Hotel Girl

Park Plaza Westminster Bridge gets ready for soft opening

2010-01-22T15:30:37Z

I popped out of Travel Weekly towers today to check out the new Park Plaza Westminster Bridge.

Builders were rushing around frantically to get the hotel ready in time for its soft launch on February 4. All the structural work is done and they're now ready to add the furniture in the public areas.

With 1,021 bedrooms, the hotel is truly vast. Lots of work is being to make sure guests can check in, move around the hotel and check out quickly and easily.

The huge reception desk has nine check in points and there are separate check in-desks for groups and suites/apartments.

Decorated in burnt orange and browns, rooms are more stylish and spacious than your average London business hotel. Lots of important little details have been attended to, such as a little fridge space next to the mini bar, a power block suitable for overseas plugs and cute rubber ducks by all the baths.

Built on a site previously dubbed the "ugliest building in Britian", the hotel has a great location overlooking Westminster. And there will be plenty of reasons to stay in to eat, with the UK's first Illy Espressamente coffee bar, a sushi bar and a restaurant by Joel Antunes.

Clients who want a taste of iconic London will love this new landmark property, so it's worth getting on to one of the fam trips being planned for March so you can give them the inside track.

Four Seasons Beirut welcomes first guests today

2010-01-13T15:06:01Z

Started planning your city breaks for 2010 yet? No? Well, here's some inspiration..

The new Four Seasons in Beirut opened this week and the first guests are being welcomed in today.

These lucky people will be staying in one of the 230 rooms or suites with "oversized" terraces, taking a dip in the rooftop glass-enclosed swimming pool and chowing down in the steak and seafood restaurant.

In a few months, the hotel will open Club 26, a sky-high rooftop pool lounge that will offer 360-degree views of the city.

The Lebanon capital is turning into quite a hot destination, with great nightlife and thriving arts culture. With this swanky new hotel, now you have an excuse to visit it.

Virgin Atlantic opens new Clubhouse at Gatwick Airport

2009-12-16T22:08:17Z

Fancy a manicure or facial while you're waiting for your next flight? Well this is your place. Virgin Atlantic has revamped its Clublounge at Gatwick.

The lounge, which I checked it out on my way to Barbados last week, has just reopened after a total facelift. It now has a Cowshed Spa and rock garden where upper class passengers can have 15 minute facials, manicures or massages for no extra charge.

If your flight's delayed as mine was, you can kill time playing on the Nintendo Wii, freeing your inner rock star on Guitar Hero, checking your email on the laptops or having brunch in the brasserie.

The new design is sleek and modern with Arne Jacobsen chairs and lots of black, grey and trademark Virgin red. The place has a relaxing 'sunday morning' atmosphere that really helps take the hassle factor out of flying - but watch out, it won't be easy going back to cattle class.

Dean Street Townhouse opens today

2009-11-24T21:13:25Z

The people behind the lovely Babington House - the home of Cowshed spa - opened a city pad in Soho today.

The Dean Street Townhouse has luxurious four-poster beds, stand-alone bathtubs and all the Cowshed goodies you can smuggle into your suitcase.

Built in a 39-room Georgian townhouse, rooms come in all sizes from 'tiny' to 'bigger'. Tinies start at £95 per night - perfect for a recession-chic mini break.

For us Londoners, it also has an all-day dining room serving British favourites - I've got my eye on the Bramley apple pie.

So now you have an excuse to be lazy cow in central London - as if you needed one.

London's UK embassy could become luxury hotel

2009-11-04T16:18:44Z

The United States has agreed to sell its embassy building in Grosvenor Square, Mayfair to Qatari Diar, a real estate investment company.

It hasn't been confirmed, but the group is expected to turn the building into a luxury hotel and apartments.

The building is Grade 2 listed so they will have to keep the facade, which includes the famous 35ft gilded aluminium eagle above the main entrance.

The Times predicts that this quirky look might fit Starwood's W brand or Rezidor's Missoni. The area's already packed with luxury hotels, from Claridges to the Dorchester, so whoever takes this project on will have a lot to live up to..

(pic: The Times)

Free Wifi tops '14 most influential game changers'

2009-11-03T15:26:49Z

So what has really changed the hotel sector in the last ten years? If this is a question that keeps you up at night, check out Uberoom.com's 14 most influential game changes of the decade.

Rightly, top of the list is in-room Wifi. Just a few years ago Wifi were just two funny-sounding syllables - now it's one of the first things many of us check when choosing where to rest our weary legs for the night. Since some of the top hotel chains are still charging ridiculous rates for Wifi, (I'm looking at you Four Seasons) here are some alternative uses for your laptop.

Red Carnation offers 'Tweekends' away

2009-11-02T11:16:35Z

Red Carnation Hotels, one of my favourite luxury hotel groups, is offering exclusive deals on its London properties for its Twitter followers and Facebook fans.

Last weekend's offer was £235 a night, including breakfast, a £25 dining credit and free tickets to Anish Kapoor exhibition at the Royal Academy.

This is a great saving on the usual rates. Although the deal is for an unnamed property, all the hotels are super luxurious so you can't go wrong.

And with a stroke of luck, you could end up in this glass-roofed conservatory master suite at 41 Hotel..

Sleep under a Union Jack at Wyndham Grand London

2009-10-28T16:48:15Z

As the Wyndham Grand London in Chelsea Harbour comes to the end of a major facelift, its PR people have released some details about the all-suite hotel's new look.

The penthouse is now home to four luxurious suites. But these aren't just any penthouse suites..

Each one is dedicated to a fashionable area of London, such as King's Road, Savile Row and Kensington. The King's Suite has a full height Union Jack headboard (pictured) and a chair in the form of a red shoe; the Savile Suite has a paisley patterned headboard and the Kensington Suite has a pinstripe theme.

It's a cute idea, but not as daring as Choice's new Distrikt Hotel, where each of its ten floors will represent another NY hood. It's due to open this winter but, in the meantime, you can read more here.

Kingsley hotel in London has plush new look

2009-10-22T13:43:17Z

Thistle has transformed its slightly fusty Bloomsbury hotel into the modern new Kingsley. The group, which is the middle of renovating and rebranding all its UK properties, has pumped £10 million into the hotel.

The chintzy old fashioned rooms now have clean, simple dector, plasma televisions and rain showers.

Thistle has retained some of the hotel's Edwardian features, including a wrought iron staircase and chandeliers, which give it a touch of character.

One word of warning: the restaurant still seems to be having major teething problems. On my visit service was hopeless and the food tasted like it had been sitting in the fridge since the hotel reopened in May.

Far and away the best thing about the hotel is its location - just a few minutes walk from Covent Garden - making it perfect for a London shopping or theatre break. Just check out some good local resturants before you go..

Checking out the new W Barcelona

2009-10-08T11:14:42Z

Jealous, me? Never. My colleagues at Travel Weekly swung by the brand new W while in Barcelona for the ABTA travel convention.

I've never have wanted to sip champagne while admiring the views from the funky hotel bedrooms. Not at all. ..

The W has really made its mark on the Catalan city. With its sail-shaped glass tower, infinity pool, super spa and chic cabanas, it would fit right in in Dubai or Las Vegas.

It is the first large hotel in Passeig de Joan de Borbó, a trendy waterfront area with luxury shops, theaters and nightclubs.

Right now, the hotel is doing a special 249 euro opening offer including welcome cocktails, a manicure at the Bliss spa and VIP access to the glamourous rooftop club Eclipse.

Ok, well maybe I'm a tiny bit jealous. Now where's my diary...

Dubai and Marrakech get X Factor boost

2009-10-06T11:23:25Z

Following on from yesterday's post, it looks like Saturday's X Factor has given Dubai and Marrakech a welcome boost.

Maretta Moriarty from accommodation-only provider HotelConnect said there has been a 100% increase in searches for Dubai in the last week and a 61% jump in searches for Marrakech.

Simon Cowell's luxury pad (pictured) prompted a 76% increase in searches for Los Angeles.

However Lake Como, where the groups category auditioned for Louis Walsh, didn't do so well. As Maretta suggests, perhaps Louis should have stuck to his traditional Irish retreat..

Maretta also said she spotted the contestants having a spot of lunch in Golders Green in North London. Apparently the blonde twins popped in to Sainsburys and were mobbed by young girls and one old lady. No accounting for taste I suppose..

Bridge Suite at Atlantis Hotel has the X Factor

2009-10-05T15:45:20Z

The suite where Dannii Minogue broke the happy (or sad) news to teary X Factor contestants on Saturday night looked strangely familiar.

No, I wasn't belting out an audition of my own - I visited the Atlantis on a fam trip to Dubai in May.

The Bridge Suite is stunning. It connects the hotel's two towers, which means it has amazing views over the whole resort and the ocean.

The 10 lavishly decorated rooms are fit for even the most stroppy superstar, with a marble bath, golf-leaf 16 seater table, and personal butler service.

At $25,000 a night, the Bridge Suite is one of the most expensive hotel rooms in the world. It will be interesting to see if any of the contestants can ever afford to go back there. Hotel Girl doesn't usually comment on reality TV, but my money's on Danyl.

(above, the corridor where Dermot consoled or congratulated; right, the view from the Bridge Suite)

Dunblane Hydro reopens as Doubletree by Hilton

2009-09-25T14:58:02Z

A release popped into my inbox today today telling me that The Dunblane Hydro has become the Doubletree by Hilton Dunblane Hydro.

I have fond memories of this lovely old hotel as I used to go there as child with my friend and her family.

I've heard that it was looking a bit old-fashioned recently so it's good to hear it's had an expensive refurbishment from Hilton. I'm also liking the sound of Nick Nairn's signature restaurant and the new Living Well gym.

Sounds like an exciting new era for the hotel - but let's just hope it hasn't lost too much of its character in the process.

(Pictured: Celebrity chef Nick Nairn, Miss Scotland Katharine Brown and comedian Rory Bremner at the official opening)

Savoy hotel 'could flood luxury market'

2009-09-24T09:46:02Z

Interesting article on Bloomberg.com today about London's iconic Savoy hotel. The place has been closed since late 2007 for a £100 million renovation.

After the opening date slipping further and further back - something we're no stranger to these days - it looks like the hotel will reopen in April 2010.

I'm dying to see the results of the work. However, as the article points out, other luxury hotels might not welcome the relaunch with open arms.

The luxury sector has been hardest hit in London, with bankers and corporate guests having been stripped of their expense accounts.

An extra 268 rooms is probably not what the sector needs. "Luxury properties are going to feel it when the Savoy opens," said STR Global analyst Konstanze Auernheimer. "In these market conditions, when it is already tough for everyone, it has been a blessing for rivals to have it out of action."

Buddha Bar Hotel in Prague lives up to the hype

2009-09-11T09:51:06Z

The Buddha Bar nightclub's first foray into the hotel industry has attracted lots of attention. Since it opened in January, the Buddha Bar Hotel Prague had already been named one of Europe's hottest hotels by Times Travel and Conde Nast Traveller.

But could it live up to the hype? Well, yes actually. Here's an at-a-glance guide from my visit to Prague's most shamelessly opulent

boutique.

Location: In the old town on a peaceful street, just a couple of minutes' walk to the Old Square.

The look: The 36-room hotel sticks faithfully to the Buddha-Bar concept: contemporary Asian mixed with French Colonial touches. The interior is scarlet and gold against black and dark brown furniture. It's striking but manages never to cross the thin line into tacky.

The rooms: The huge bed in my spacious superior room was overlooked by a golden dragon and flanked by Chinese style lamps. The rooms offer the latest in technology, with Nespresso coffee machines, Bang&Olufsen TVs, built in TV in the bathroom mirror and even a remote control to flush the loo. The bathroom was just as stunning, with its free standing dragon-embellished bathtub and huge rain shower.

Facilities: The hotel does have a jacuzzi and steam room, but these are small and didn't seem to be used often. Much better was the in-room spa treatments - try the Buddhattitude aromotherapy massage by the hotel's Thai masseuse.

Eating: We ate breakfast at the Siddharta Cafe (left), where the food was very good, but service slow considering we were the only people there. The food and service at the glamourous 2-storey Buddha Bar and Restaurant were excellent. Guests can choose from sushi or Pan Asian mains. We loved the steaming dim sum and five spice chicken.

Down side: If you are looking for a hotel with a genuine Czech feel, this isn't for you.

The Buddha Bar Prague is the first of a series of hotels from the brand, with two more planned for Budapest and Panama. With prices starting from £390, you'll need deep pockets but this new chain is definitely worth splashing out for.

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