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Manhattan Hotels
Peninsula Opens Sunny Indoor Pool Just in Time for Tanless Seasons
August 29, 2008 at 10:14 AM | 0 Comments
Some of us here really enjoy tanning. Well, perhaps it's not so much the act of tanning that we enjoy -- but the glorious state of being tanned. Still, we don't usually care much for indoor pools because the chances of getting bronzed are greatly reduced when the only sunlight touching our skin comes to us via a little window ... but now that the seasons are a-changin' and our tans are a-fadin', we can get behind the opening of the super-sunny indoor pool at the Peninsula New York.
Shanghai Hotels
Shanghai is (Really) High on Hyatt and Getting a Peninsula Too
May 21, 2008 at 10:05 AM | 1 Comment
Warning: This picture of the Grand Hyatt Shanghai might give you vertigo. Whoa....
Shanghai is so hot right now. In every shop from the Bund to People's Park you are assaulted with pieces of new cultural brands: stuffed animals for the Beijing Olympics, World Expo 2010 cell phone straps, and etched crystal replicas of their tallest skyscraper, the World Financial Center.
Like Budapest, Shanghai is divided by its river into two sides with very different agendas: Pudong for international business and ambitious development, and Puxi for old school flavor and street life in and amongst vestiges of the city's opium-fueled past.
On a recent visit to Shanghai we made sure to scope out the top two hotels set to house the upcoming waves of deep-pocketed tourists, and of course it's all about luxury.
Hotel Technology
Mood Lighting or Hi-Tech Toilets: What Kind of Hotel Geek Are You?
May 14, 2008 at 9:54 AM | 0 Comments
On a day when every hotel you're looking at booking starts to sound the same, a bit of out-there technology can help you make your mind up. Travel + Leisure Australia recently put together a list of their favorite hotel gadgets and gizmos, and there are a few hotels on their list that we would book just to check out their new technology.
They've got the Peninsula Tokyo on their list, not just for the nail dryer and ultra-portable phone but also for the three mood lighting settings; speaking of lighting, the Tarraleah Lodge in Tasmania has "chromatherapy" lighting in the bathtub so the water will glow the color of your mood.
There's more than just cool lighting to be had, though: the T+L story mentions Tokyo's Four Seasons at Marunouchi because of its hi-tech warm toilet seats with multiple spraying functions to take the place of toilet paper, for example. There's also the Park Hyatt Seoul in South Korea which has gadgety non-fog mirrors inside their rain showers. Yes, we admit it: we're hotel geeks who would choose a hotel just for the non-fog mirror. Sorry.
[Photo: Tarraleah Media]
Hotel News
The Peninsula Hotel In Manila Has Re-Opened
December 3, 2007 at 5:10 PM | 0 Comments
The Peninsula Hotel Manila has reopened after a scary failed military seige took place there last week.
The Peninsula Hotel has now formally re-opened, after repairs said to cost more than $100,000. It estimates it lost $1.2m through the alleged coup attempt.
That is almost as bad as Britney Spears spending a night at the Peninsula Beverly Hills.
Some more hotel news:
· The Hotel@MIT, one of our favorite Geek Hotels, is going to become a Le Meridien Hotel. The luxury brand will replace the geeky but cool @ name. [Boston Globe]
· Visit Bill Clinton's hometown by staying at the newly opened Capitol Hotel in Little Rock [Mercury News]
· U2's latest hotel still causing drama with local environmental agency. [UK Guardian]
· Ace Hotel which has locations in Seattle and Portland, is looking at Palm Springs for its next location. [The Desert Sun]
[Photo: Mtxtremist]
Heard Around
Heard Around the Hotel World: Britney Spears Gets Blacklisted
November 30, 2007 at 4:22 PM | 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?"
Britney Spears
Britney Spears Celebrates Freedom From Kids at Peninsula Hotel
October 2, 2007 at 10:31 AM | 0 Comments
Britney Spears sure must be happy that she doesn't have to care for her kids no more because just after a judge ordered K-Fed full custody of Sean Preston and Jayden James, the spastic celeb headed to the Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills.
TMZ is reporting that Brit has checked in and plans to stay a while. Despite Britney being clothed in wacky attire, the hotel staff at the Peninsula gave the train wreck their full attention, with one guy running in after her to ensure she gets in ok.
Speaking of wacky attire, we stopped in the Peninsula the other week to check-out the spa and we arrived in what we thought were stylish sweats, at least for the spa. But we didn't realize that we had to walk through the main part of the hotel including a tea room to get to the elevators. And believe us, sweats were probably the worst thing we could wear. We wonder how the other stuffy guests will handle Britney's barely-there skirt?
Related Stories:
· Cheeky Brit Checks Into Beverly Hills [TMZ]
Hotel Openings
The New Peninsula Hotel Tokyo Is Predictably Unaffordable
September 5, 2007 at 4:11 PM | 2 Comments
Like most Peninsula Hotels stateside, the just opened Peninsula Tokyo is going to cost you about $500 a night. We found a twin bed room for next week for 57,000 JPY which converts to about $490 USD. We also found a room with a king-sized bed for September 14 that costs about $520. Yikes. So much for special introductory hotel opening rates.
So if you do splurge what can you expect in the rooms?
· Radio, weather panel and nail dryer (which Kitty Beyonce loves)
· Bedside panel with remote control capabilities to adjust your environment with a touch of a button
· Free WiFi (which we like)
· Portable city-wide phones
· Minimum 42" Pioneer plasma television
· Nutrition Center with fully stocked mini-bar, coffee and tea making facilities
· Mood lighting and a telephone with hands-free function in the bathroom.
The hotel also has an ESPA on site along with a swimming pool, three restaurants and a lobby bar.
As for the location, according to the hotel website the Peninsula is in the business district of Marunouchi, opposite the Imperial Palace and Hibiya Park and "within minutes' walk" of the shopping capital of Ginza. Although if you are paying those prices, we say have someone drive you around. Especially since the hotel is set to get some Rolls Royce Phantoms pretty soon.
Peninsula Hotels
The Peninsula's Naughty Concierge
August 29, 2007 at 10:08 AM | 0 Comments
Today's Page Six has a blind item about a naughty concierge at the Peninsula New York who was getting busy with a regular hotel guest. Unfortunately, sleeping with the guests, no matter how rich they are, is not allowed.
WHICH wealthy bachelor who was living at the Peninsula got a pretty concierge at the hotel fired when her bosses found out they were having an affair? He took his business across the street to the St. Regis, where they continued their trysts . . .
Um...we're pretty sure that concierge got the better end of the deal. Now she gets the wealthy bachelor AND she doesn't have to work.
We have no idea who this bachelor could be and we sorta don't care, but Bruce Willis has been known to indulge in a groping session here.
If you have your guesses--about either the bach or the concierge--send 'em our way.
[Photo: WallyG]
W Hotels
PM Linkage: Jewelry Designer Does Bambu Indah in Bali
August 22, 2007 at 4:55 PM | 0 Comments
Links:
· Hotels are not just for fashion designers. Jewelry designer John Hardy gets in on the game [Luxist]
· America Inn wants to know whose neighbors are noisier? [Budget Travel]
· Leona Helmsley gets put in the ground [NY1]
· Luxury hotels keep popping up in Ireland. The latest is the Fitzwilliam Hotel [Belfast Telegraph]
· Peninsula Chicago's pool is voted best indoor hotel lap pool [Chicago Tribune]
· No W Hotel for Long Island's Patchogue [NY Newsday]
Designer Uniforms
More Hotels Get Designer Staff Uniforms
May 4, 2007 at 12:16 PM | 0 Comments
The hotels below would not be caught dead wearing the uniforms above.
Los Angeles magazine has a quick write-up of the latest area hotels to get in on the hotel designer uniform craze.
Jason Pomeranc hired stylist to the stars Rachel Zoe and fashion designer Jenni Kayne to creat unis for the Thompson Beverly Hills Hotel staff (the hotel is expected to open this summer, our sources say.) The waittresses at Teddy's in the Hollywood Roosevelt are already sporting Diane Von Furstenberg dresses.
The Peninsula Beverly Hills puts the spa staff in blue and beige pants and sweater sets by luxury knits line St. John's.
The Sofitel LA employees get "gray pin-striped dresses with matching scarves" by Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, a French designer.
And Jeff Klein's employees at the Sunset Tower sported Ted Baker uniforms until Klein reverted back to standard suits and polo shirts. Apparently, these staffers were so well-dressed, "everyone thought they were fellow guests." Ahh...the dangers of designer uniforms.
[Photo: Chrispitality]
Hotel Cars
Snapshot: Rolls Royce Phantoms
February 1, 2007 at 9:39 AM | 0 Comments
Not too long ago it was reported that the Peninsula Hotel Hong Kong was buying up a fleet of Rolls-Royce Phantoms to keep at the hotel for chartering guests around.
Now Flickr Member Mrgarage has photographic evidence of the cars lying in wait.
A nice shot of two of the cars out front. This is a great view you get when you walk by the hotel...there are always several of these cars out front.
If you book the hotel's Pen-Ultimate package you can ride around in one of these babies with your own chauffer. The package also includes a private tai chi class and a helicopter "flight-seeing" trip around town, along with complimentary perks and meals. But it's $50,000 for one night for two people. In Hong Kong dollars. Which works out to about $6,500 USD a night.
Related Stories:
· MrGarage's photostream [Flickr]
Hotel News
Condé Nast Travel's Business Travelers' Survey
October 3, 2006 at 10:55 AM | 0 Comments
Last week we pointed to the results of a TripAdvisor survey of business travelers. This week we get a new survey courtesy of the current issue of Condé Nast Travel.
The average traveler in this survey spends around 50 nights a year away from home on business. Findings show that 93 percent travel with a cell phone and 63 percent travel with a laptop. "Somewhat surprisingly, though, only 16 percent pack a BlackBerry or other portable e-mail device." (Perhaps success is inversely related to how obsessed you are with your e-mail? Hmmmm...)
As for hotels, with the magazine running lots of ads for the likes of Rolex and Prada, it's probably no surprise that Best Western didn't make this list. Hong Kong apparently knows how to run hotels: The Peninsula chain came in first and the Mandarin Oriental chain came in third. In second place was the Four Seasons, which had the highest rank in the food category. (Peninsula won the other four categories.) Next up was Ritz-Carlton and fifth was Starwood's Luxury Collection.
So what really matters to these travelers? Here the list wasn't so radically different than the TripAdvisor survey's. Location was the most important, at 88% of respondents. This was followed by comfortable beds, price, security, service, and high-speed Internet access. All the other items received less than 40%, with the business center, spa, and bars/lounges pulling up the rear. They were ranked as "very important" by 10% of respondents or less.
Related Stories:
· Business Travel Awards [Conde Nast]
· Brand Loyal or Stuck in a Rut? TripAdvisor's New Business Traveler Survey [HotelChatter]
