hotels

Claridge's Unveils First Diane von Furstenburg - Designed Suite

Filed under: Decor, Luxury Travel & Hotels, Architecture & Design

Back in March we reported that famed fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg had signed on for her first interior design project, a series of rooms and suites for Claridge's, the ultra-luxe Art Deco hotel in London's Mayfair. Now the hotel has unveiled the first of the DVF-designed spaces, the legendary Piano Suite (above). The designer created custom pieces including a dressing table, travelling trunk, desk and cocktail bar, inspired by her glamorous travels and the mobility of campaign furniture, complementing the architectural details and elegant marble fireplace. "Claridge's is the most glamorous hotel in the world," says von Furstenberg. "Hotels like this don't exist anymore and the legacy must be respected! It is very important to keep the original architecture and the formality of the layout of the rooms in order to preserve the old style of grand hotel life that I love so much. It has been a true privilege to design new furniture, fabrics and rugs to keep it relevant for today's needs and taste."

Tags: architecture, Art Deco, designer, Diane von Furstenberg, fashion, furniture, hotel suites, hotels, interior design, London, Mayfair

Luxury for Less from Ritz-Carlton in the Caribbean This Fall

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Acknowledging that the economic recovery is slow to materialize in some quarters, The Ritz-Carlton's marquee properties in the Caribbean – The Ritz Carlton, Grand Cayman and The Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas – have designed offers for fall that allow guests to experience the best of both worlds with luxury lifestyle amenities paired with value-driven pricing. Travelers can visit The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman this fall with rates starting at $229 per night and enjoy a host of renowned brand partners' amenities from spa to dining: Silver Rain, a La Prairie Spa provides guests with the opportunity to relax with the healing waters of Switzerland in the comfort of the picture perfect setting on a seven mile beach in the Cayman Islands.

Blue, by famed New York Chef Eric Ripert is the only restaurant in Grand Cayman to have received the AAA Five Diamond Award. Guests visiting The Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas (above) can enjoy the Club Level, exclusive suite accommodations and amenities set amid Caribbean seclusion starting at $379 a night. With 17 Ocean Front Suites and 12 Resort View Suites, the Club Level is the only one of its kind in the Virgin Islands and allows guests to enjoy individualized attention and light fare served through out the day, redefining the luxury hotel experience. The special rates are available at the Grand Cayman property until October 23rd and in St. Thomas until November 11.

Tags: Caribbea, Cayman Islands, Grand Cayman, hotels, La Prairie, Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas, Virgin Islands

Hotels Shoulder Checked Bag Fees To Entice Travelers

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Additional charges are a lot about perception. It's not always about the money as much as it is about the idea that you are paying for something you should get for free. We've seen this with the backlash against resort fees and now some hotels are taking on another common traveler complaint, fees for checked baggage. USA Today reports that some hotel companies are offering to pick up checked-baggage fees as an incentive for guests. InterContinental hotels including the Holiday Inn, Hotel Indigo and others are now offering a "Check It Free" promotion. It's a little complicated. To be reimbursed you have to fill out an online form and mail in receipts of both the hotel stay and bag-check fees. After that InterContinental will mail the reimbursement on a Visa debit card.

It's a little easier over at the Kimpton chain of boutique hotels. Their "We've Got Your Bag" promotion requires proof of an airline baggage charge when you check in at any Kimpton Hotel in the country. They pay up to $25 per room but the deal is valid only with Best Available Rate booking and not valid for discounted or negotiated rates or groups.

The USA Today article says that these types of deals are aimed at vacationers and more occasional travelers who may not have amassed the frequent flier perks that allow some to dodge these fees. The point of these deals isn't so much about the savings as it is the sense of goodwill and camaraderie engendered. A variety of hotels have offered these deals in the past. It's an inexpensive way to get a little publicity and it has some appeal for travelers. What we haven't seen yet is third-party travel sites offering to pick up the tab. That might have even more impact.

Tags: checked bag fees, hotels, intercontinental, intercontinental hotels group, kimpton hotels, travel

W New York - Downtown Debuts Near Ground Zero

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Real Estate Developments, Architecture & Design

Starwood has just opened the doors of its newest property, the W New York – Downtown, featuring 58 floors of upscale urban luxury and signature comforts in New York City's rapidly revitalizing Financial District. The towering building also houses the new Residences at W New York - Downtown for those who want to make their stay more permanent. Poised for a prime view of the new Freedom Tower being constructed at Ground Zero, the hotel features architectural design elements by award-winning Gwathmey Siegel & Associates with interior design by GRAFT and a special "light shower sculpture" by UK light sculptor Bruce Munro. Hospitality offerings include BLT Bar & Grill and The Living Room Bar and Terrace with outdoor space (above). The hotel features 217 rooms including 16 studio suites, one WOW and two Extreme WOW suites. The Residences are comprised of 223 luxurious W-branded modern condominiums with access to the hotel's luxe amenities.

Tags: hotels, New York, New York City, Starwood, W Hotel, W Hotels, W New York - Downtown

Samoset Resort: Quiet Luxury in Maine

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

The Samoset Resort, in Rockland, Maine, is fairly remote and offers a comfortable retreat from the frenetic pace of city life. Located a tad more than three hours from Boston, it's a great place for people looking to disappear for a few days, either to swing a golf club or simply to hide from the realities of everyday life.

To truly appreciate what this property has to offer, though, you need to walk through the main building, across the golf course and along the water a bit. Or, you can have someone give you a lift in a golf cart, which might be a bit easier.

The Flume Cottage sits apart from the rest of the resort, resulting in seclusion within seclusion. This1,500 square foot cottage, refurbished in 2010, sits right on the water, with a back deck that sports drop-dead views of the breakwater, with its lighthouse at the end. And, you can soak in the sights from the Jacuzzi that's out there. Since the only adjacent action on land is golf, you don't need to worry about the slightest noise intruding on your getaway, except, perhaps, a knock at the door when your meals arrive.

Gallery: The Flume Cottage at the Samoset Resort

Tags: golf, golf course, golfing, hotel, hotel review, hotels, Jacuzzi, maine, maine hotels, resort, resorts, rockland

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Gansevoort Hotels in NYC to Add Porsche Fleet

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Services, Luxury Cars & Autos

Say goodbye to stinky taxis – beginning Aug. 15, guests at the chic Gansevoort Hotels in New York's Meatpacking District and on Park Avenue South will get complimentary in-town car service and VIP airport transportation in a fleet of 2011 Porsche Panamera 4S's. The service comes as part of a cross-promotional deal brokered between Porsche Cars North America, Inc. and the Gansevoort Hotel Group, both of which brands are committed to innovative design. "We're looking forward to transforming the perception of city driving for Gansevoort Hotel Group guests," says Detlev Von Platen, president and CEO, Porsche Cars North America. "Appreciating one of the world's greatest cities from the spacious interior of a Porsche Panamera is a great way to increase your pulse rate without adding an iota of stress." The stylish rides are sure to make any hotel guest feel like one of NYC's 650,000 millionaires.

Tags: Gansevoort Hotel, hotels, limousine, New York, Porsche, Porsche Panamera

NYC And Hamptons Hotels Partner For Ulitmate Summer Package

by Michael B. Dougherty (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

It's the question that plagues every New Yorker during the summer: to stay or not to stay? But thanks to a new partnership between The Greenwich Hotel and East Hampton Point Resort you don't have to choose.

The six night package splits your time evenly between both properties, giving you three days in the City and three out east. It begins at The Greenwich Hotel, Robert De Niro's 88-room luxury property in Manhattan's tony Tribeca neighborhood. There you'll receive a superior room, breakfast for two (daily), Champagne and fruit upon arrival, two "Shibui Toner" spa treatments, and dinner for two in the private, outdoor garden of the critically acclaimed Locanda Verde. Then it's off to the beach via a Hampton Luxury Liner, where you'll be put up in one of East Hampton Point's luxe bungalows. Breakfast comes delivered each morning, courtesy of Mary's Marvelous in Amagansett, and dinner for two awaits at the resort's restaurant. To get you through the middle of the day a picnic lunch at Georgica Beach, East Hampton's prime summer locale, has been arranged (car service to the beach, or passes for those with their own vehicles is also provided). The resort can also schedule tee times, book a private shopper or place a preferred dinner reservation. Now when you're asked if you're staying in the City or going to the Hamptons the correct response is, "yes."

(packages start at $4,600 plus tax)

Tags: east hampton point resort, hamptons, hotels, new york city, packages, resorts, robert de niro, the greenwich hotel

Chesapeake's Perry Cabin Offers Sailing School

by Michael B. Dougherty (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Yachts & Sailing

The Inn at Perry Cabin, a luxurious manor house and spa on the Chesapeake Bay, is now offering access to an off-shore sailing school.

Built in 1816, The Inn at Perry Cabin was converted to a 25-acre, luxury country house hotel in 1980. Located in the Victorian resort town of St. Michael's, Maryland, the inn offers 80 rooms-most with a deck or patio-that feature a mix of modern and period furniture, fireplaces and Italian marble bathrooms stocked with Molton Brown products. A club-like lounge and the modern British fare of Sherwood's Landing, the inn's dining establishment, all lend a classic, yachting atmosphere to the property. That is bound only to increase with the addition of off-shore sailing lessons, through Steve and Doris Colgate's school. Choose either a three-day "Learn to Sail" course, a more leisurely paced half-day session (spread out over five days), or for those who have the basics down, a five-day "Bareboat Cruising" course. For those with limited time, or patience, there's also an intensive two-day course that keeps students on a Colgate 26 sailing boat for 48 hours and then offers five half-days on a 43'-49' cruiser. Perhaps best of all, you can avoid landlubbers and their wobbly sea legs by booking private lessons for two.

Tags: hotels, maryland, sailing, school, st. michaels, the inn at perry cabin

A St Barths Hotelier does Manhattan

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

I sipped a glass of rum as the plates were cleared. To my left was Christian Langlade, half the husband-and-wife team that owns and runs Hotel Christopher on St. Barthelemy and my host for dinner. After talking about his property, the conversation turned to my hometown, and I was amazed to learn his regular hotel on jaunts up to Manhattan: On the Ave.

I spent several months at On the Ave in 2004, first on consulting assignments during my white collar travel days and then to facilitate my move to New York from Boston. Just the mention of this hotel brought a flood of memories so powerful that I had to put my glass down for a moment.

On the Ave isn't glamorous, but is far better than sufficient – frankly, it was a business traveler's dream. Tucked away on W. 77th St. between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue, it's rarely the first choice of visitors looking for access to Times Square or Wall Street. Nonetheless, I fell in love with the property quickly. It offered easy subway access, simple accommodations that I found comfortable for late-night work and, best of all, a sixteenth-floor terrace with a north-facing view.

Tags: hotel, hotels, manhattan, new york, new york city, St Barths, Upper West Side

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How to Score an Updated Room at Toronto's Fairmont Royal York

by Alison Wellner (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

The Fairmont Royal York in Toronto was the largest and tallest building in the British Empire when it opened in 1929 -- which certainly qualifies it as one of those "grand dame" hotels. This status has both its upsides and its downsides -- while the lobby is impressive for meeting business clients, you certainly want to score a recently updated room.

Like many hotels, the Royal York has been in the process of updating its rooms, and while a more extensive overhaul is happening in the near future, that won't help you if you're checking in over the next few weeks. Here are a few tips that will:

1) Join the President's Club before your stay -- it's free, and you get preferential room selection, plus free wifi and other goodies.

2) Ask for a room with a flat-screen TV. Only the updated rooms have the flat screens. (Psst: this question works well in any hotel in the midst of an update.)

3) Whether you care about an updated room or not: if you're not a smoker, avoid any room on the second floor. It's a smoking floor, and it's also above the hospitality suites which allow smoking.

Tags: canadian travel, fairmont royal york, FairmontHotels, hotels, toronto, toronto hotels

Learning Lobster at Hotel Christopher

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Luxury Travel & Hotels

Growing up in New England, I've cracked into more than a few lobsters, ranging from the downright puny to a mighty 7 pounds. This continued experience with creatures (formerly, by the time they reached my table) dwelling off the costs of Nova Scotia and Maine, ingrained in me a baseline for lobster that has guided my expectations ever since.

So, as the waiter at the Hotel Christopher on St. Barths explained the evening's specials last week, the langouste, which he translated for us as "lobster," caught my attention. Recalling my travails with French in high school and college, I vaguely remembered that Jean-Paul Sartre writing of a hallucination in which he fled an "homard." The different word for lobster led to the obvious question: "What's the difference?"

Christian Langlade, who owns Hotel Christopher with his wife, Sandrine, explained that homard" refers to the tasty resident of northern waters, the creature I cracked open throughout my childhood – and which tormented the French existentialist. "Langouste," however, is the lobster found in the Caribbean, sans claws yet certainly delightful to chomp.

Disclosure: Hotel Christopher picked up the tab for this trip. Nonetheless, my opinions are my own – they're certainly not for sale at any price.

Tags: hotel, hotels, lobster, lobsters, resort, resorts, St Barths, st. barth, st. barths

Foreclosed Dallas Hotel Gets New Owner

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

The Le Meridien Dallas North Hotel has a new owner. The Dallas Morning News reports that HEI Hotels & Resorts of Connecticut bought the hotel last week at a foreclosure auction. The luxury hotel has remained open during the transition. It was listed for foreclosure for several months. The former owner APHM-ND LP of California defaulted on original $32 million loan. The new owners bid $17 million for the property.

The 258-room hotel has been designed with a chic and contemporary decor. Each room has a 42" HDTV, iPod docking station and Jack Pack, providing you the ability to view your laptop screen from your 42" TV. All rooms feature wireless and hardwire internet access and laptop-sized safes with electricity. The Le Méridien signature beds are outfitted with Frette sheets and rooms offer full size sofas and sitting areas. The hotel has a 24-hour business center, fitness center, indoor heated swimming pool/whirlpool, fine dining restaurant, atrium bar and concierge services.

HEI Hotels & Resorts of Connecticut has picked up a total of four hotels in 2010 and owns a large portfolio of properties managed by Marriott, Sheraton, Westin, Le Meridien, Embassy Suites and Hilton.

Tags: dallas, foreclosure, hei hotels, hotel foreclosure, hotel foreclosures, hotels, le meridien

The Islington Hotel: Picasso and a Cat Named Chaos

by Alison Wellner (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

I've been so busy sharing all that's new and exciting in Tasmania, Australia, that I've almost overlooked a place that's not new, somewhat tranquil but also fabulous: The Islington, in Hobart.

This hotel is in a Regency style house that was built in 1847. (In New World terms, this is practically ancient.) When you first pull up through the gated driveway, it seems you're in for something pretty traditional. But while the history has been preserved, the additions made to the building are contemporary, so you get that pleasant frisson that comes from the blend of the old and the modern. There's an impressive art collection for a hotel that's quite small -- which means your search for the Islington's sketch by Picasso will not be terribly time-consuming.

Gallery: The Islington Hotel in Hobart, Tasmania

The Historic Part of the Islington, Public Space

Contemporary Seating Area, Near Fireplace

The Open Kitchen, Where Breakfast is Made

Tags: breakfast, hobart, hotels, islington, tasmania

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3 New Ways to Luxuriate in Tasmania

by Alison Wellner (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Spas

Tasmania, Australia's southernmost island state, is positioning itself for a luxury tourism boom -- at least judging by the number of new projects in the works.

I've already told you about two of Tassie's most prominent new projects: Saffire, a new boutique hotel and resort on the Freycinet Peninsula, and MONA, a new art museum that will be the largest private art collection in the southern hemisphere.

Another newcomer to put on your radar: Harmony Hill, a spa that's opening in Margate, which is just about 15 miles south of Hobart. Harmony Hill aims to be a wellness spa with a distinctive Asian flair. (Amie Nakamura, the owner is Japanese.) The spa relies exclusively on organic products, manufactured by Nakamura, and its eco-foot print will be small -- it uses solar energy, rain water, recycles grey water, and so on.

Gallery: Harmony Hill, New Day Spa in Tasmania

Tags: hotels, luxury real estate, spa, spas, tasmania

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Angleterre & Residence Hotel, Swiss Riviera Living

by Annie Scott (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

The Angleterre & Residence Hotel is a charmingly majestic complex of luxury villas-turned-hotel-rooms right on the shores of Lake Geneva in the cosmopolitan Swiss Riviera town of Lausanne.

Situated right next to the world-renowned Beau-Rivage Palace, the Angleterre & Residence is a perfect fit for those who would prefer something a little more quaint and in keeping with the laid-back feel of Lausanne. Each villa has three floors of sovereign hotel rooms and access to the courtyard, the captivating pool above, the Cinq Mondes Spa at the Beau-Rivage Palace, and the breakfast room with an unobstructed view of Lake Geneva. The French Alps look so close you could almost touch them.

The six historic villas, or "pavilions" as they call them, feature modern, comfortable decor, though parts date back as far as the 18th century. Although the hotel is adjacent to the boardwalk, you'll find the villas remarkably well-protected from the street; discreet and quiet. The property has 75 rooms and junior suites, four banquet rooms, private underground parking and two restaurants, all without ever feeling overwhelming or like a "compound."

My stay at the exceptional Angleterre & Residence Hotel in Lausanne, one of the most beautiful cities in the world, was one I would repeat and recommend. Check out the gallery for a first-person look at this fabulous hotel.

Gallery: Inside the Angleterre & Residence Hotel