Marriott

Luxist Takes the Honda CR-Z to the Camelback Inn

There's a desert to the west of Los Angeles, the dusty, scrubby kind riven by arroyos and snow-capped ranges. The city is protected from that barren terror by a kind of East Wall, a monumentally wide buffer of concrete that are actually cities and towns everyone knows about but few ever visit on purpose – places like Monrovia, Cerritos, Montebello, Pomona.

Occasionally, though, there comes a reason to cross that desert, and you want a good camel when such time comes. We found a proper mount in the Honda CR-Z, a two-seat hybrid to play miniature steel dromedary for our Bedouin sallies.

The destination was an oasis 380 miles due east tucked behind Scottsdale's Camelback Mountain, in Paradise Valley, and aptly named The Camelback Inn. Once there, having braved, well, nothing really, we would quench our thirst with some of the finest drinks ever sipped by any traveler, weary or otherwise...

Tags: arizona, camelback inn, cr-z, honda, honda cr-z, hybrid, marriott, phoenix, resort, scottsdale

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Istanbul EDITION Hotel Set to Debut in April 2011

by McLean Robbins (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

New luxury lifestyle hotel brand EDITION is set to make its European debut in Istanbul in April, hot on the heels of the opening of the brand's first property on Oahu, Waikiki EDITION, last October.

But if you're a fan of the Hawaii property, don't expect a carbon copy, at least in terms of aesthetics.

Situated within the city's lively Levent neighborhood, known for its Kanyon mall and impressive skyline, the Istanbul EDITION will be an urban resort offering a mix of Eastern and Western influences, the signature creative direction of Ian Schrager and the high-touch service of Marriott.

The starting point? A tall, domed lobby; a fundamental mark of traditional Ottoman style realized here with a modern twist. Eastern touches are present throughout: walls, ceilings and floors are lined with mosaic tiles, a cornerstone of traditional Byzantine architecture, and public spaces are gracefully bejeweled with bronze and gold leaf reminiscent of Ottoman style in all of its splendor. Traditional hanging lamps are featured in the guest rooms while Gold Bar's VIP seating area has taken its inspiration from traditional Turkish Tea Rooms. Leather tufted ottomans are surrounded by u-shaped seating influenced by old Bosphorus villas that featured such rooms for socializing, relaxing and smoking. The long-standing ritual of the Hammam is clearly reflected in the unparalleled spa offerings.

Tags: edition hotels, hammam, ian schrager, istanbul, istanbul edition, istanbul edition hotel, marriott, new hotel openings, turkey, waikiki edition

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I Had a Public Massage - True Story of a Beachside Spa Treatment

by Annie Scott (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Spas

It was a beautiful day at the Curacao Marriott, and an hour-long massage had been booked for me at the spa. When I arrived at the spa, I was delighted to hear that my massage would take place right on the beach. How fabulous!

I followed my masseuse, who carried a large pile of towels, across the property. I assumed we'd be going to a secluded cabana somewhere, but as we continued walking, I found we were headed toward the side of the resort where my room was -- and there was certainly no cabana there. We approached a sunlit area with a few ineffectual bushes and a gazebo-like structure (above) where I understand weddings are often held. Weddings, as in, declaring your love for all to see in public. We entered the gazebo and I examined the roof and sides. There were no shades, no blinds; there was absolutely no privacy. People were lying on the beach (and even on the deck) on three sides of the gazebo, and the fourth side faced the open ocean, where resort guests were swimming and playing paddleball. I pretended this was normal to me for as long as I could.

It was only after she had covered the table with towels and said, "Okay, lie on your stomach facing this way," that I blurted out, "Um, I don't have any clothes on under this robe, you know, right?"

Tags: Beach, Beach Massage, Beaches, Curacao, Curacao Marriott, Marriott, Massage, Spa

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Former Ritz-Carlton Hotel Gets New Historic Name

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

In April I mentioned that Michigan was losing its only Ritz-Carlton hotel. The hotel known as the Ritz-Carlton Dearborn will now become The Henry as of June 3, and will be part of Marriott International's Autograph Collection of independent hotels. The Detroit Free Press reports that most of the hotel's empoyees will be keeping their jobs. The Henry joins eight other hotels in the new collection of upscale hotels with "distinctive personalities." The hotel takes its name from Henry Ford and is conveniently located near the Henry Ford museum. The new owners are planning a seamless transition.

Tags: dearborn, marriott, marriott hotels, ritz-carlton

Sawgrass Marriott Files Chapter 11

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Last month the Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa was in the news as the setting for TIger Woods' mea culpa moment. This month the setting for the Woods' apology is in the news for a different reason, bankruptcy. RQB Resort LP filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection listing estimated assets and liabilities of up to $500 million. A debt of over $193 million is owed to Goldman Sachs which has not been paid since August 2009.

The 65-acre resort has more than 500 rooms and has seen a drop in corporate and group bookings over the last year as a result of the struggling economy. The resort overlooks the Pete Dye-designed TPC Sawgrass Stadium Course famous for the 17th hole which has an island green. The course is the setting for the Players Championship each May. Sawgrass Marriott has the rights to the bulk of the tee times available on the popular course which draws many golfers each year. The hotel is continuing normal operations and hopes to emerge from bankruptcy to take advantage of the hoped-for economic resurgence in 2011.

Tags: hotels in trouble, HotelsInTrouble, marriott, sawgrass, tiger woods, Tiger Woods apology, TigerWoods, TigerWoodsApology

London's Grosvenor House To Be Sold

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Real Estate Developments

Last month we heard that the Royal Bank of Scotland was looking to unload some art but the bank may be selling an even more valuable asset, the Grosvenor House hotel in London. The Grosvenor House is operated by Marriott and is the setting for some of the UK's biggest award ceremonies, is set to be put up for sale. The five-star hotel opened in 1929 and became a JW Marriott Hotel in September 2008 after a major restoration.

The hotel could sell for between £600m and £700 million. The Telegraph reports that that property agent CBRE is being lined up to handle the sale and it could hit the market this month. The question of course is who's buying? Travel and tourism is still sluggish and RBS has tried to sell the hotel several times before, most notably to several Middle Eastern investors. Breaking Travel News says that London commercial property has been on the rise in recent months which means that for RBS is might be the right time to test the waters once again.

Tags: grosvenor house, GrosvenorHouse, hotel, london, marriott, rbs, royal bank of scotland, royal bank scotland, RoyalBankOfScotland, RoyalBankScotland

Marriott To Bring Independents Under One Brand With Autograph Collection

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Marriott has announced a new brand within their global portfolio that will bring distinctive hotels under the Marriott umbrella. The Autograph Collection will be a new brand comprised of upper upscale and luxury independent hotels around the world focusing on major cities and resort destinations. The collection is designed to offer the individuality of an independent hotel with the assurance of the Marriott brand.

The brand plans to add approximately 25 hotels through 2010 with locations throughout the world. Each hotel will go through the same hotel and operator approval processes as other Marriott full-service hotels and the Autograph Collection will be affiliated with the Marriott Rewards guest loyalty program.

USA Today has more details on the collection including the information that Marriott is in talks with 12 to 15 hotels about being part of the Autograph Collection. The brand launches at a time when many great independent hotels are struggling due to the economy so Marriott plans to target higher-end hotels that have opened recently but might be facing hard times. Hotels that become part of the collection will benefit from Marriott's worldwide network.

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Tags: hotel brands, HotelBrands, hotels, marriott, the autograph collection, TheAutographCollection

Hotel Beds Go On Sale

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor

If you love hotel beds this is your month to buy. Two hotel brands are hosting retail sales. To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Heavenly Bed, Westin Hotels & Resorts is kicking off a two-week sale on its entire retail line with 25 percent off Heavenly Beds, travel blankets, new bath amenities, White Tea scent products, and more. The sale runs from August 24-September 7 at www.westin.com/store. Marriott's bed is also on sale for two weeks. It is listed at 20 percent off from August 14-27 at www.shopmarriott.com. Now if only I could find someone to make my bed as nicely as they do in the hotels.

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Tags: bed, hotels, marriott, westin

Marriott Begins To Phase Out The Newspaper

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Many hotels are phasing out the Bible in hotel rooms and phone books have been disappearing too. The latest paper to leave is the morning newspaper outside your door. Marriott International Inc. will be changing their newspaper program. Guests can choose if they want USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, a local paper or no paper at all. Marriot Reward members can select their newspaper preference in their online profiles and other guests will be asked when they check in.

The Marriott hotels participating will be Marriott Hotels & Resorts, JW Marriott Hotels & Resorts and Renaissance Hotels & Resorts. Other hotels under the Marriott umbrella including Courtyard, Fairfield Inn, SpringHill Suites, Residence Inn and TownePlace Suites hotels will offer free newspapers in their lobbies. The new program will cut distribution by an estimated 18 million papers a year.

The move will cut down on waste and expense but it's bad news for newspapers, especially USA Today which has long been the paper you are most likely to see when you open your hotel room door. Most people these days are getting their news from their laptops, smartphones or the television before they even head down to breakfast so this may not be a noticeable change for many.

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Tags: marriott, newspapers, usa today, UsaToday

$649,000 In Linens Alone, A Peek Into Life At Greenbrier

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Ahead of its federal bankruptcy hearing the Greenbrier Resort has released financial statements that give an interesting look at the resort. The records reveal personal property totaling nearly $44 million and real property worth $97.6 million. But it's the details that delight. The Beretta white onyx shotguns worth $6,666, the $205 fudge warmer, the $3,740 pig cooker and two white-tail deer heads worth a total of $500 give a picture of the idiosyncratic nature of this resort which has entertained presidents, royalty and the rich for generations. The fact that this is a resort with a collection of linens worth $649,000 and a fleet of golf carts worth nearly $253,000 is no surprise to those who have enjoyed its uniquely aristocratic charms.

Attorneys for the 6,500-acre resort will appear before U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Kevin R. Huennekens in Richmond on Wednesday and railroad company CSX Crop is looking to move forward on the planned deal with Marriott. The deal should help ensure that Greenbrier stays afloat without losing its self-contained, world-apart style.

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Tags: greenbrier, marriott, resort

The Greenbrier Files Chapter 11, Makes A Deal With Marriott

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Real Estate Developments

Back in January, I wrote about the trouble befalling the historic Greenbrier resort in West Virginia. The luxury resort, which is a National Historic landmark property, lost $35 million last year and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy amid heavy debt.

The Greenbrier, which is owned by railroad company CSX has worked out a deal with the Marriott hotel chain. CSX will lend Marriott $50 million to operate the luxurious four-star resort for two years and then Marriott will repay that loan and give CSX between $60 million and $130 million within seven years depending on the resort's financial performance. The deal allows the resort to stay open and saves it from a worse fate, it could have ended up in Donald Trump's hands.

Tags: greenbrier, marriott, resort

Big Hotel Project On Hold In Austin

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Real Estate Developments

For the last few years it's been build, build, build in growing Austin, Texas but the Austin American-Statesman reports that Austin's biggest hotel project, a planned 1,000-room Marriott on Congress Avenue has now been postponed. The $275 million project is the largest project among eight hotels had been planned for downtown. It's just one of several projects having trouble getting and keeping financing. Construction of the 26-story Marriott originally was to have started this year, was then shifted to 2009 and now there is now start date planned.

The developer, White Lodging Services Corp. had said the 1,000-room hotel would generate 600 jobs and $7 million a year in property and hotel occupancy taxes to the city. The proposed project was the subject of some controversy because it meant closing the popular Las Manitas Cafe.

The article in the Statesman reports that some developers are planning to wait a year or two until the economy improves which may mean a bumper crop of condos and hotels in 2011.

Gallery: Austin Projects

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Tags: austin, marriott, texas

Marriott To Save Rainforests by Paying Villagers

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Green

When it comes to fighting global warming and preserving the rainforests Marriott certainly gets points for trying, although how they're choosing to go about that effort is pretty surprising. Instead of doing what most hotel and resort chains do (switch to eco-friendly energy sources and recycle recycle recycle) they've hooked up with the Brazilians and are going to start paying villagers in the Amazon to not cut down trees. Of course it's a lot more complicated than just sending some Amazonians a check for every day they refrain from logging illegally, but apparently that's the essence of the new deal. Strange? Yes. A marketing scheme? Yes. Over-all still beneficial to the environment? Yes. I say good for them.

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Tags: amazon, deforestation, environment, global warming, GlobalWarming, green, marriott, rain forest, rain forests, RainForest, RainForests

The Renovation of the Blackstone Hotel in Chicago

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Chicago's "Hotel of Presidents," has opened as The Blackstone, a 332-room luxury Renaissance brand hotel. The Blackstone has had many famous guests including a dozen U.S. presidents, including Franklin Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Harry Truman and John Kennedy. The $128 million renovation of the 23-story, Beaux-Arts building includes a collection of over 1600 original artworks, primarily by Chicago artists, is on permanent display throughout the guestrooms and public spaces of The Blackstone. The hotel has updated the traditional lobby rich with gilded details , French walnut paneled walls and brilliant chandeliers with an avant garde video-generated computer art piece. The artist, Lincoln Schatz, installed a robotic camera on The Blackstone's rooftop and programmed it to transmit changing views of Chicago's lakefront on side-by-side 50" plasma television screens located above the guest check-in pods. All rooms are equipped with a flat screen television, two-line telephone with data port, voice mail, mini bar, fine Chaz Stevens linens, complimentary in-room coffee, hairdryer and bathrobes as well as high-speed internet access (for an unreasonable $12.95 per day).

The hotel also includes ample meeting space, a health club, and a business center. There is also a "hotel within a hotel" concept, Hubbard Place, a previously unfinished space under The Blackstone's porthole-accented mansard roof that once housed mechanical equipment was transformed into the 23d floor Hubbard Place, which contains a lounge, two private boardrooms and a series of luxury suites, all overlooking Lake Michigan. Rates start in the high $200s per night for basic rooms.

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Tags: blackstone, chicago, hotel, marriott

Hotels Turning Lobbies Into Cocktail Bars and Cafes

by Laura Malesich (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Services

In a capitalistic market like ours in the U.S. competition encourages industries to try new directions to attract more consumers. The hotel market is no different -- Marriott, Wyndham, Omni, etc. -- they are transforming lobbies into cozy cafes and enticing lounges offering guests a new experience without having to leave the premises. With such amenities as Wi-Fi, appetizers with international flair and cozy leather chairs surrounding posh fireplace settings, travelers no longer have to seek out options away from their lodging. I find this especially appealing as I tend to travel alone and feel a bit sheepish about sitting in the restaurant all alone. Pitiful I know.

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Tags: hotel-lobby, hotels, marriott, omni