hotels articles

Choosing a good hotel to stay at depends largely upon your plans as well as who is included in your travel party. If you are a family that is on vacation, for example, the type of hotel you will require will be different from if you are a businessperson traveling for work. Similarly, if you plan to visit local attractions during your stay rather then spend your entire vacation at the hotel will have an impact on the type of hotel you select.

If you are a family traveling on vacation you will want to select a hotel that has spacious rooms that provide you and your family members with plenty of room to move around. Finding a hotel with a swimming pool is also a plus as a pool will provide the children with an excellent place to relax and unwind after a day of sightseeing. If it has a hot tub or a Jacuzzi, this can be a great place of tired parents to recoup as the kids blow off some more energy.

If your vacation destination is filled with sights and attractions that will take up the majority of your day, there is no reason to spend the extra money required to stay at a resort hotel. A resort hotel will offer a number of amenities, including activities, restaurants, and stores on sight. For many families, staying at one of these hotels is not worth the cost if little time will be spent at the hotel. Rather, the best choice is a hotel that is near to the attractions the family plans on visiting.

For a businessperson, the best hotel choice is generally one that is near to an airport. Similarly, if the businessperson will be attending a convention, it is convenient to stay in the same hotel where the convention will be taking place or at one that is nearby. This way, the businessperson will have no problem with making it to meetings and other work-related get togethers in a timely fashion.

Have you ever spend a vacation in Venice, Italy? Was it a memorable one because you had lots of fun or unforgettable because you went unprepared and experienced lots of problems?

Some people who traveled to Venice experience problems in checking in a hotel when they reach Venice. Every year, lots of people come to Venice to spend a holiday, vacation or honeymoon and so hotel accommodations are often fully booked. That is why if you are planning to spend a few days or weeks in Venice, make sure you make your reservation well in advance at a Venice hotel.

Venice hotel reservations give you the opportunity to book your hotel accommodations long before your target arrival. When you make reservations, you can be assured that there will be a hotel accommodation waiting for you when you reach the romantic city of Venice. While you are on board the plane, you will be confident that the next place you’ll be is your chosen Venice hotel. And there is nothing more relaxing than to sink into a comfortable bed in your hotel room after a long and exhausting flight.

In making your reservations, you first have to check online for different hotel options. You have to compare rates, facilities, amenities and hotel policies in order to get the best deal. After selecting the Venice hotel that suits your accommodation requirements, you can simply make your reservations online by filling out an online reservation form. Or perhaps, you can contact a travel agent to book the reservation for you.

Planning your vacation to Venice is key to make it a truly memorable and enjoyable trip. You have to keep in mind that lots of people want to see and experience Venice, but the problem is there are fewer rooms to accommodate all the travelers. That is why it does make sense to book your Venice hotel reservations in advance.

If you are planning on going to Italy, you’re probably going to stop in Rome. If that is the case, stay at the luxurious and beautiful Sheraton Roma hotel. The Sheraton Roma Hotel is one of the largest hotels in the city. It is often said to be the best. The Roma hotel is also conveniently located and offers various amenities.

The Roma Hotel is located between The Fiamicino/Leonardo Davinci International Airport and the historical city center. There are many attractions near the Roma Hotel for those of you touring Rome. The Coliseum, Vatican City, and the Sistine Chapel are all just 4 miles away from the Roma Hotel. There are a total of 6 museums located within 5 miles of the Roma Hotel as well. For those of you with kids, there is an amusement park less right across from the Roma Hotel.

The Roma Hotel has a whopping 634 rooms. Each room at the Roma Hotel comes with the Sheraton Sweet Sleeper Bed. The Roma Hotel even includes hi speed internet in its rooms. The Roma Hotel offers three kinds of rooms: Classic, Club, and Superior. Each type of room has a varying level of price and extra amenities offered by the Roma Hotel. Some include free newspapers, robes, and slippers! The staff at the Roma Hotel does their best to make sure all guests are treated like royalty. The Roma Hotel Even has a 24 hour service desk.

The Roma Hotel also offers 2 restaurants and 2 lounges. The Roma Hotel even has a seasonal poolside bar! The restaurants are very superb. They serve Italian and Mediterranean gourmet cuisine The Roma Hotel also has a shopping gallery that offers limousine service, car rental, men’s and women’s accessories, and a souvenir shop. Lastly, the Roma Hotel has a full size gym, a pool, 2 squash courts, and a jogging track.

The Roma Hotel is also a great place to host meetings and conferences. In fact, the Roma Hotel is widely used for this. The Roma Hotel has over 24 meeting rooms. The largest meeting room seats a stunning 1800 people! The Roma hotel does its best to make sure that your meetings are hi tech. All tables have hi speed internet incorporated right in them. There is also a touch screen global remote control system for the audio and visual equipment. There is even a projector available. For all of your conference or meeting needs, the Roma Hotel has it.

Millions to be spent and millions to be lost – these are some consequences facing hotel owners that have hotel remodeling plans. Although there are daunting factors involved, many hotel owners still go through with their hotel remodeling plans for the benefits that would follow the renovation.

Hotel remodeling, unlike home remodeling, can’t be done pertaining to just one room or one area. Hotel remodeling involves a renovation of a great portion of the hotel and sometimes, even the whole hotel itself. This type of renovation can be best exhibited and explained by using or analyzing the recently renovated Marriott Hotel in Missouri.

The original hotel which was completed back in 1985 has not had any renovations to its guest rooms in the last 10-years and has not had any renovations done with its bathroom since it was built. A large empty space in the hotel grounds also has a future use that is yet undecided.

Although the hotel is still fairly new compared to some of the historic hotels in New York, the hotel renovation of the Marriott complex was decided to be able to face competition from the newer and sleeker luxury hotels that popped up in recent years. This means that the hotel owner needs to create a new inviting look for its interiors and rooms which could be done with carpets and artwork. The untouched bathrooms are also getting renovated with granite countertops and a more dramatic theme. The Marriott hotel also takes a step forward with technology by having wireless internet available to over 50% of their guest rooms.

In the hotel remodeling of the Marriott complex, the owner of the hotel seeks to attract business through conventions that would like to use the hotel as their grounds and accommodations. This would provide a wide advertisement for convention-goers to book rooms in the hotel. This in turn would give the Marriott hotel complex a larger demographic when it comes to hotel guests and those wanting to return to the hotel should they come around the city once again.

The cost may be great but the benefits cannot be denied when it pertains to hotel remodeling. Although the benefits of hotel remodeling would come in gradually, in the long run, the renovations would help create a greater return for hotel owners and administrators as well as providing customers and guests quality accommodations and services that could keep them coming and coming back.

When tourists come to visit Hong Kong, they can stay among the big city lights. Towering over busy North Point, and only minutes from the Mass Transit Railway at Fortress Hill station, the City Garden Hotel is convenient to the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai, shopping centers in Causeway Bay, and rapid road access to Central and Kowloon via the Island Eastern Corridor freeway. This HK hotel provides easy access to Hong Kong’s major shopping areas, including shopping malls in Causeway Bay.

Free hotel shuttle bus service is provided by this Hong Kong hotel. The hotel is near Mass Transit Subway at Fortress Hill Station within walking distance of around 5 minutes. City Garden Hotel, Hong Kong is facilitated with Eastern & Western restaurants, including Singaporean food, a bar, an outdoor swimming pool and fitness centre for hotel visitors’ enjoyment. The hotel is a popular Hong Kong venue for meetings and banquets. Wireless Broadband Internet access is available in all hotel rooms.

The City Garden Hotel offers 613 elegantly furnished hotel rooms, including 15 suites, all designed for the ease and enjoyment of guests. All rooms are furnished with twin or queen sized beds and offer broadband internet connections, electronic safes, a wide choice of television channels and in-house movies, and a range of deluxe amenities. Luxurious facilities, contemporary design and superior service are the hallmarks of the hotel. Guests on the newly renovated Executive Club floors enjoy various exclusive facilities and services, including access to a spacious Executive Lounge with express check-in and check-out service, evening cocktail and complimentary refreshments.

NEW YORK — The Buckingham Hotel, “home away from home,” to Gotham-bound artists and musical performers, unveiled the three winning paintings at an exhibition and awards ceremony for the second annual “Buckingham Prize for the Expression of Music through Art.”

The Hotel announced art student Malado Baldwin, of New York Studio School, as the Grand Prize winner.

“The idea of expressing music in a painting intrigued me immediately, and I found that the Buckingham Prize was challenging and exciting,” says Malado Baldwin. “l often see music when it’s playing; it registers emotionally through colors and shapes. I invented melodies while I created the Buckingham piece, so you can say that I actually composed it.”

Baldwin’s piece, “Modulations,” a double painted canvas oil diptych that is rendered in pale blue with waves of dot-like “melodies” moving over the surface, was awarded the grand prize. “Capriccio” by Peg McCreary of the renowned Art Students League, took second place and “Concerning Music,” by John Dechamp of Memphis College of Art, third. The work of the winners was unveiled by Stephen Shapiro, Managing Partner of the Buckingham Hotel on Nov. 30.

“Modulations,” culled from entries from around the country, was awarded $7,000 and will be displayed by the Buckingham Hotel in its grand lobby; additional cash purchase prizes of $2,000 and $1,000 went to McCreary and Dechamp.

Determination of the finalists of the Buckingham Prize was made by a prestigious panel of judges, including Graham Nickson, dean of New York Studio School; Ira Goldberg, director of the Art Students League; Dennis Adams, acting dean, School of Arts, Cooper Union; Annette Blaugrund, Ph. D., National Academy Museum and School of Fine Arts; John Torreano, program director of the MFA program in Studio Art at New York University and Barrett White, assistant vice president of Christie’s Post-War and Contemporary Art.

The Buckingham Hotel, located across from Carnegie Hall, sponsors this competition because of the musical heritage that is woven throughout its history; which, when combined with West 57th Street’s own artistic tradition, results in “musical artwork.” The property was once home to such luminary musicians as Ignacy Jan Paderewski and Giovanni Martinelli.

“The Buckingham Prize celebrates the extensive musical history of the property, while honoring West 57th Street’s own long-standing artistic traditions,” says Stephen Shapiro, the hotel’s managing partner. “For three-quarters of a century, the Buckingham has been home to world-renowned musicians, performers and artists from across the world, so the Hotel saw this competition as a fitting contribution to both the performing and visual arts.”

The three paintings have become a part of the Buckingham’s permanent collection of musically inspired artwork, that already includes “Bounce Fugue”a multimedia and installation created entirely from musical instruments, which graces the Hotel’s entrance hall in eight different display boxes. The Buckingham collection also features portraits of Arthur Rubenstein and Mstislav Rastropovich by the late School of Paris painter Arbit Blatas, on loan by his wife, Regina Resnik, who is one of the world’s greatest living opera performers.

The Alonquin Hotel is truly one of New York’s oldest and most exclusive hangouts. A favorite spot for some of this country’s most illustrious literary minds of the 20th century, it is also legendary and full of history. To this day, no one can mention the name of famous writer Dorothy Parker without immediately thinking of the Algonquin. The history that surrounds this phenomenon goes something like this:

Shortly after World War I, Vanity Fair writers Dorothy Parker, Robert Benchley and Robert Sherwood began lunching at the Algonquin Hotel in New York City. In 1919 they gathered in the hotel’s Rose Room with some literary friends to welcome back journalist Alexander Woolcott from his service as a war correspondent. The lunch was intended as a . put-down of Woolcott’s pretensions (he had the annoying habit of beginning stories with, “From my seat in the theatre of war … “), but it proved so enjoyable that someone suggested it become a daily event. This led to the daily exchange of ideas, opinions and often-savage wit that has enriched the world’s literary life and its anecdote collections as well. Literary icons George S. Kaufman, Heywood Broun and Edna Ferber were also in this august assembly, which strongly influenced writers like F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway. Though society columns referred to them as the Algonquin Round Table, they called themselves the Vicious Circle. “By force of character,” observed drama critic Brooks Atkinson, “they changed the nature of American comedy and established the tastes of a new period in the arts and theatre.”

Today, the Algonquin retains that air of privacy that made it so famous and such a perfect venue for these extraordinary thinkers. A welcome, quiet spot amid the raucous noise of downtown Manhattan, the hotel is barely a few steps away from Times Square, Broadway shows and some of the world’s finest shopping.

Walking into the hotel’s lobby you can quickly notice, and appreciate, the preserved Edwardian decor of its 1902 opening. Mornings at the hotel are peaceful, with mellow jazz in the air and the ubiquitous smell of coffee. A popular spot for business people, the hotel’s lobby usually thrives with professionals meeting to discuss publishing projects and with guests reading the daily newspaper or magazines. By early evening, the hotel regains its legendary, trendy “bohemian” aura, attracting a well-varied, if mostly jet-set type of crowd.

The Oak Room, the hotel’s only restaurant, sits at the far end of the lobby, and it features the famous “Round Table” as its centerpiece. But what makes this restaurant unique is that dinner comes complete with a cabaret show. During its regular cabaret season, September through June, performances are held Tuesday through Saturday at 9pm, with a dinner seating at 7pm. An additional late show on Fridays and Saturdays is held at 11:30 p.m., with light fare available at 10:30. Expect to see cabaret-genre icons Andrea Marcovicci, Harry Connick Jr., and Michael Feinstein among the stellar lineup. It’s a rather complex dining arrangement that offers a fixed price dinner and a show, all bulked up into one. The menu is well worth the money, and it features appetizers such as Chilled Tiger Shrimp Cocktail and Atlantic Smoked Salmon. We tried the Salmon and were convinced we had made the right choice. It made us all the more eager for the entree, which includes Pan Seared Filet of Beef, Roast Duck Algonquin and Black Striped Sea Bass among others. We sampled the Pan Seared Filet, which came with buttermilk mashed potatoes, caramelized onions and sauteed broccoli. The meat was aged and cooked to perfection; the mashed potatoes and the onions were truly to-die-for, but the broccoli was a bit too crispy for our taste. Still, it was delicious, and it was all served with class and distinction by the restaurant’s apt and friendly staff. A cover charge of $50 is usually- charged per person, along with a dinner charge of $60 per person, plus tax and gratuity. Dinner is required for early shows on Friday and Saturday, other times a $20 minimum is required.

The rooms at the Algonquin are a far cry for the typical, Vegas style “mega-rooms”, with lots of space and new gadgets. Instead, the Algonquin has retained its classic turn-of-the-century atmosphere and character, which makes for a much more intimate experience. Standard rooms are, by all modern standards, considered somewhat small, but they are decorated with handsome, understated furnishings designed to be as restful to the eye as the body. Modern amenities have been added in order to ease the burdens of 21st Century travelers. Still, if you are traveling with company and can afford the upgrade we highly recommend the two-bedroom suite at the very minimum instead. A special piece of American lore, The Algonquin Hotel is definitely a unique hideaway worth visiting on your next trip to the Big Apple. Check it out!

DOT investigates air traffic control failures. The failure of air traffic control equipment at a Palmdale, Calif., facility this summer cost airlines hundreds of thousands of dollars. Airport officials and lawmakers are questioning whether systemic problems are to blame. The Department of Transportation’s inspector general is investigating the incidents, but technicians, controllers and FAA officials are divided on the nature and scale of the problems.

Staffing, maintenance added to ATC problems, technicians say. A change in maintenance philosophy caused several air traffic control problems this summer in Southern California, according to Federal Aviation Administration technicians. FAA officials say staffing and maintenance were not factors in the July outage in Palmdale and a subsequent problem at Los Angeles International Airport in which a critical landing system malfunctioned. Oct 14, 2006

Planners expect huge growth at small New England airports. By 2020, the number of people flying through New England’s 10 busiest airports will have increased 70%, federal aviation planners predict. They expect huge increases at three Connecticut airports rarely used now. Some politicians say the projections for Bedford and Worcester, Mass., and New Haven, Conn., are difficult to believe and add that the towns would oppose dramatic airport expansion.

Items abandoned at airports boost states’ revenue. Many items surrendered by travelers at airports are sold by state agencies at low prices. The sales generate $26,000 a year for New Hampshire. Officials say about 80% of the items collected by the Transportation Security Administration are cigarette lighters. Oct 10, 2006

Chicago

Train service will connect Chicago downtown to airports. By the end of 2008, Chicago officials will begin nonstop passenger train service from downtown to the city’s two main airports. The project, a partnership between the city and private organizations, will cost $280 million.

Chicago airport

Chicago airport embarks on $6.6B modernization project. Construction on a $6.6 billion modernization project has begun at Chicago O’Hare International Airport. The project will include reconfiguring runways and adding an air traffic control tower, among other things.

Chicago Airports

Non-stop Rail Service Planned to Both Chicago Airports. By the end of 2008, travelers in Chicago will be able to ride on non-stop rail service from downtown to the city’s two main airports, USA Today reports. Oct 15, 2006

Dallas/Fort Worth

Wright deal won’t lower fares at D/FW, experts say. The newly approved Wright agreement won’t dramatically lower fares at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, experts say. American Airlines already offers nonstop flights to nearly every city from the airport. Southwest Airlines, which operates from Love Field, will have to connect passengers through cities such as St. Louis, Houston, or Albuquerque to reach other destinations.

Dallas/Fort Worth

Construction on Dallas taxiways about to start. Officials at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport say new perimeter taxiways will improve safety and allow more flights to take off and land. Taxiways are being considered at Houston’s Bush Intercontinental Airport and at Denver International Airport. Chicago O’Hare also has plans to build a taxiway.

Dallas/Fort Worth

Airlines serving Dallas/Fort Worth will benefit from the airport’s deal with Chesapeake Energy Corp. to mine the natural gas produced on DFW’s 18,000 acres. The “monumental deal,” as DFW CEO Jeff Fegan characterized it, includes an initial payment of $185 million and a 25% royalty on the value of the gas. Fegan said nonaviation revenue will reach “new highs for the next couple of decades,” which will “help keep costs lower for airlines, making DFW a more attractive market, and create new airline competition.” Natural gas production is expected to begin within two years. Los Angeles

Baseball Player’s Jet Overshoots Runway. A private jet reportedly carrying New York Yankees baseball star player Alex Rodriguez overshot the runway at a Los Angeles area airport on Friday, just days after teammate Cory Lidle died in a small plane crash in New York.
New Orleans

Lack of flights prompts Microsoft to scrap New Orleans meetings. Microsoft has canceled three meetings set for next year in New Orleans because of the shortage of flights in and out of the city. Service at Louis Armstrong International Airport is now 61% of what it was before Hurricane Katrina struck the city in 2005. Some airlines are willing to fly larger planes or schedule more flights when needed, an airport spokeswoman says.

New York LaGuardia

Airports prepare for overhauls. A plan to tear down and rebuild LaGuardia Airport’s Central Terminal will be one of the most expensive and complicated airport projects in aviation history, the Wall Street Journal’s Scott McCartney writes. The $1 billion project is just one of several airport overhaul projects planned for the next few years in the U.S., he notes.

NATIONAL REPORT — Unique, independent hotels offer a distinct atmosphere, which gives them a competitive edge for those savvy travelers who don’t want a cookie-cutter experience. However, alone, they lack the resources to compete with properties backed by large marketing, training and technical support.

Consequently, the industry has witnessed the birth of several new hotel collections, which are designed to provide guests with elements of surprise while being part of a bigger entity.

Rosewood Hotels & Resorts, The Kessler Collection and Gaylord Hotels, to name a few, are some of the first to take advantage of this growing niche by renaming their independent properties so as to be identified under a much larger umbrella. And not to be left out of the game, Starwood Hotels & Resorts and Choice Hotels International quietly are growing their Luxury Collection and Clarion Collection, respectively.

What exactly is a hotel collection, and why should an independent hotel seek such an affiliation? Generally speaking, it is a grouping of like-minded assets that share a common level of service and amenities, which each delivers in their own way. The alliance of the assets is said to build awareness and equity for the properties, allowing them to better market and cross-sell their hotels as well as retain customers within the family of assets.

For Rosewood, the renaming of its properties in June to reflect their affiliation with the company allowed it to drive home the point that guests could receive the same type of five-star experience at all of the hotels and resorts in its portfolio but each with its own flair, said Robert Boulogne, v.p. of sales & marketing.

“We did research and found that the message of our properties being part of something bigger, Rosewood, was being missed. We saw the rebranding effort as an opportunity to enhance the brand, and drive more revenue to our properties,” Boulogne said. “To us, the grouping together of the properties relates more to service standards that can be expected by the guest, as well as a sense of place delivered by each hotel.”

The advantages for Rosewood are mostly with regard to customer-retention-management practices, Boulogne said. By enabling its properties to cross-market and share information through Rosewood, the hotels can recognize repeat guests, their likes and dislikes, and deliver better service.

Rosewood hopes to be perceived as a larger player in the luxury market, was scheduled to launch its own Global Distribution System code in December. The collection offers 12 hotels and resorts. Two hotels are slated to debut in 2005, and two more are set to open in 2006. All name changes are expected to be completed by January, Boulogne said.

The Clarion Collection consists of 10 upscale hotels. The collection, which was launched in 2003, has attracted unique, boutique and historic properties that are looking for greater name recognition and support, said Alexandra Jaritz, senior director of brand strategy, Clarion Hotels, a Choice Hotels International brand.

“We saw a void, quickly penetrated this niche, and continue to find success with it,” Jaritz said.

The properties in the Clarion Collection are able to take advantage of Clarion’s distribution, marketing, training and other support functions under a franchise agreement, while retaining their own identities.

The collection tag provides a means to penetrate markets that previously were off limits or nearly impossible to break into, Jaritz said.

“We are now in markets such as Miami with The Claridge Hotel, and Manhattan with The Solita Soho Hotel,” she said. “The collection has helped define Clarion as an upscale competitor.”

Kessler Enterprises, a real-estate development, ownership and management company that specializes in hotels, renamed its distinct group of upscale Grand Theme Hotels as the Kessler Collection just over one year ago. Owner Richard Kessler, a collector of rare items that are displayed at several of his properties, said the move was motivated by a desire to link together the properties in a clearer way.

“All of our properties are unique, but offer some level of consistency as it relates to quality of experience, and all are centered around art, music and architecture,” Kessler said.

With 10 properties open, such as Mansion on Forsyth Park in Savannah, Ga., and Beaver Creek Lodge in Beaver Creek Village, Colo., Kessler said he is better able to cross-sell the hotels in addition to having established a certain level of expectations among consumers. While several of Kessler’s hotels are branded with a franchise, they are anything but ordinary.

“People today are looking for something different when they travel. They want something that reflects the location they are in, and don’t want to be hit over the head with standardization,” Kessler said. “We use a very high level of detail to differentiate our hotels. We display ancient artifacts, art collections and unique architecture in our properties. Our properties are very colorful, very alive.”

ITHACA - The School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University has announced a partnership with Cendant Hotel Group to provide international hotel franchisees with classroom-based and online hospitality-management courses.

The move expands the hotel school’s relationship with New York Citybased Cendant (NYSE: CD), which has been a sponsor of Cornell’s Center for Hospitality Research since 2004.

Traditional classroom courses will be offered through the school’s Professional Development Program (PDP) and virtual courses will be accessible through the university’s eCornell unit.

“In today’s changing and fast-paced environment, we want to ensure that our franchisees and hotel associates are equipped with the most up-to-date programs and knowledge,” says Daniel Dannenmann, Cendant Hotel Group International vice president of training, quality assurance, and organizational. development. “The use of e-learning enables us to quickly make the most advanced programs available to our franchisees. Speed to market and superior quality programs are of critical importance…”

Cornell’s hotel school will provide Cendant’s franchisees with reduced pricing for its distance-learning courses as well as the PDP program.

Cornell’s School of Hotel Administration has been providing executive education to hospitality professionals for over 75 years. PDP is a classroom experience that brings together senior mangers from around the world for a series of three-day, high-intensity courses.

Participants may choose from three locations:

* the Cornell campus in Ithaca;

* Management Centre Europe in Brussels; and

* Cornell-Nanyang Institute in Singapore.