90048 Travel Guide
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Kimpton Launches New Aqua Yoga Program with Lululemon
Here's the latest happening in the luxury hotel world as told by JustLuxe.com. Got a question about luxury hotels, the travel biz, and where to stay? Send it in and we'll have JustLuxe answer it.
Hot yoga is so last-season – not only because of the weather, but especially since the founder of the trendy hot yoga program Bikram is being accused of sexual harassment. Still, though, we’ve gotta keep those chakras flowing even while we’re on the road, so we’re loving Kimpton Hotels’ more low-key, individualized yoga program, soft-launching in April across the brand. According to our source, each Kimpton property is encouraged to do things a little bit differently, but all properties will offer an in-room yoga television channel, in-room Gaiam yoga mats, and extra towels/flavored waters/antioxidant snacks delivered to the room by request.
But it's the new aqua yoga that has us most excited. Read on to find out more details!
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Sofitel Los Angeles Makes Some Changes (Just in Time for Awards Season)
This particular HotelChatter-er has been out of the loop a bit on the Los Angeles hotel scene in the past few months so when we rolled by the Sofitel Los Angeles the other day we noticed the hotel's signage on the corner of La Cienega and Beverly Boulevard. Namely the sign for the Stone Rose nightclub from Rande Gerber was gone.
It turns out the celeb-favored lounge has closed. Perhaps it was one cocktail waitress' illicit relationship with Tiger Woods that began the hotel's downfall. Never matter, in its place is now Riviera 31, which is pretty much the same old space, just a new name. And judging by pics from its recent opening party, it's still gonna be a place for the celebs.
But that's not all that's changed at the hotel heading into awards season.
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Using the In-Room iPad at The Four Seasons
The other week we packed our bags and headed out to the Four Seasons Los Angeles for something we never thought we'd do--a staycation.
We know, that word immediately conjures up images of post-economic collapse 2008 and the hospitality world's desperation to keep folks traveling but we were dying to get away, even if it was just 20 minutes from our house.*
Now we've covered the Four Seasons extensively here on HotelChatter--from the Culina restaurant to the renovated rooms, the pool scene, the free WiFi and even the owner's penchent for succulents so there wasn't much that surprised us during the stay.
However, we did spend a lot of time using the hotel's in-room iPad 2. And since iPads in every room is fast becoming a Four Seasons brand standard (many of their new and soon-to-open hotels have them), we thought we'd give you a run down on how to use it.
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Free WiFi at a Four Seasons Hotel is Possible in Los Angeles
We've long bemoaned the practice of luxury properties like the Four Seasons Hotels charging not just top-dollar room rates but also a king's ransom for WiFi. Yet at the Four Seasons, in the heart of Fantasy Land aka Los Angeles, hotel guests get a little bit of a break.
Basic internet--like web browsing, checking your email and updating your social networking status--is totally free. And on multiple devices too. Of course, the downside of getting it for free is that it's not always fast. While our go-to websites all loaded properly, it wasn't a high-speed connection by any means. However, it did beat out some connections we've had at Starbucks. (Alas, you do have to be a hotel guest to access even the basic internet.)
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It's a Start: The SLS at Beverly Hills is Now Offering Free WiFi in the Lobby
When our own MsRebecca checked into the SLS South Beach last week she was overjoyed by the free WiFi in the rooms, even if the access was a bit spotty.
Yet while free WiFi is yet to become an SLS brand standard, the original SLS Hotel at Beverly Hills is now offering free WiFi in the lobby areas of the hotel. Up in the guestrooms, there's still a fee of $14.95 but that now includes up to three devices which should cover your laptop, phone and tablet easily.
While we would like free WiFi all over the property, especially up in the guestrooms, this is an improvement. And now it will allow people to have actual working lunches and other types of meetings in the restaurants at SLS, including the Bazaar by Jose Andres.
Plus, if you're a guest you can always avoid the $14.95 fee by working from the guest-only Tres restaurant which has comfy seating if you need to settle in for a while.
[Photo: Yosoynuts/Flickr]
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Would This Beauty Pageant Contestant Put You Off Your Lunch At The Hotel Wilshire?
Jenna Talackova certainly has a strong effect on people when she goes gallivanting around in a bikini. Recently, she showed up at the Hotel Wilshire with an entire crew to stage a photo shoot by the pool, and caused quite the scene. TMZ reports the restaurant staff made such a stink, Talackova and her crew were forced back downstairs to finish the shoot in the privacy of one of the rooms.
The irony here, of course, is that Talackova endured another, more public rejection recently—namely, being booted from the Miss Universe competition, by owner Donald Trump, for being transgender (though he's since reversed his decision).
All in all, though, we think she's got good taste in hotels, and clearly wasn't put off by having to re-locate the photo shoot. And whether she ended up posing in a bikini on the rooftop, or inside one of the rooms, we're now more than a little curious to see how the pictures come out in the end.
Celebrity Scoop / Larry Flynt / Hotel Restaurants / Four Seasons Hotels / Los Angeles Hotels / → All Tags
This is What Larry Flynt Eats at Culina at the Four Seasons Los Angeles
Hustler publisher Larry Flynt is still a man about town, the town of Beverly Hills that is, and it's not uncommon to see him in the city's finest establishments here and there.
But the other day we experienced something quite unusual at Culina at the Four Seasons Los Angeles. When we walked in we noticed Mr. Flynt at a large table in the center of the room and thought, "Cool. Celeb sighting." But when we sat down and looked at the menu, we saw another surprise on the menu: Larry Flynt's Salad.
Apparently, Flynt dines at Culina so often they named a salad after him. It includes: dungeness crab, shrimp, diced cucumber, tomato, carrots, asparagus, red pepper, garbanzo beans, watercress, sieved hard boiled egg and topped with chianti vinaigrette.
Interestly, it's only the second most expensive salad on the menu at $27. The Insalata RC (named after the hotel's owner, Robert Cohen) is the most expensive at $29 and which includes prawns and Maine lobster.
Sigh...one day we'll have a hotel salad named after us too. One day....
Four Seasons Hotels / Josh Flagg / Hotel Flowers / Los Angeles Hotels / Robert Cohen / → All Tags
The Owner of the Four Seasons LA is Very Particular About His Succulents
It's no secret that our celebrity hotel hopper, Josh Flagg, has a bit of thing for Four Seasons Hotels but today's Flagged hotel review is actually not about the rooms or the restaurant or the pool at the Four Seasons Los Angeles but rather the flowers which are all painstakingly selected by the hotel's owner, Robert Cohen. And Cohen is especially particular about his succulents.
On one of his frequent visits to the hotel, Josh got some time to talk with Robert about his passion for flowers. Take it away Josh!
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The Four Seasons LA Will Soon Be Equipped With iPad 2s
Starting October 3, the posh guestrooms at the Four Seasons Los Angeles will be a whole lot more glamorous thanks to the brand-new iPad2s that will be installed.
The gadgets will be loaded with ICE Technology which will enable guests to make restaurant reservations, order room service, book massage at the spa, put in housekeeping requests and call up their Porsche from valet, all through the iPad.
Now, while hotels using iPads in the rooms to perform functions that a telephone once took care of is nothing new, this is a huge step for an older luxury brand like Four Seasons Hotels. And the FS LA is not just the first hotel on the West Coast to have this technology but also the first Four Seasons hotel in the world to feature it. Yeah, they're kind of a big deal.
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The Hotel Wilshire in Los Angeles to Open on September 1
July has nearly come and gone but now the Hotel Wilshire in Los Angeles is promising us a September 1 opening and to prove it, they are actually taking reservations right now.
Even better, we've got a bunch of photos of a model guestroom at the hotel as well as a pic of the rooftop pool which is sure to be a very welcome addition to LA's hotel rooftop scene. (There's practically no rooftop hotel pools in this part of LA near the Beverly Center save for the SLS Hotel.)
Hotel Pools / Four Seasons Hotels / Los Angeles Hotels / → All Tags
The Cushioned Bottom Pool at the Four Seasons LA Makes the Rocking World Go Round
So it turns out the Four Seasons Los Angeles didn't just upgrade its guestrooms--the hotel also redid its pool terrace on the fourth floor.
But the Four Seasons didn't just plop in any old pool. No, they brought in a saline pool from Italy which has a cushioned bottom so that your feet never have to scrape a rough pool floor again. The lap of luxury indeed!
Want to lounge on the pool deck but can't afford the room rates at the Four Seasons? You can still enjoy the pool (not to mention the city views) by lunching at the Cabana restaurant which is open from 8am to 6pm.
Or you could also rent out one of the six cabanas for a spa treatment like a manicure, pedicure or a massage. But sorry, renting the cabana for the day (cost: $200) is strictly reserved for hotel guests.
Hotel Video Tour / Photo Gallery / Four Seasons Hotels / Los Angeles Hotels / → All Tags
What $800 a Night Will Get You at The Four Seasons LA
Last week, we showed you some of the prettiest hotel carpeting yet found inside the Four Seasons Los Angeles. Now, as promised, we take you inside one of the guestrooms so you can see for yourself that the hotel isn't just a one-pretty carpeting trick pony.
As we mentioned, these guestrooms are practically brand-new with the hotel having completed the renovation of all guestrooms and suites last January. So now let's step inside a deluxe guestroom on the 9th floor....
