Hotel news
RESORT AND HOTEL NEWS
Virtuoso, the luxury travel agency network, announced that 50 hotels have qualified this year as nominees for its sixth annual “Best of the Best Hotel Awards.” The ultimate winner- “Hotel of the Year” – will be revealed on Aug. 15 during Virtuoso’s annual conference in Las Vegas, along with the winners in nine other hotel categories including best design, most socially responsible and best hotel manager. The 50 luxury hotels include well-known names such as Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton and St. Regis and independent properties and hotels with names from smaller brands such as Rosewood and Dorchester Collection. (USAToday.com, July 11)
RESORT AND HOTEL NEWS
The world’s top hotel, according to customers of booking site Expedia, is in Bratislavia, the capital of Slovakia in Eastern Europe. Marrol’s Boutique Hotel topped the company’s 2012 Insider Select list, compiled using 500,000 guest reviews of 150,000 hotels offered on Expedia websites. Guests cited room benefits including; the free minibar, computers, and the hotel’s “superior level of personal customer service” as outstanding. (Travelmole.com, July 5)
A new chain of luxury hotels branded for the famed London department store, Harrods will open properties in Malaysia, New York and Paris. Qatar Holding LLC, plans to expand the London luxury chain it bought two years ago, establishing a global presence. (Travelpulse.com, July 4)
HOTEL NEWS
HOTEL NEWS
Chic, high-styled, yet limited-service hotels are popping up on the west and east coasts to serve a younger demographic seeking a boutique hotel experience at an inexpensive rate. Starwood established it’s Aloft brand, opening hotels last year in Harlem and this year in downtown Brooklyn, with a hip bar and pool table near the lobby but no restaurant. The rooms feature showers, no bathtubs or full closets and the properties have no swimming pools or spas. Prices start at $169 per night. (WSJ.com, July 25)
