cancelled. The news was leaked Friday afternoon by Charlie Rose who Tweeted the decision from an interview with NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly. That tweet was soon taken down, but the news had already spread over the internet like wildfire within minutes and a release was quickly put up on the New York Road Runners' website.
It’s no coincidence the decision corresponded with the huge uproar and resulting petition to Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the New York Road Runners to shut down or postpone the race. Many questioned having a New York marathon when Hurricane Sandy's downed power lines, messy mass transit, damaged and destroyed homes and businesses, plus a mounting death toll seemed more of a priority for the city.
Add insult to injury—some New York hotels had asked guests to vacate their rooms in favor of in-coming marathoners.. People who had been using hotel rooms as temporary refuge were facing eviction.
Football Hotels / NFL Hotels / Hurricane Sandy / New Jersey Hotels / → All Tags
Even The Pittsburgh Steelers Can't Get a Room For Sunday's Game
Things are tough all over! Some hotels and travel apps are whining about our reports that their Hurricane Sandy fees aren't unfair at all, and now it looks like the Pittsburgh Steelers are in trouble! They'll have to march right back home after their game against the New York Giants at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. scheduled for 4:25pm on Sunday.
Why? There’s simply no room at the inn. Any inn,(not even the no-tell motels?), to take on the 53-man football team.
The Steelers' regular hotel in Jersey City is without power for their booking tomorrow night and they can't find alternate lodging. This will force the team to fly the great distance to Newark (an hour) on the day of the game (the NFL requires visiting teams to arrive at least one day before kickoff) and return to Pittsburgh that same day. But again, take note of the game time: 4:25 p.m. So, we’re not talking a break-of-dawn flight, here, buddies. Perspective!
Celebrity Scoop / Celeb Hotels / Manhattan Hotels / Russell Crowe / Alec Baldwin / Anna Wintour / Hurricane Sandy / Hotel News / → All Tags
More Importantly, Where Did Celebs End Up After the Storm?
A bearded Russell Crowe waltzes off to his uptown hotel...
So far, we've brought you Sandy-related reports on pressing matters like price gouging, the Park Hyatt's rogue crane and the surge in hotel cancellations. But moving on to the real question on everyone's mind: how have celebs managed to cope since Sandy hit the Big Apple?
Quite well, as a matter of fact. While plenty of downtown New Yorkers were busy digging out candles from kitchen cabinets and wearing blankets to compensate for lack of heating (actually, some downtown hotel guests were doing the same thing), a flock of A-listers were ditching their power-less TriBeCa, SoHo and Greenwich Village apartments for a plush uptown refuge, where the electricity flows like honey and the shoe shine kiosk stays open all night long.*
Yup, we're talking about The Mark.
