Sometimes you have to wonder whether our traveling founding fathers and mothers were as big of pansies as we've apparently become.
Sure, airport security and delayed flights are a pain in the arse, and we clearly value a well-stocked minibar. But some of the "innovative" hotel amenities reported in Hotel Interactive's recent roundup smack us as, well, a bit silly.
After all--at the risk of going all Oregon Trail on you--let's take a moment to remember two old-school travel truths: covered wagons and fording rivers.
Seriously, what would Ma and Pa Ingalls say about luxuries like portable oxygen canisters (for a quick breather, courtesy of the Pan Pacific Vancouver) and in-room basketball courts (at The Palms in Las Vegas)?
That being said, presumably even Laura would have flipped for the Ritz-Carlton South Beach's amenities for tweens.
And good news: The hotel is taking reservations for stays on or after November 17th.
Naturally, we had to go in and plug that opening date to see what kind of rooms the reservations system yielded. What we found was a studio room with either a king or queen-sized bed for $350 a night. Apparently, that's a special rate so expect those prices to increase in high season to the regular rack rate of $645.
Forget what a bed at the Mondrian South Beach looks like? Never fear. We have that too.
A rep for the Mondrian South Beach hotel just sent over this restaurant of the planned Asia de Cuba restaurant (run by China Grill Management) which will open inside the hotel in December 2008. Here's the official restaurant and menu description.
Asia de Cuba at Mondrian South Beach blends a vibrant, social atmosphere conceived by Marcel Wanders with innovative menus, incorporating the best of Asian and Latin cuisines and producing intense flavors distinctly united.
The restaurant delivers imaginatively prepared signature dishes such as Calamari Salad "Asia de Cuba," with chayote, hearts of palm, banana, cashews, chicory and radicchio in a sesame orange dressing; Tunapica, a picadillo style tuna tartare with Spanish olives, black currants, almonds and coconut in a soy-lime vinaigrette; Palomillo of Marinated Lamb, Miso-Cured Alaskan Butterfish accompanied by a tempura-battered shisito pepper, and Lobster "Mai-Tai, with rhum, coconut, red curry and wok crispy boniato.
Mmmm...our stomach just growled. This will be the sixth Asia de Cuba. There are other locations at the Morgans Hotel in New York and the Mondrians in LA and Scottsdale as well as the Clift in San Fran and St. Martin's Lane in London.
The hotel is set to open sometime in December 2008 and while we had heard a rumor that the hotel would be taking reservations starting November 17th, we aren't going to hold our breath.
There's been a whole lotta drama out on the Gansevoort South's rooftop pool in Miami. Crappy conditions for extras on a TV show shoot. Criminals workin' the sushi bar. And oh, yes: a fire.
But just as we were about to write it off, reader F. dropped a couple of photos of his experience on the Gansevoort South rooftop into the HotelChatter Facebook Page's fan photo album.
And the view looks... cranelicious. Granted, the photo was taken in June, so we're not totally sure that all those cranes are still there -- so we've included another one of F's Gansevoort rooftop pics after the jump (from a different part of the roof). Enjoy!
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A reader sent in this snapshot of the old Ritz Plaza in Miami Beach saying that this is supposed to be the site of the new SLS Miami.
The first SLS Hotel is set to open in Beverly Hills sometime later this fall and Andrew Calvo reported on Passions of a Zealot that Miami is to be the next location.
But even as far back as 2004, Hotel Online reported that Sam Nazarian and Philippe Starck would take over the Ritz Plaza on Collins Avenue for a new SLS hotel.
Yet as this photo clearly demonstrates not much is happening with SLS Miami. Que paso? Anyone who knows, send us a hint.
After closing to undergo a $1 billion renovation and sorta confusing us with their official operating status, the ritzy, iconic Fontainebleau Miami Beach has officially set their "soft" reopening date for October 18th.
During the soft opening period, guests can score rates starting at $239 a night. The official grand opening bash is happening on November 14th, coinciding with the Victoria's Secret fashion show (happening on site).
The revamped hotel will debut with a 40,000 square foot spa, two brand new towers, 11 (eleven!) restaurants and lounges, three nightlife spots and a "dramatic oceanfront pool-scape featuring 'walls of water' intermingled with a free-form, Lapidus-influenced pool." And they'd best make good on their promise to feature iMacs in the rooms...
There's tons of 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.
· Calling Cards for Kids? : One parent was delighted to see that the Park Lane Marriott in London handed out "business cards" to their child-guests so they have the hotel's information on them in case they get lost. Awww....
We'd be lying if we said we had much more exposure to the swinging lifestyle than watching that one episode of The O.C. where Sandy and Kirsten attended a swingers' party (and subsequently chickened out), but we understand the idea of swinging and assume you do too.
What we don't understand is how Pearson Media Group, a children's educational book publisher, is going to react to sharing Miami's Westin Diplomat Resort with the world's largest swingers' party going on this weekend.
Ha! Awesome! Almost as awesome as the time the Crowne-Plaza Orlandodouble-booked a swingers' party and a Disney youth soccer tournament. Awkward.
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by KatieK
