10019 Travel Guide
Hotel News / Steve Wynn / Hotel Condos / RItz-Carlton Hotels / Manhattan Hotels / Hotel Penthouses / Penthouse Suites / → All Tags
Steve Wynn Is Moving Into the Ritz-Carlton Penthouse
When he isn't pricing new real estate in Macau, Las Vegas tycoon Steve Wynn is keeping his eyes peeled for a new home in Manhattan. And he's now found the house of our his dreams: the penthouse suite at the Ritz-Carlton Central Park.
The NY Observer reports that Wynn has nabbed the apartment for $70 million, and it sounds every bit as incredible as we imagine. In fact, if we weren't so busy finding out about all the new hotels opening up in Manhattan, we would be knocking on his door this very instant trying to get a peek inside.
Think he'd have us in for tea and a bit of hotel gossiping?
Celebrity Scoop / Celebrity Hotels / Hotel Spas / Hotel Woes / Hotel Sex / Manhattan Hotels / Peninsula Hotels / → All Tags
John Travolta's Troubled Past At The Peninsula New York
Back last fall, we were having some seriously lovey-dovey feelings after visiting the Peninsula New York's wraparound Sun Terrace, an intimate urban oasis, raised up on the twenty-first floor of the hotel with sprawling views of midtown, endless rows of black deck chairs, and most importantly, a strong sense of quiet.
Today, we learn that we're not the only ones with a strong sense of attachment to the place. Fellow hotel lover John Travolta felt so comfortable during visits to the tranquil spa that he was known to get a little, er....intimate with some of the male masseurs employed there.
Now, a former masseur at the hotel has come forward claiming Travolta's bad behavior landed him on the hotel's black list back in the early 2000s, after multiple male employees flat out refused to be alone in a room with him.
Hotel Bars / Hotel Karaoke / Dream Hotels / Wyndham Hotels / Manhattan Hotels / Hotel News / → All Tags
Sweet Dreams Are Made Of...Singing Karaoke At The Dream's New Karaoke Bar
[UPDATE 10:37am: Though Jelsomino is located inside the Dream New York, sources at the hotel have told us that the bar is actually a separate entity, owned by (and imported from) Russian hospitality and nightlife company, Ginza Project]
Our friends at Condé Nast Traveler have picked up on a new venue that recently opened inside The Dream New York: a Broadway-themed underground karaoke bar called Jelsomino. And, as we've seen with other NYC hotel venues under the Chatwal empire (we're thinking of high-concept hotspots like Romera at Dream Downtown and the all-red Lambs Club inside The Chatwal), there's nothing subtle about the place.
The Dream doesn't just 'open a karaoke bar' and that's that. No, it sets up eight VIP tables with bottle service, astronomically-priced cocktails, iPad song menus, and even a troupe of backup singers and dancers on stage. Golly, our dreams really have come true.
TV Set Hotels / Manhattan Hotels / Celebrity Scoop / HBO Hotels / → All Tags
'Girls' Debuts on HBO With A Cameo By The Warwick Hotel
Dunham is "a voice of a generation," but not one that frequents The Warwick
If you live in New York, there's no chance you haven't yet been bombarded by advertising for the new HBO series, Girls, starring Tiny Furniture creator Lena Dunham, and directed by Judd Apatow. The show finally premiered on Sunday night, and not without a little cameo appearance by one of Manhattan's old timer hotels, The Warwick.
Funny, though—not exactly the type of place we were expecting in a series about twenty-something girls trying to be all cool and blasé (we'd imagine Standard or Ace would be better suited for something like that).
But wait, we were right all along, because the hotel isn't in fact used as a place where the "girls" hang out, but as the place where their parents stay when they're in town visiting. Heh. Sorry, Warwick, you've been typecast.
Hotel Accidents / Manhattan Hotels / Hotel Cafes / → All Tags
Random Construction Accident Floods a Cafe at Le Parker Meridien
Guests dining at the Knave Cafe at the Le Parker Meridien this morning were given quite a show when liquid concrete began pouring into the cafe.
Witnesses told The NY Post that the mixture was a foot deep and that it even moved chairs and tables. Apparently, a construction site next door to the hotel was pouring concrete when somehow the mixture went astray.
No one was injured and the hotel tweeted that the damage was contained in the cafe and did not spread to any other parts of the hotel. And the hotel's official statement reads pretty much the same:
Hotel Rebrandings / Hotel Name Changes / Manhattan Hotels / Hotel Tenants / → All Tags
The Buckingham Hotel in NYC Will Now Be Known as The Quin, With One 'N'
We're not quite sure how they are going to cover this up.
The Buckingham Hotel in NYC closed down last year to complete some massive renovations and while the job is still ongoing, the hotel has decided to makeover its name too.
The hotel will now be known as the Quin Hotel. That's right, the Quin with one "n." And yes, it does sound kind of like a nickname for the Algonquin. We're still trying to track down the origin of the name, maybe it has something to do with the hotel's jazzy past.
A reader tipped us off to the news in DNAinfo.com which has some scoop on the drama behind the scenes
. Apparently, Highgate Hotels has been installed as the new management company for the hotel but the renovations are making the long-term tenants (about a dozen) miserable.
Killer View / Manhattan Hotels / Peninsula Hotels / Hotel Fitness Centers / Hotel Pools / → All Tags
On a Hotel Treadmill 21 Stories Above 5th Avenue
Take a guess where in the The Peninsula NYC you'll have this view.
No, it's not from one of the hotel restaurants, or even from a suite; this envious view up Fifth Avenue and through Central Park to Harlem is from the fitness center within the 3-level Peninsula Spa by ESPA.
Since you're reading HotelChatter, you know very well that we're crazy about hotels and it shouldn't be a surprise that instead of joining a Crunch Fitness or NYSC, we instead bought a one-month membership to a hotel gym. Yes—it is possible! The Peninsula actually ran a deal in partnership with GiltCity, and for $180 we've been swimming in the pool, doing yoga with a view of MoMA and running on a treadmill in front of floor-to-ceiling windows with a vista like this. Crazy, we know.
Hotel News / Historic Hotels / Manhattan Hotels / → All Tags
The Plaza, In Case You Were Wondering, Is On Sale For About $600 Million
It was all over the news this weekend that Manhattan's iconic Plaza Hotel is about to change hands for the fourth time in almost twenty years. That's a lot of paperwork, and also, a lot of instability for a hotel that, as much star power as it has, still has to compete with all the sleek new hotels popping up all over the place in New York.
The new owner, reports The Real Deal, an Indian-based company known as the Sahara Group, has allegedly paid a 10% advance to the hotel's current owner, Israel-based El Ad (who bought the hotel for $675 million in 2004).
The total price will be $600 million, which includes $400 million for the hotel and $200 million for the retail spaces. While the Plaza must be flattered that it's got billionaires from overseas fighting over it, we can't help but wonder what kind of future this spells for the old girl.
For The Sake Of Hotel Art / Manhattan Hotels / Hotel Art / Historic Hotels / Hotel Lobbies / Hotel Furniture / Hotel Design / → All Tags
What's Inside The Mystery Art Deco Chamber At Jumeirah Essex House?
When we slipped in through the back entrance of the Jumeirah Essex House last week, we hardly were expecting to stumble upon a mini treasure trove of an art collection. In fact, we were actually just looking to use the bathroom.
But a pair of heavily gilded double doors proved too alluring NOT to open, and curiosity got the better of us. So we entered through the doors, and found ourselves in a little room—more of an antechamber really—that was so exotic and bizarre, we had to linger for a few minutes taking pictures (and hoping no one from security would show up and eject us Jenna Talackova-style from the premises).
Though it now effectively functions as a coat room for the larger (and less exotic) conference room beyond it, the "Red Room," as we've nicknamed it, was full of panther statuettes, art deco-inspired furniture and gold-framed mirrors.
Click through to see the rest of our photos!
Hotel Fitness / Hotel Spas / Hotel Gyms / Manhattan Hotels / Hotel Salons / Le Meridien Hotels / → All Tags
Healthy Living Goes Underground at The Le Parker Meridien
There is seemingly no end to wave of Hotel Fitness news these days! Today, we've got word of a cool complex, The Underground, at Le Parker Meridien in New York which encompasses a spa, fitness center, two salons and a healthy cafe.
Long known for its delicious Norma's restaurant, secret burger joint and rooftop swimming pool, surprisingly, Le Parker Meridien has never had its own spa--until now. Moonshine has just opened in the hotel's new Underground space. Yes, Moonshine where the dark, cave-like treatment rooms are named after Prohibition-era cocktails like Sidecar, Gimlet, Bee’s Knees, Rusty Nail, Stinger and Salty Dog.
But of course, the custom massage and facial treatments here don't pump toxins into you but rather, extract them out. Although, there is a shot of moonshine on offer before your treatments. Massages and facials (which use Tata Harper products) start at $120 for 60-minutes.
Hotel News / Historic Hotels / Jumeirah Hotels / Manhattan Hotels / → All Tags
The Jumeirah Essex House Could Be Yours For A Couple Hundred Million
If owning a classic piece of Manhattan architecture ever sounded like something you'd be into (and you've got some dough saved up) then consider making a move on the Jumeirah Essex House, which is up for sale as of now.
The CEO of the hotel's Dubai-based owner told Crain's this is "a timely opportunity to capitalize on the repositioning and operational improvements executed by our team," referencing all the technological upgrades and re-designs that they did to freshen up the place back in 2007.
But really, it's the hotel's iconic red neon sign, one of the most recognizable in New York (along with The Empire and The New Yorker), that will be the main draw for buyers. Ready to cash in, the Dubai Group hopes to fetch between $400-$500 million for the historic property.
Bathroom Tuesdays / Hotel Bathrooms / Hotel Toiletries / Hotel Amenities / Manhattan Hotels / → All Tags
Who Is Damigella At the Michelangelo And What Can She Do For You?
Normally, in hotel bathrooms, we like to look for little treasures and one-off finds. Sometimes we get lucky with bars of soap that offer motivational sayings, and sometimes we just find insanely awesome toiletry kits.
But at The Michelangelo, we found a whole new kind of bathroom treasure, and it starts with a little card that says "Damigella Service." No, this does not involve some girl called Damigella paying a special late-night visit to your room (it's OK, we thought the same thing at first). Instead, Damigella is kind of like the toiletry fairy: you say what you want, and, poof!, it appears.
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