LuxuryHotel

Renovated Hotel Ukraina Scheduled to Reopen in Moscow in December

The historic Hotel Ukraina, a city landmark in Moscow, Russia, is about to reopen as the Radisson Blu Royal Hotel. The property will have undergone a substantial renovation and its new look and feel is sure to impress.

The property will offer 507 guestrooms, along with 38 serviced apartments. The rooms will be 345 square feet in size, and the apartments will be quite large – from 540 square feet to 2,750 square feet. All rooms and apartments will be equipped with high-speed internet access.

What really makes the reopening interesting, though, is the connection between old and new. The property's art collection will be featured, consisting of nearly 1,000 paintings from the socialist realism school of thought, the "official" movement of the Soviet Union for more than six decades. Murals and ceiling frescoes will be restored and on display through the hotel's public spaces.

To enhance the experience, the hotel will feature a 43,000 square foot spa and wellness center, with a Turkish bath, Finnish sauna and six-lane swimming pool. There will also be a dedicated kids' club, giving parents some much-needed time to relax. After unwinding, dash up to the 31st floor bar and enjoy the views of Moscow. For another perspective on the city, you'll be able to take a culinary boat tour on the Moskva River.

"This hotel is another milestone in our history," says Kurt Ritter, President & CEO of Rezidor, which owns the property. "Rezidor, the international pioneer on the Russian hotel market, is today the leading international hotel operator in Russia and the CIS countries – and now manages an additional key property in Moscow, which is one of the most remarkable hotel structures in Europe."

Tags: art collection, ArtCollection, hotel, hotels, luxury hotel, luxury hotels, LuxuryHotel, LuxuryHotels, moscow, moscow russia, MoscowRussia, radisson, rezidorhotelgroup, russia, sauna, saunas, soviet, soviet union, soviet-era, soviets, SovietUnion, spa, turkish baths, TurkishBaths

Hoteles Marquis Los Cabos: Defining Upscale in a Resort Town

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

A basic trip to Los Cabos, Mexico implies a large hotel room with a view of the beach. Within minutes of putting your bathing suit on, you'll have sand between your toes. This sort of baseline can make it tough for a hotel to stand out. If every one is within striking distance of that lovely turquoise water – and each has an attentive staff and cozy digs – what can one hotel do differently? Upon entering my room at Hoteles Marquis Los Cabos, I learned the answer: everything.

You realize that Hoteles Marquis is a special resort when you pull into the driveway. A covered outdoor lobby is framed by a dramatic space, with the curved walls leading your eye to a carefully designed display that links the statue to the pool to the water ... and ultimately to the horizon. Practicality is not sacrificed for the sake of design, however, as cool air is corralled to offset the powerful Cabo sun only footsteps away. The registration process is as swift as it can be, and a refreshing drink makes it a bit more enjoyable. Hey, forms have to be filled out and credit cards imprinted – nature of the beast.

Gallery: Hoteles Marquis Los Cabos

View from the rooftop lounges on the casitas

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Eden Rock Artist in Residence Keeps the Kids Busy

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Art, Children

Sometimes, the hardest part of choosing a vacation spot is balancing between your wants and the kids' needs. Sprawling out on the beach or sipping a cocktail by the pool works for you, but children need distraction ... constant distraction.

In perhaps the most creative travel offer I've seen this year, Eden Rock – St. Barths is offering an easel, a paint brush and a palate of watercolors. Rather than splatter aimlessly, each kid will receive a one-time lesson with the Eden Rock Artist in Residence (the next is still to be announced).

Even for the caliber of guest that you find at Eden Rock, this can only be described as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

During the lesson, kids will also be exposed to the gallery's exhibitions in progress. In the recent past, this gallery has been home to the likes of Richard Prince and Will Cotton. The natural St. Barths aesthetic plus that created by the artists invited to show their work in the gallery yields a unique combination that is sure to inspire any budding artist.

The lessons are only available when the artist in residence is, in fact, in residence, so check with the Eden Rock Hotel when making reservations. The program runs through August 2009.

Tags: art, artist, artists, children, eden rock, EdenRock, kids, luxury hotel, luxury hotel package, luxury hotel suites, luxury hotels, luxury travel, LuxuryHotel, LuxuryHotelPackage, LuxuryHotels, LuxuryHotelSuites, LuxuryTravel, resort, resorts, richard prince, RichardPrince, st barths, StBarths, travel, traveling, will cotton, WillCotton

S� San Diego Offers West Coast's Largest Penthouse

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

If you have $20,000 a night to spend on a hotel room you can bunk at the newly renamed Sé San Diego (formerly The Setai) in their ultra-luxurious suite which is said to be the biggest penthouse on the West Coast. The Grand Penthouse spreads over three floors and has a large kitchen, six flat-screen televisions and a rooftop patio. The hotel also offers rooms for an average of $500 a night. Sé has 184 rooms and a sumptuous exotic decor that includes Brazilian walnut flooring, stingray skin and bronze doors. The San Diego Union-Tribune reports that the hotel went through a name change after a legal battle with the Setai hoteliers in Miami Beach and New York.

The $150 million resort has a long list of amenities that include a concierge, European-style breakfast, a personal chef for the penthouses, a lobby bar, fitness center, infinity edge pool, spa, business center, twice-daily housekeeping and transportation in a luxury SUV with a five mile radius of the hotel.

It's not the ideal time to open a hotel, especially in San Diego where the crowded luxury hotel market is already struggling. As a nod to the economy Sé is offering lower introductory rates starting at $229.

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Tags: california, hotel, luxury hotel, LuxuryHotel, se san diego, SeSanDiego

Emirates Palace Offers World's Most Expensive Stay

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

The over-the-top Emirates Palace hotel in Abu Dhabi is offering a $1 million, week-long stay which it claims is the world's most expensive holiday package. The Palace Suite package includes first-class airline tickets, a chauffeur-driven Maybach for the week, a personal butler, daily spa treatments, and day trips via private jet, the Gulf-based Khaleej Times Online reports. The offer is being made as an attempt to earn the hotel a slot in the Guinness Book of World Records, and part of the proceeds will be donated to charities in the U.A.E., the paper reports. The luxe day trips include jetting to Iran to weave Persian carpets and to Bahrain to dive for deep sea pearls, which will then be set for you in custom-designed jewellery.

Gallery: Emirates Palace

Tags: abu dhabi, AbuDhabi, Emirates Palace, EmiratesPalace, guinness book of world records, GuinnessBookOfWorldRecords, luxury hotel, LuxuryHotel, Maybach, united arab emirates, UnitedArabEmirates

Bellevue Psych Hospital Remodeled as a Luxury Hotel?

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

It's true! Bellevue Psychiatric Hospital, previously home to famous names like Normal Mailer, Edie Sedgewick, and the guy who shot John Lennon (Mark David Chapman), is getting a remodel and soon will be a luxury hotel. Built in 1931 it's pretty perfect for the remake, with its location in Manhattan along the East River, its Italian Renaissance style, and even its "H" layout with hotel-sized rooms on long corridors.

Bellevue hasn't treated psych patients since 1984 when it was transformed into a homeless shelter, and now the plans for yet another renovation are well underway. No word yet on when they hope to have the hotel finished, but hopefully there's a developer locked in by the end of the year so renovations can get started by the middle of 2009.

Knowing all the history (and insanity) that happened in those walls, will you stay there?

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Tags: bellevue, hospital, hotel, luxury hotel, LuxuryHotel, manhattan, new york, NewYork, ny, nyc, psych, psychiatric, psychiatric hospital, PsychiatricHospital

Historic Hotels Upgrading to Attract New Customers

by Sandy Maple (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

In many large cities, you will find beautiful historic hotel properties situated on prime real estate. Some have been abandoned and risk being demolished while others are still operating, but lack the amenities necessary to attract luxury customers. Rather than tear them down and start from scratch, a new trend sees hoteliers renovating and upgrading their properties to offer the best of both worlds - first class accommodations along with historic charm.

One such property is the Book-Cadillac Hotel in Detroit. Built in 1924, the hotel was once a destination for presidents and movie stars, but fell into decline in the 1980's. Having stood vacant for more than twenty years, it is now being reincarnated as the 455-room Westin Book Cadillac Detroit. Scheduled to open in late 2008, the property will feature condominiums, retail and restaurant space and provide full-time employment for more than 450 workers.

Even those with less illustrious histories are getting a new lease on life. In 1946, The Winecoff Hotel in Atlanta was the site of the deadliest hotel fire in U.S. history, but after undergoing a $28 million renovation has reopened as the 4-star Ellis Hotel on Atlanta's famed Peachtree Street. Oklahoma City's Skirvin Hotel has benefited from a $55 million renovation and is now the Skirvin Hilton.

Visitors to Boston can enjoy an unusual experience staying at the Liberty Hotel, formerly the Charles Street Jail. Once considered "unfit for human living", the renovated property celebrates its roots by retaining some of the jail cells amid the luxury accommodations. And after a $10 million renovation, Seattle's century-old Alexis Hotel is now a luxury destination in the heart of downtown, offering modern amenities in an art-filled atmosphere.

Gallery: Historic Hotels Upgrading to Attract New Customers

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Starwood Hotels to Open St. Regis Resort in Lhasa

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

If a trip to Tibet is in your future you're not alone -- due to recent upgrades the area is currently experiencing a dramatic increase in international interest and tourism. As a result, Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide is planning to open a St. Regis Resort in Lhasa, which will be the first of its kind to open in the area in over a decade. Scheduled to start hosting guests in 2010, the 169 bed luxury hotel will offer the same services guests of the St. Regis New York have become accustomed to, including the famous English-trained butlers who will quietly and efficiently anticipate your every need and personalize your experience around the clock.

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Tags: butler, China, Lhasa, luxury hotel, LuxuryHotel, St Regis, St Regis Resort, StRegis, StRegisResort, Tibet, travel

The World's Sexiest Penthouses

by Gustad Mody (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Lavish bedrooms, the city's best views to gaze upon, and largest of bath tubs to soak are just a few of the perks of the World's Sexiest Penthouses. Our buddies at Gadling shows us Condé Nast Traveler's list of these ultra penthouses. Take the Skylofts at MGM Grand in Las Vegas for instance, at $10,000 per night, which includes the room-sized "immersion chambers" (large showers dousing you with waterfalls, steam, and rain). There is also the Presidential Suite in Intercontinental Hong Kong at $11,215 a night, where you can rest in infinity pool while staring at one of the most beautiful skylines in the world.

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Tags: hotel, las vegas, LasVegas, luxury hotel, LuxuryHotel, penthouse, sexy, skyline, vacation, Zhang Ziyi, ZhangZiyi