Hotel Girl

IT seems the furore over Hilton hotels recent launch of it's lifestyle luxury brand Denizen may be nearing a conclusion.

Word has it that Hilton is seeking an out of court settlement with Starwood over the allegations that Denizen designer's Ross Klein and Amar Lalvani (formerly key players in Starwoods W brand) stole intellectual property to create the new Denizen brand.

It looks like iconic liner the QE2 is the latest victim of the recession. The ship was meant to renovated and turned into a luxury hotel on Dubai's man-made Palm Jumeirah island.

But the ship's new owner Nakheel has confirmed reports that other ports are willing to take on the ship and it looks like Cape Town will be a front runner.

According to reports, plans to cut the ship in half and add an extension in the middle have been scrapped. Now the ship is likely to be turned into a "modest hotel".

Seems like a bit of a sorry end for such an iconic ship. Maybe we should bring her back to the UK..?

The Ritz Carlton and Marriott hotels in Jakarta have been hit by two bomb blasts overnight.

At least nine people, including foreigners, have been killed and 48 injured in the explosions at the luxury hotels in the Indonesian capital.

The first two blasts, in Jakarta's central business district, occurred at about 0730 (0030 GMT). It's thought the Ritz CArtlon bomb was in the hotel's restaurant, while the Marriott's blast came from the basement.

Reuters quoted police as saying another, unexploded, bomb had also been found at the JW Marriott.

"I heard two sounds like 'boom, boom' coming from the Marriott and the Ritz-Carlton. Then I saw people running out," security guard Eko Susanto told AFP.

The Manchester United football team had apparently been due to arrive in Indonesia on Saturday and was booked to stay at the Ritz-Carlton

Marriott and was being taken to hospital.

The Marriott Hotel was the target of a bomb attack in August 2003 in which 13 people were killed. For pictures of the blasts 

Living proof you don't have to be a diva to have celebrity-style demands, another cracking list has been compiled of nutty requests from demanding guests and not a s'leb in sight.

Bizarre demands include a arrranging a candlelit dinner in a cave, a craving for a New York cheescake - from New York - while in Portugal, building a replica coffee shop for a proposal and to top it all off a golf course designed on a glacier.

It does make you wonder...

Sandals has come to the rescue of the Four Seasons Great Exuma in the Bahamas, which closed in May. The hotel was forced to shut up shop after it went into receivership. 

Now the 500-acre property will begin a new life as Sandals Emerald Bay.

No prizes for guessing what changes the holiday giant will make. Sandals' guests will find a new swim-up bar and a choice of six restaurants.

Founder Butch Stewart is predicting a January 2010 opening for the resort.

It's good to hear this lovely property won't be going to waste for too long.  

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."  

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..

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.. 

.

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..

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)

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.

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.

Like many hotels in this economic climate, the Dream South Beach has been plagued by a series of delays.

When I visited the hotel a few weeks ago, it was starting to take shape - but looked like there was still a way to go.

The hotel is made up of two buildings joined together - Palmer Hotel and Tudor House - in a fab location on Collins Ave.

Some of the rooms were open and sporting the same gorgeous blue and white decor as the Dream New York.The dim lighting is perfect for sleeping off a hangover. 

Standard rooms are small so it's worth paying the extra for an upgrade. The lobby was still pretty bare, and the rooftop pool and lounge still under contruction.

From what I saw, it's going to be great addition to the SoBe hotel scene, so let's hope the hotel keeps its promise of a June opening date. And with opening rates of $179 night, it's a dream come true.