Hotel Girl

Doubletree by HIlton Cambridge Garden House, which opens tomorrow, had me going for a second when they said staff hugging trees in their grounds had helped them grow 22% more quickly.

Well they do say talking to plants keeps them healthy, so why not?

Joking aside, the hotel has actually raised £20,000 for the conservation charity Woodland Trust and will be handing over a cheque tomorrow morning.

With hotels constantly boasting about their mammoth expansion plans, it's nice to see one giving something back and supporting a worthwhile Green charity.

This is the first Doubletree by Hilton to open in the UK.

If you're wondering what the difference is from standard Hilton hotels, the website tells me they are "unique, contemporary accommodations". Well it must be working, because they plan openings in Italy, Slovakia and Russia.

Courtyard by Marriott is to introduce trendy new lobbies in a bid to attract younger guests.

The usual vast granite reception desk, massive drapes and patterned carpets will be replaced by funky furniture, wooden floors and plasma TVs (pictured here).

Marriott wants to make the lobby into a "social hub" with a Starbucks-style counter which doubles as a breakfast bar during the day and a cocktail bar in the evening.

It looks like hotels are waking up to their guests' changing lifestyles. People - especially in big cities - are always on the go and would rather grab a coffee and croissant than sit down to a full English.

Perhaps due to the colossal rise of Starbucks, we want somewhere comfy to sit and read the paper, surf the web or chat with friends.

With Hilton Garden Inn also considering a lobby revamp, it looks like grand but deserted lobbies could become a thing of the past.

Take a peek at the new look Courtyard by Marriott lobby

Sandals has introduced its budget brand Grand Pineapple Beach this week.

The company is starting off by rebranding two of its existing resorts in Negril and Antigua. Prices will be 35%-55% cheaper than the other resorts and the hotels will still be luxurious, but run in a more straightforward and cost-effective way, said Sandals.

Sandals wasn't always such as smooth operator. When founder Butch Stewart set up his first hotel in Jamaica, people didn't think it would last a month because of its proximity to the airport. He tells inc.com magazine:

We came up with the idea of everyone waving to the people that were leaving in the plane, and kissing the one you love when a plane flies by. I don't think we had five complaints after that.

Read the story of how Butch Stewart founded Sandals in 1981.

Londoners have taken a shine to Ken Livingstone, but only when it comes to their favourite tipple.

The Park Plaza County Hall near Waterloo has introduced special cocktails to mark the forthcoming elections.

Livingstone's red concoction has outsold its blue, yellow and green competition. According to its creator, mixologist Fabio Fraticelli, the cranberry and pomegranate sensation is proving a hit with customers. He tells us:

“Everybody smiles and chuckles at the cocktails …especially at the Boris which sports a lemon rind for his blond mop, but Ken’s sales have soared as the mix is closest to Londoners’ taste.”

With news that Livingstone has regained the edge over Boris Johnson in the polls - maybe we'll catch him celebrating down in Waterloo next month.

Travelodge has bought six properties from Menzies for £85m.

As part of that, they have bought the four star Menzies Belford in Edinburgh. It seems a shame for a long-standing luxury hotel to be replaced by another faceless budget chain.

The Scottish capital seems to be attracting lots of hotel projects at the moment. Another is the Hotel Missoni (right).

To open in the first quarter of 2009, it will have Missoni's distinctive patterned style and a great location on the Royal Mile. It sounds like it will be a really imaginative addition to the city's hotels.

The editor of i-escape.com has opened up a debate over the tired term 'boutique hotel'. Nowadays this is being used for everything from a 500-room countryside retreat to a five room B&B in downtown New York.

i-escape has come up with the boutique test. According to them, to be worthy of the term a hotel should be small, personalised, stylish, contemporary and independently owned.

Do you agree with these criteria? What springs to mind when you think of 'boutique hotels'?

(right: The Bulgari Hotel in Milan)