new hotels

Four New W Hotels Set to Open Starting in December

File this under: You can never have too much of a good thing.

Four new W Hotels are debuting beginning this December. The new W's are in Austin, Texas; Taipei; Koh Samui Thailand; and a W Retreat and Spa in Bali. All are built-from-the-ground new facilities and all feature high-end resort-style amenities including cutting-edge restaurants and bars. Room rates vary by location and season, but are approximately $300 a night. The rollout plan begins in December and ends in February.

The W Austin, acknowledging the city's unofficial slogan of "Keep Austin Weird," captures the city's local flavor -- although hardly in a weird way. The 251-room hotel, with a rooftop pool and bar is surrounded by the city's hippest night spots and restaurants just steps from Sixth Street and the Warehouse District.

Tags: austin, bali, hotel opening, koh samui, new hotels, starwood, starwood hotels, tapei, w hotels

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The James Hotel Opens Second Outpost in SoHo

by McLean Robbins (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Long beloved by residents of the Windy City, The James Hotel brings its unique blend of residential cool to SoHo with the opening of its first New York City property. Anchoring the southwest corner of Soho at Grand and Thompson Streets, The James is currently accepting reservations at its 114 guestrooms and suites.

"The stylish and culturally rich neighborhood of Soho is the ideal home for The James New York," said Brooke Barrett, co-CEO of Denihan Hospitality Group, owners and operators of The James brand.

In homage to the creative neighborhood it calls home, The James New York will feature a mix of local and international artists, both prominent and up-and-coming. In an effort to be both child and pet-friendly, the hotel will offer both pajama sets and Paul Frank coloring sheets. Dog beds and doggy bowls will be provided by Soho-based pet retail shop Doggystyle, along with a specially-created amenity treat bag.

Tags: hotel opening, new hotels, new york hotel, New york hotels, soho, the james hotel

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Ritz-Carlton Plans First Kosher Hotel

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

The latest Ritz-Carlton will be in Herzliya, Israel, located just north of Tel Aviv on the Mediterranean Sea marks a first for the luxury hotel chain, it's the first kosher Ritz-Carlton. The property features a Ritz-Carlton hotel with the top six floors dedicated to The Residences at The Ritz-Carlton. The project is being developed by Tidhar Group and Adi's Marina, and represents an investment of approximately $160 million. Architect Rani Ziss, who worked on the renovation of the Plaza in New York City designed the project and Studio Gaia, a New York-based interior design firm is creating an elegant seaside retreat.

The project overlooks the Herzliya Marina and has approximately 80 luxury vacation residences, everything from studios to large penthouses. Residences owners will have access to the hotel's five-star facilities and amenities which will include the rooftop outdoor pool, spa and fitness center. The property will be outfitted with Shabbat elevators and a fully equipped upscale kosher restaurant. The project is scheduled to be completed at the end of 2012.

Tags: herzliya, hotel development, israel, new hotel, new hotels, ritz carlton, ritz-carlton

Shangri-La Istanbul to Open in 2012

by Alison Wellner (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts is making its first foray into Istanbul, Turkey, having signed an an agreement with Tanriverdi Holding Company to manage a new hotel, slated to open in April 2012.

The hotel will be on the site of a former tobacco company and warehouse which dates to the 1930s, the exteriors are protected by the city's Cultural and Natural Assets Committee. I'll be interested to see how this goes, for in order to preserve the historic façade, seven of the hotel's 14 stories will be built underground. (Presumably, of the 200 rooms planned, these won't be the rooms that will have private terraces.)

A rooftop restaurant and bar is planned, as well as a health club,spa, swimming pool, business center, ballroom, and conference and meeting room facilities. The hotel will be in the same neighborhood as the beautiful Dolmabahce Palace, and should be well-located for business travelers.

Tags: hotels, istanbul, new hotels, shangri-la

Saffire Soon to Open on Tasmania's Freycinet Peninsula

by Alison Wellner (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Sunset on Tasmania's Freycinent Peninsula, Australia

It's been in the works for a very long time, but Saffire, a new ultra-luxury hotel on Tasmania's Freycinet Peninsula is about to open, on June 1st, 2010.

Let's get oriented first. Tasmania is Australia's southernmost state, and it's actually an island, separated from the mainland by the 150 mile wide Bass Strait. But it's not at all wee -- twice the size Switzerland, about the size of Ireland -- and is widely considered one of the most beautiful spots on the planet. (Check out that sunset, above!)

The Freycinet Peninsula juts off right around the middle of the island's eastern shore, and is home to national park, which is popular for its hiking particularly to the white sand, turquoise to cobalt waters of Wineglass Bay. Freycinet, by the way, is pronounced as you would in French -- the first Europeans on this part of Tasmania were from France.

There's a lodging concession in the park, Freycinet Lodge, and it has some more upscale accommodations in addition to the more basic -- but it's nothing compared to what's being planned for Saffire. (The same company owns both properties.)

I was in Tasmania a couple of weeks ago, and had a chat with Matt Casey, general manager, and Hugh Whitehouse, executive chef. The main point they got across about Saffire is that it is going to be intimate. There are just 20 suites all together, with a high staff-to-guest ratio, says Casey -- plus they're not expecting to be running at full capacity at first. The rooms themselves, however, won't be small: the smallest are 860 square feet and the four largest premium suites are just over 1500 square feet. (Chef Whitehouse will prepare custom meals for premium guests in the suite's kitchen.)

And what about the suite rates?

Gallery: Saffire in Tasmania

View of the Hazard Mountain Range from Saffire

Saffire Resort's Dramatic Architecture (Rendering)

Tags: australia, hotel, hotels, new hotels, new resorts, resorts, tasmania, vaccine

Continue reading “Saffire Soon to Open on Tasmania's Freycinet Peninsula”

W Hotel Opens In South Beach

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

W Hotels has opened their 31st property, the W South Beach and The Residences at W South Beach in the arts and entertainment district of Miami Beach. The development includes 408 W-branded residences with Ocean Suites, Beach Bungalows, and the Extreme WOW suite (W's version of the Presidential suite). Among the food and drink destinations at the property are Wall, a bar and lounge, Spanish restaurant Solea and the celebrity favorite Mr. Chow. The hotel also bring the popular Bliss spa to Miami.

The $500 million hotel was designed by architect Costas Kondylis. The W's Living Room (aka the lobby) was designed by Anna Busta with artwork from collector Aby Rosen's private collection. The art is showcased in an environment with tufted leather ottomans, velvet curtains in eggplant purple, modern white and gray sofas, armchairs covered in white pony or slate velvet and white pony rugs splashed with gold paint. A 20-foot-high beaded curtain set off by glass walls marks the way into the W Living Room Bar with views of the pool deck and garden. If you book by July 20 the hotel is offering rates from $269 per night for stays July 16 – October 12. The Miami Herald reported earlier this month that the South Beach location has sold out for weekends in July even though the prices are higher than many other hotels in the area.

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Tags: florida, miami, miami beach, MiamiBeach, new hotels, NewHotels, south beach, SouthBeach, w hotel, WHotel

Remington Hotels Announce New Luxury Chain

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

The latest luxury hotel chain will come from Remington, a hotel development company that currently manages properties for Marriott, Sheraton, Doubletree, Radisson and others. The Gallery will be a collection of luxury resorts that will include the standard lavish spa and fitness facilities, fine dining, golf and other recreational options. What will set this resort apart is that the core of each property will have a photography gallery. The company hired lifestyle photographer Greg Whitaker to capture the essence of The Gallery and his work will be featured in each hotel's photo gallery as well as well as in guestrooms, advertising, sales materials and on the company's website (the above picture is Whitaker's).

To match the art theme, their personal concierges will be known as Docents. The first Gallery property will be One Ocean in Atlantic Beach, Florida. Other developments in the works include Bend, Oregon; the Southwest U.S. and the Turks and Caicos islands. One Ocean, which is a redo of the Sea Turtle Inn near Jacksonville, is set to open in late 2007.

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Tags: florida, hotels, new hotels, one ocean, remington, travel, vacation

Rosen Shingle Creek Resort Now Open

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

A new megaresort has opened in the Southeast. Rosen Shingle Creek is a 1,500-room resort located on Shingle Creek in Orlando, Florida. The resort includes the 13,000-sq. ft. full-service Spa at Shingle Creek, the Shingle Creek Golf Club, four pools, sand volleyball, hiking and more. Dining options include a steakhouse, ice cream stand, Italian bistro, coffee shop and even a 24-hour mini-market. There are three Presidential Suites that are over 1,700 sq. ft. and 37 oversized Grande Suite Parlors that are over 1,300 sq. ft. Rates start at around $200 per night.

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Tags: florida, new hotels, orlando, rosen shingle creek

InterContinental Hotel Comes to Nashville

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

The best hotels in Nashville, Tennessee tend to be on the classic side. That's set to change when the InterContinental Nashville is completed. The new luxury hotel will be located on West End Avenue and there will also be an office tower, condos and retail space. The $250 million project will begin in June and the hotel is set to open in late 2008 or early 2009. The entire project will be two towers, one 23 stories tall and another 25 stories tall. The hotel will be at the bottom of the shorter tower with 70 condos above. Both towers will share a ground floor building with shops and restaurants.

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Tags: hotel, intercontinental, nashville, new hotels, tennessee

Hotel de Saxe Opens in Dresden

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

The Hotel de Saxe which open in Dresden, Germany this month is a new hotel with an old look. The hotel, developed by the Frankfurt-based Steigenberger Hotel Group was modeled on the original Hotel de Saxe which was the place to stay from 1786 to 1888 when it was converted to a Baroque post office. After 1945, the building was used to hold stones from the Frauenkirche (shown on the left in this picture) while it was being restored. Now on the same spot, the new Hotel de Saxe blends the modern and the traditional. The facade was built to blend in with the Dresden cityscape and inside the hotel uses architectural fragments such as three torsos that came from Dresden buildings destroyed during WWII combined with modern design that includes plenty of wood and glass. The hotel has 178 room and seven suites and rates start at 119 euros.

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Tags: dresden, germany, hotel de saxe, HotelDeSaxe, journeys, luxury, new hotels, steigenberger, vacation

Shanghai To Get A New Five-Star Hotel

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

The Millennium Hongqiao Shanghai is a new five-star hotel that is set to open this summer. It's the first Chinese property for Millennium & Copthorne. The hotel is in Hongqiao, Shanghai’s commercial and residential district and near the Shanghai Exhibition and Convention Centre. The hotel will have 350 rooms and suites and has some interesting features, unusual for Shanghai hotels. It will have a contemporary design and will also have gardens, trees and water features in order to offer guests a quiet retreat in an urban area. The site of the hotel was previously a retreat area for senior Chinese union and political leaders. Ah, capitalism...

[via Travmedia]

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Tags: hongqai, millenium hotels, MilleniumHotels, new hotels, shanghai

Luxx Hotel

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

From the pictures, it looks like a modern boutique hotel in New York or Los Angles but Luxx is a new hotel in Bangkok. The tiny hotel of just 13 rooms offers chic and clean modern design to attract trendy travelers. It opened a few weeks ago and Luxx Hotel general manager, Dusadee Srishevachart says that they will be promoting the hotel to European and American guests. The hotel will also have a bar called Mess and is hosting their launch party on March 29, 2006 . Luxx is located on Decho Road in an area that offers plenty of nightlife, dining and shopping for tourists. They are offering opening specials as low as $70 per night.

[via HospitalityNet]

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Tags: bangkok, boutique hotel, luxx hotel, LuxxHotel, new hotels, thailand, tourism

W Hotels Head to Dubai

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

The W Hotel chain will become part of the Dubai hotel boom. The W Dubai Festival City will be a 350-room luxury hotel at Dubai Festival City, the 'city-within-a-city' being built on the banks of Dubai Creek. It will be the first W hotel in the Middle East. Dubai Festival City is an area that will include waterfront homes, office, cafes, clubs and restaurants. The hotel will have loft suites, restaurants, and a Bliss spa. The W Dubai Festival City is scheduled to open in 2008 and will be at the heart of the 'Marsa al Khor' (Harbour of the Creek) development.

[via Hotel Chatter]

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Tags: dubai, hotel news, middle east developments, new hotels, starwood, w hotel, WHotel

Villa Kennedy Opens in Germany

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

The first Rocco Forte hotel in Germany, the Villa Kennedy in Frankfurt is now open. The Villa Kennedy is a five-star hotel in the center of Frankfurt that consists of three newly constructed buildings built around the traditional 1904 Villa Speyer. The hotel is close to Frankfurt's residential area, Sachsenhausen, with many bars and restaurants. The hotel has 163 rooms and a contemporary style. The hotel also has a restaurant, Gusto and the Villa Spa which has an indoor pool, gymnasium, sauna and eight treatment rooms and there is a relaxing garden area.The presidential suite is located on the top floor of the original Speyer Villa and has a separate kitchen and turret dining room. Rates start at 260 euros per night.

[via Breaking Travel News]

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Tags: frankfurt, germany, hotel opening, hotels, new hotels, resorts, tourism, travel, vacation, villa kennedy, VillaKennedy

Hotel Blake in Chicago

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

A new boutique hotel has opened in downtown Chicago. Hotel Blake is a 162-room hotel that has a classic style with dark wood furnishings and floor-to-ceiling windows with city views. The hotel had a soft opening in November 2005 and the Grand Opening will be in April. Rooms start at $149 per night. The rooms use Molton Brown toiletries, there are iPod compatible radios and Frette linens. The Custom House restaurant next door offers catering and room service to the hotel.

[via Breaking Travel News]

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Tags: accomodations, chicago hotel, hotel blake, HotelBlake, midwest, new hotels

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