External Articles

London boutique hotels round-up – August 2011 | londonhotelsinsight.com

London has world-class boutique hotels, offering the perfect antidote to high-rise sterility and big-brand anonymity. To help you keep up with the ever-changing scene, we proudly present our monthly round-up of all the latest news from the very best London boutique hotels. The family-owned Goring Hotel is certainly no stranger to famous guests, so staff were no doubt unfazed by the sight of Baroness Thatcher lunching with friends at the hotel’s restaurant earlier this month.

londonhotelsinsight.com

Marriott Loses Trendy Waikiki Hotel as Owner Changes Locks Overnight | wsj.com

Marriott International Inc. early Sunday morning lost control of a Honolulu hotel that was part of Edition, a trendy new hotel brand the company is trying to jump-start.

In a dramatic move, the owners of the Waikiki Edition in Hawaii said Sunday that in the early morning hours they installed new management and changed the signs and locks on the hotel to reflect a new name, the Modern Honolulu. The changes were made in spite of a contract that allows Marriott to run the hotel as an Edition for 30 years.

WSJ

Hawaii, United States

Chatwal brings the Dream hotel to South Beach | miamiherald.com

Boutique hotelier Vikram Chatwal talks about living a more focused life, his favorite haunts and why he decided to open a new hotel in South Beach. Chatwal was in town last month for the grand opening of Dream South Beach at 1111 Collins Ave., a 108-room hotel made up of the former Palmer House and Tudor Hotel, the historic buildings connected by a central courtyard.

miamiherald.com

Miami, Florida, United States

Boutique hotels in China: The second-tier rush is on‎ | cnngo.com

No one needs reminding of just how keen Chinese consumers are on branded goods. Hong Kong’s Louis Vuitton stores seem perennially beset by queues of mainland Chinese tourists and super cars parade the streets of second-tier Chinese cities. But this obsession with brand names also extends to travel. According to a survey released last month by leading publishing group Hurun Report, 64 percent of the 463 Chinese millionaires and billionaires interviewed admitted that ‘brand’ was an overriding factor when it comes to choosing hotels.

cnn.com

China

Starwood brand leader for "W" leaving company | reuters.com

Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide Inc (HOT.N) said on Thursday the leader for its luxury "W" and Le Meridien brands will be leaving the company. Eva Ziegler, who has been with Starwood for six years, will stay in her job through the first quarter of 2012 to help identify her successor, spokeswoman Jen Leemann said. Starwood is known for its emphasis on branding and established that reputation in part through its success with W, which launched the trend of boutique-style hotel brands among the big chains such as competitors Marriott International Inc(MAR.N) and Hyatt Hotels Corp (H.N).

reuters.com

Marriott, Schrager sued by Hawaii hotel owner | reuters.com

Marriott International Inc (MAR.N) has been sued by the owners of a Honolulu hotel operating under the Edition name, saying its failure to promote the brand has kept customers away and caused losses. The lawsuit, filed Thursday in New York State Supreme Court in Manhattan by M Waikiki LLC, also accuses co-defendant Ian Schrager, Marriott's partner in creating Edition and a well known developer of "boutique" hotels, of abandoning the project to work on other ventures.

reuters.com

Ian Schrager reveals new hotel brand: 'PUBLIC' | usatoday.com

Veteran boutique hotelier Ian Schrager appears to be defying the "slick and trendy" style with his newest hotel venture. He's going for a retro approach, starting with a simple, unassuming name - "PUBLIC." Based on the rather generic name, it doesn't sound like you'll find red-velvet roped bar entries, but we'll see.

USA TODAY

Chicago, Illinois, United States

Ian Schrager Puts His Disco Days Behind Him | wsj.com

The American hotelier talks to The Wall Street Journal Europe about how he starts his weekend. Ian Schrager is often credited with creating the concept of the boutique hotel, having launched the Morgan's Hotel Group in 1984. But he first shot to fame opening the now legendary Studio 54 in New York in the 1970s.

WSJ

United States

Inside Hotel Plaza Athenee's Barbie Suite In Paris | huffingtonpost.com

Barbie was never exactly slumming it. From the Dream House to the Corvette, to the Mattel-inspired designer clothes, shoes, jewelry and handbags, Barbie has it all. Even after 50 years, Barbie still has a hot guy who, despite her cute friends and brief stint with the The Rockers, has remained completely devoted to her (although some of us still have our suspicions of Ken, but that's not the point). And as if that wasn't enough, now Barbie has her own suite at the Hotel Plaza Athenee in Paris.

huffingtonpost.com

Paris, France

A Hotel Maker’s Inspiring Destinations | wsj.com

Before Grace Leo designed Bono’s Clarence Hotel in Dublin, and before she refurbished the historic Hotel Lancaster in Paris, she was the daughter of Hong Kong hoteliers, learning the business from the ground up. As an adult, she left the city behind and formally studied the hospitality industry in the U.S. before settling, in the 1980s, in Europe, where she eventually redeveloped more than a dozen of the toniest boutique hotels in France, England and Portugal.

WSJ

Which London hotel suits your style? | londonhotelsinsight.com

While some London boutique hotels like the Hempel are totally Zen – cool minimalism, white space, almost austere in design – others are at the opposite end: crammed full of antiques, upholstery and vibrant colour. And what’s in fashion seems to swing from one pole to the other from year to year. Then each of us has our own personal taste to consider as well – do you prefer minimalism or grandeur? Open space or homely furnishings?

londonhotelsinsight.com

London, United Kingdom

Grand Hotel, Starring the Shower | wsj.com

Hotels are hitting the showers—with crystal chandeliers, glass walls and even hammocks. In an ongoing race to differentiate themselves from other hoteliers, new upscale properties are outfitting their shower stalls with multiple heads and other sleek features. Guests at the Wyndham here, one of two hotels in the expansive Gateway Gettysburg complex, get a cavernous, 43-square-foot shower with five shower heads. Two are mounted on opposing walls at thigh level, two more heads at chest level and a fifth overhead.

WSJ

The Rush to Boutique | nytimes.com

Hotel experts have all sorts of definitions for boutique hotels. “Not cookie cutter,” one said. “Chic,” said another. “100 rooms or less,” said a third. But whatever the definition, big hotel chains and smaller boutique brands are planning to open many more of them in cities across the United States and overseas over the next few years.

nytimes.com

United States

Singapore exhibit is also a hotel room | bangkokpost.com

The temporary hotel isn't like any other hotel in the world, with only one luxurious suite and the magnificent Merlion statue watching over its well-off guest. Fortunately, an overnight stay doesn't include a wake-up splash, as the Merlion won't be spouting water over you. This may seem like a reinvention of Singapore's iconic landmark but take a closer look _ it's inspiring art created by Tatzu Nishi, who's known for his amazing series of hotels rooms built around public monuments. For this new piece, the Japanese artist also designed the red wallpaper to go along with the red carpet and furniture.

bangkokpost.com

Singapore

Travel + Leisure’s Best-designed hotels and restaurants from the U.S. to the United Arab Emirates |

A distinguished panel of judges names the best-designed hotels, restaurants, and more in this year's design awards. “I love to walk in the rain, but I am not the umbrella type,” confessed Norma Kamali, as she made her case for a unique piece of rainwear: a white backpack with an attached hood, part of Puma’s Urban Mobility collection.

Travel + Leisure