May 31
The Fairmont Chicago, The Fairmont Scottsdale and The Fairmont Dallas, has become the latest in the exclusive list of Fairmont hotels to introduce Fairmont Gold, the brand’s exclusive hotel within a hotel that takes the already celebrated service and luxury offered by Fairmont to an even higher level. Guests staying on Fairmont Gold are pampered with personalized attention and luxury found only at the most elite boutique hotels around the world.
author Gareth Powell, source www.hotelsmag.com
May 31
InterContinental Hotels Group announces that a second Hotel Indigo is coming to San Antonio. The 149-room all-suite property is a conversion of a Hawthorn Suites at the north end of the San Antonio Riverwalk.
author Gareth Powell, source www.hotelsmag.com
May 31
The Westin St. Francis has launched a $40 million restoration project. Anticipated for completion in Spring 2009, this is the largest renovation the hotel has undertaken since the reconstruction after The Great 1906 San Francisco Earthquake.
author Gareth Powell, source www.hotelsmag.com
May 31
Lodging Econometrics reports the Total Construction Pipeline for the Caribbean, Mexico & Central America contains 311 projects and 65,332 guestrooms at Q1 2008.
author Gareth Powell, source www.hotelsmag.com
May 31
In Liverpool’s Revamped Capital Building
Commissioned by property developer Downing, Melt Design’s installation consists of 150 acrylic and stainless steel components arranged over a 1200sq ft wall that is the backdrop to the main reception foyer. The inspiration for the composition was drawn from the linear form of the original 1970’s chandeliers that have survived the update and remain an impressive feature at the forefront of the space.
author Gareth Powell, source www.hoteldesigns.co.uk
May 31
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. Announced today that the Sheraton Universal Hotel is undergoing a massive renovation to be completed by mid-summer 2008. The property is managed by Starwood Hotels and owned by Destination Hotels & Resorts, which owns or manages more than 30 properties in the United States.
author Gareth Powell, source www.hoteldesigns.co.uk
May 31
This is the all in one lighting effect you have been waiting for. The first multi-coloured LED rechargeable cordless lamp, it can change into eight different colours to reflect the time of day, changing seasons or simply the mood you wish to create.
author Gareth Powell, source www.hoteldesigns.co.uk
May 31
Benchmark Hospitality International, which operates Chaminade Resort & Spa, has formally announced the completion of the comprehensive $15 million renovation of the historic property overlooking Monterey Bay in northern California. The renovation program included all public areas, the restaurant & lounge, guestrooms, as well as meeting and event spaces.
author Gareth Powell, source www.hoteldesigns.co.uk
May 31
It’s incredible that in 21st-century California a wine-country resort is still half-expected to look like something from 18th-century Tuscany. So it’s to Auberge Resorts’ credit that their newest creation, Solage Calistoga, calls on that most Californian of idioms: the bungalow. For though the word itself may come from India, there’s no clearer expression of Napa Valley’s rustic agricultural history than a home-grown architectural style.
Of course “rustic” doesn’t really capture the appeal of these bungalows — Solage is about as urbane as the wine country gets, with interiors that owe more to city loft apartments than farm houses. Space is plentiful, creature comforts legion, and it’s all guilt-free — this is one of the greenest hotels in California, from the renewable and reclaimed woods, to the recycling and conservation initiatives, to the cuisine itself, largely local, organic and sustainable.
The enormous Solage spa goes local too, though perhaps less glamorously so, using volcanic mud from Calistoga’s geothermic nether reaches. Great food, great wine, and scenery to match any other place you care to name — there’s little to argue with, and given the close proximity to San Francisco there’s virtually no excuse for staying away.
author Daily Tablet Hotel, source www.tablethotels.com
May 31
For a big architectural statement, this one, at least from the outside, comes off awfully quiet. But then that’s exactly as it was intended to be. Remota, in Puerto Natales, an old fishing town in Patagonia, is the latest hotel project from the Chilean green architect Germàn del Sol — so the statement, such as it is, is about minimizing the footprint, minimizing the silhouette, maximizing the impact of the place rather than the building.
So rather than titanium or high-tech composites it’s a hotel made from wood, asphalt, slate, even the hillside’s original grass re-laid atop the low-slung buildings — a bit like a bunker, albeit a stylized one. Interiors, however, are less severe, and not at all bunker-like; plenty of rich unfinished wood, plenty of organic curves and imperfections. The views aren’t quite sublime — the building’s low profile sees to that — but the windows bathe the rooms in steep-angled Patagonian sunshine.
Anyway these landscapes are meant to be enjoyed from out of doors. All manner of guided excursions are available, from casual walkabouts to more rigorous tours, and at the end of the day you can sink back into what is as much a luxury hotel as it is an eco-lodge, complete with sauna, infinity pool, jacuzzi, massage, and a restaurant serving local channel and ocean fish, local farmers’ produce, and an assortment of Chilean wines.
author Daily Tablet Hotel, source www.tablethotels.com
May 30
One of the hot sectors of hotel technology these days is Web content aggregation, frequently in the form of “dashboards” that crawl the Internet and let you know what people are saying about your hotel, and your competitors.
There are a number of ways to do this on your own, for f…
author watson@mouselink.net, source www.hotelsmag.com
May 30
GE Real Estate Europe has joined BNP Paribas Assurance as a Founding Limited Partner of Capital France Hotel, which is managed by Algonquin Asset Management France with the aim of positioning it for growth on a pan-European scale.
author Gareth Powell, source www.hotelsmag.com
May 30
Langham Hotels International has signed a key global partnership with online luxury travel retailer, Five Star Alliance, which will feature The Langham and Langham Place Hotels.
author Gareth Powell, source www.hotelsmag.com
May 30
Mobil Travel Guide (www.mobiltravelguide.com) the originator of the prestigious Star ratings and certifications program announced today the release of their first-ever international guide. Mobil Travel Guide: BEIJING is a comprehensive guide that includes more than 30 star-rated hotels as well as the city’s top places to sightsee, dine, shop and more.
author Gareth Powell, source www.hotelsmag.com
May 30
Food and Beverage People on the Move – May 2008
author Gareth Powell, source www.hotelsmag.com
May 30
Executive Chef Thomas Von Muenster will oversee two new Stephen Starr restaurants, Teplitzky’s and Chelsea Prime, as well as in-room dining, catering and poolside/beach service for the Chelsea hotel, Atlantic City.
author Gareth Powell, source www.hotelsmag.com
May 30
Adour, an Alain Ducasse restaurant designed by the Rockwell Group, will open in the newly restored St. Regis Washington, D.C., in September 2008.
author Gareth Powell, source www.hotelsmag.com
May 30
The launch of OTRUM Evolution marks a new era for the hospitality industry, one which will appeal to the mindsets of modern hoteliers who want to take greater control and active participation in revenue generation. As well as the more traditional interactive TV features and services, this all encompassing HD-Ready interactive solution puts comprehensive marketing tools directly into the hands of hoteliers.
author Gareth Powell, source www.hotelsmag.com
May 30
Turks & Caicos Tourist Board announced its upcoming initiatives to maintain an eco-conscious environment throughout the luxurious Islands.
author Gareth Powell, source www.hotelsmag.com
