Luxury Hotels - Impressive Estates News

Washington DC Estate
Usually I prefer a to see a house with the furniture in it but today's estate, located in Washington DC, is bare. Not just bare, it seems to have been scrubbed clean and given some sort of charmectomy. The walls are landlord white. Still the bones of this home are beautiful so let's just think of it as a blank slate. it was built in 1929 and has a stone Tudor exterior. Inside, there are six bedrooms, a wine cellar, billiard room, library and what they call a orangier (otherwise known as a conservatory). It is listed at $9.125 million. After the jump, some splashes of understated color, a few truckfuls of furniture and the work of a skilled decorator and this could be lovely.

Point Grey Home
MAJESTIC MANSION! Stunning panoramic view on all 3 levels, this superb quality h ome offer over 10000 sq ft of luxurious living. Dramatic circular entry hall, el egant living, dining and sitting room with special marble floor,access to large patio. Gourmet kitchen with wok kitchen, top of the line appliances. Family room with built-in media unit, access to gorgeous garden. All 4 bedrooms up with ensuite and view. Large recreation room, 2-bedroom suite and nanny quarters d own. 2 laundry rooms, 3-car attached garage (1128 sq ft) not included in total floor area), over 28700 sq ft of landscaped garden. Truly a world class!

Swallow Cave
Today's estate is in one of my favorite Massachusetts towns. Nahant is a rocky coastal town north of Boston. It has a dramatic coastline of sharp promontories and sweeping ocean vistas. The home shown here is Swallow Cave which was built in the late 1930s for John Roosevelt, son of Franklin D. Roosevelt, and his wife Ann Clark. This Mediterranean-style villa sits on two waterfront acres with views of the Atlantic Ocean, Harbor Islands, and the Boston Skyline. The home has seven bedrooms and details that include antique pine floors, a media room, wine cellar, and a four-car garage with one-bedroom apartment. There is an oceanfront pool with cabana, a small vineyard and orchard, and a private beach with your own tiny rocky island to swim out to. It is listed at $5.9 million. After the jump, a summer inside a classic.

So Cal Ritz-Carlton Sold for $330M
The Ritz Carlton Laguna Nigel on the Southern California coast has just been sold for $330 million, or approximately $840,000 per room. This makes it the second most expensive hotel sale in terns of price per room, only surpassed by the sale of the Hotel del Coronado in San Diego, which had a price tag of $1 million per room.

The 22 year old hotel has 393 rooms, including 38 suites, and was acquired by Strategic Hotels, who is hoping to increase their presence in the luxury hotel market in California. Strategic feels that not only is the beachfront property worth its high price, but that it is sure to increase in value over the next two decades given that space on the coast is both desirable and difficult to obtain. The hotel, prior to the sale, underwent a $40 million renovation that revamped the interior and improved their spa and fitness offerings. Rooms start at $400 a night and ocean-front suites are available for more than $2,000 per night. They also offer a $750 per night Mercedes-Benz package, which includes the use of a car.

Park Hyatt To Open Posh Buenos Aires Hotel
Hyatt has restored the Palacio Duhau, a palace in Buenos Aires, Argentina as the site of their newest hotel. The Park Hyatt Buenos Aires will open on June 28, 2006 and sits on the Avenida Alvear in the middle of the city's most fashionable shopping district. The hotel is comprised of the Palacio Duhau which was built in 1934 and the contemporary Posadas building. An underground walkway and gallery with works from international and local artists connects the two buildings The hotel has 165 guestrooms and 38 suites include the 1,722-square-foot Alvear Suite which has a wraparound balcony. The hotel includes elegant open spaces, several restaurants, a wine library full of local Malbecs as well as international choices, cheese room and the wood-paneled Oak Bar in the palace. The 8,000-square-foot spa includes an indoor pool, gym, sauna and five treatment rooms. Rates start at $410 for a Park Deluxe Room.

Porto Hussong Looks To Make Ensenada Upscale
Way back when I was in college, Ensenada, Mexico was a small, cheap town to spend spring break in. Times have changed, Meridian Development Group has announced a new 16-acre oceanfront resort and marina on the edge of Todos Santos Bay. Porto Hussong will have 200 oceanfront condos, a five-star boutique hotels with 46 suites, the "Club Meridian" luxury fractional residence club, boutiques and restaurants and a marina to accommodate yachts up to 200' in length. The complex will also have a fitness center, spa and access to charter sailboats, fishing and yacht services.

Starwood Hotels Want You To Stay A Long, Long Time
Last year, Starwood Hotels launched "aloft," their new hotel brand. Now they have a new brand, Project ESW. Project ESW will be an extended stay version of the Westin Hotel and will include Westin features like the Heavenly Bed and the Westin Workout rooms. The hotels will be contemporary new builds with studios and one-bedroom suites. The kitchens will have stainless steel appliances and there will be gourmet pantries stocked with food and wine. Common areas include large lobbies, cafe areas, terraces and pools. Starwood plans 150 markets for Project ESW and the first one will open in Lexington, Massachusetts in late 2007.

The Razor's Edge
According to unconfirmed reports from my siblings, I missed Mother's Day entirely. With Father's Day looming menacingly on the horizon, I thank my lucky stars that Brave Soldier has commisioned this $149 carbon fiber razor by Razorkraft.
I mean, whose dad is complete without a featherweight, indestructible, space-age, artisanal razor?
And with next year's Mother's Day squarely on my calendar, I'm taking heart in Brave Soldier's assurances that this razor is suitable for use by both men and women. Handcrafted in Silverado, California, each little razor takes the artist over four days to create. I, of course, took exactly nine months to create ... which is why I just may have to pony up $149 for the greatest artist ever: my mom.

The Merrion Hotel, Dublin
If you wish to join the merry (and slightly intoxicated) thousands on Dublin's O'Connell Street this St. Patrick's Day, why not chose to stay the night at one of Dublin's great hotels, The Merrion. Located across the street from the seat of government, the Merrion is a wonderful 5-star establishment that caters to distinguished travelers. The classical hotel is comprised of several Georgian townhouses and features a lavish Georgian decor complete with one of the most important collections of Irish art in the world. Try and get into the penthouse which has 2 bedrooms and a living and dining room. The penthouse suite totals 2,800 sq ft with an additional 1,000 sq ft rooftop terrace with hot tub. At 2,200 Euros a night, it's great place to rest after too many pints of Guinness.

Luxx Hotel
From the pictures, it looks like a modern boutique hotel in New York or Los Angles but Luxx is a new hotel in Bangkok. The tiny hotel of just 13 rooms offers chic and clean modern design to attract trendy travelers. It opened a few weeks ago and Luxx Hotel general manager, Dusadee Srishevachart says that they will be promoting the hotel to European and American guests. The hotel will also have a bar called Mess and is hosting their launch party on March 29, 2006 . Luxx is located on Decho Road in an area that offers plenty of nightlife, dining and shopping for tourists. They are offering opening specials as low as $70 per night.

Will A Scent Make You Choose A Hotel?
Scent strips in magazines are nothing new but a scent strip for a hotel? I was reading my New Yorker this morning when I came across the Westin White Tea scent ad. The ads only say "White tea. The calming new scent of Westin." Curious, I opened the strip. In comparison to other scents that come billowing out of those tiny flaps of paper, this one is mild, more like laundry detergent than white tea. According to Brandweek, the ads will pop up in The New Yorker, Wired, Vanity Fair, Real Simple and Gourmet. It's an interesting move away from ads that usually focus on what the hotel looks like rather than what it smells like but I'm not sure that the pallid white tea scent is memorable enough to haunt people into choosing a Westin hotel

Mandarin Oriental Joins The Dallas Condo Boom
Dallas seems to be one of the places that is experiencing a massive boom of condos. The latest comes from the Mandarin Oriental which announced that they will build a 43-story tower in the Victory project near downtown Dallas.The Victory Tower will contain a 120-room Mandarin Oriental Hotel, retail space and 90 condominiums which will be priced from $850,000 to more than $6 million.

This development is just part of a huge amount of construction in the area. We've profiled the W Hotel in Dallas and Starck's project before but there are 13 projects under construction and nearly 30 planned total. Given recent condo fallout in Miami and Las Vegas, it will be interesting to see what becomes of all these Dallas projects.

Which Hotel Will Move Into Kinmel Hall?
It's about as prime a setting for a luxury hotel as you could wish for, a stately manor tucked into the Welsh countryside. Kinmel Hall near Abergele in Wales has been dubbed the "Welsh Versailles." The 19th century mansion house is need of a new tenant who can turn the beautiful but bedraggled estate into a five-star hotel. Derbyshire Investments, the current owners of the hotel, say that several hotel chains are interested and that plans to convert the home to a hotel will be reviewed by the Conwy County Council. Currently the building can only be used as a Christian conference center since it was bought for this purpose in 1975.If the council changes that then the hoteliers can start bidding on the the opportunity to lease the estate. One potential problem is that the hall is in need of space to build a golf course but the Festherstonhaugh family, which owns the surrounding land, is not interested in selling since they already own a golf course nearby.

The article doesn't list the names of the hotel chains involved but I would guess that Ritz-Carlton and Four Seasons are high on the list. Which hotel chain would you like to see take over this property?

Hearst Tower New York, NY
Publishing giant Hearst Corp is upgrading their New York City offices to the tune of a 46 story tower designed by the amazing Lord Norman Foster. The new tower is an iconic design of diamond grid sitting atop the original 6 story art deco base built in 1928. The tower will be home to around 2,000 employees with the most popular magazines occupying the uppermost floors. After the executive suites on the 43rd floor, Cosmopolitan will claim the 38th floor and O, the Oprah mag, will have its offices on the 36th. Hearst Tower is made even more remarkable through its "green" designation, the first in NYC. The special design of its exterior enabled the construction to use 2,000 pounds less steel in the tower and a rainwater collection system irrigates plantings and provides water to a interior water feature in the lobby. Don't we all wish we could work in a place like this?

Massive Race Car Hotel Planned For Nevada Town
More building exuberance from Nevada. This time the news comes from Beatty, a small town 120 miles north of Las Vegas. Developer Mark Fleming is planning a $2 billion hotel/casino/condo complex with a race car theme. The Xtreme Cars and Stars Hotel Casino will have four 27-story towers with around 2,592 condos, timeshares, and hotel rooms. There will also be retail shops, restaurants, and a large casino that includes and exhibition area for cars. The ambitious plan includes a $2.7 million, 2.1-mile NASCAR racetrack which will encircle the property. The project also has some amenities I haven't seen recently including a drive-in theater and a floating restaurant. Other features include a18-hole championship golf course, 50,000-square-foot pool area and an RV park with full hook up facilities. There will also be a floating restaurant suspended at the top of the building. Every detail of the building will have an automotive theme and the development also includes car condos with garage areas and overhead loft space for sale which will sell for $250,000 to $1 million. It's an interesting project but will it come to pass? According to an article in the Las Vegas Business Press, Fleming claims that executives from Arby's, Disney and General Motors have verbally committed to the deal. He hopes to break ground by the end of the year

Johnny Depp Fights For His Views
Johnny Depp may be famous for saying that he is raising his kids in France but that he still wants them to enjoy the view when they are in Los Angeles. The LA Times reports that Depp has filed a lawsuit over plans for a retail project that might impinge on the views from his Hollywood Hills home. Depp owns a $5.4 million home on Sweetzer Ave. (the same street Morrissey lived on before putting his house on the market). Depp's claim is that the city violated environmental-quality laws by approving the development on a lot beneath his home and that his his children may be deprived of their view. Those on the other side of the debate are flabbergasted since Depp has been quoted as saying that he would not raise his children in the States. Depp lives in a Norman-style mansion known then as "The Fairy Castle." The proposed project, across from The Standard hotel on the Sunset Strip would be about 40 feet below Depp's house but the building would block views from the sloping bottom backyard terrace where the children would play. The project is now delayed.

Dubai's Bawadi Project
Dubai is planning to begin construction on what will be the world's largest hotel complex. The Bawadi Project, as it is called, will cost $27 billion and will be located just outside of Dubai City. The goal of the project is to double tourism in the state, increasing the 6 million visitors from 2005 to as many as 15 million in the next decade. Complete construction will take approximately 8 years, though it will be done in stages, and will result in a total of more than 30 hotels and 29,000 hotel rooms, many of which will be in the 4 and 5 star categories. The first part of the complex will be the Asia-Asia Hotel, which alone will provide 6,500 rooms. The development will also house a series of entertainment centers, shopping malls, theaters, restaurants and convention centers, catering to all the varied interests of tourists to Dubai.

Steve Wynn In Talks For A Ferrari Hotel
Will Steve Wynn create a Ferrari hotel? As we've mentioned before, Wynn has been working on the Wynn Macau casino hotel. The $1.1 billion project is set to open in September. But Steve Wynn recently said that he is interested in creating a hotel under the Ferrari brand name as part of the project. Wynn's plans call for four hotels, three with casinos and he has said that he is in talks with the chairman of Ferrari. The Wynn Las Vegas already has a Ferrari dealership. As we mentioned before, Ferrari is already inching their way into the entertainment arena, they have already signed a deal for a Ferrari theme park in Abu Dhabi.

Macau is gearing up to attract visitors in a big way. It was also recently announced that the Cirque du Soleil will be creating a new show for the Las Vegas Sands resort in Macau. The new show will open in 2008.

Westin's Latest Sense Offering Will Be Music
First, there was the scent, that pervasive white tea scent strip wafting out of magazines to promote Westin Hotels. Now, get ready for the sound. Westin has partnered up with eMusic.com to create a "digital music offering" that will be played in lobbies and offered as part of the in-room entertainment. The music is described as being global contemporary with an "ambient, melodic, rhythmic and energizing feel." Luckily magazines don't have audio chips so you won't be subjected to this unless you go to the Westin Hotels. It makes me wonder which sense they will tackle next.

China To Get Underwater Hotel
Crescent Hydropolis Resorts has announced that the world's first deepwater Crescent Hydropolis Hotel and Resort will be the Hydropolis Qingdao in China. The HydroTower Landstation will be on 33,000 sq meters of land that was formerly the Ocean Entertainment Park in Qingdao while the Hydropalace underwater hotel will be southwest of the island of Chidao and southeast of Xiao Maidao. The goal is to have the HydroTower Landstation completed in 2008 prior to the start of the Beijing Summer Olympic Games. Crescent Hydropolis is the same company that is working on the underwater hotel in Dubai and they also are planning projects in London, Monaco, Munich, New York and the Isle of Man.

New York Palace in Budapest
The New York Palace Hotel in Budapest opened this week after undergoing an €80 million renovation that not only updated the interior, but built on an entirely new wing. The hotel was originally an office building, built in 1894 for a New York insurance company. It was purchased from the Hungarian government in 2001 by Boscolo Hotels for only €8 million. The redesigned luxury hotel is extremely elegant, with a glassed-over courtyard and walkways full of gilt and marble. According to Boscolo, all of the textiles and furnishings come from Italy. The Hotel's New York Cafe has reopened as well, offering guests a taste of history, as it was a famously popular meeting place for artists and writers before World War II. Rooms start at €290 and the two royal suites start at €2,500 per night.

The addition of the new wing, which is still not entirely complete, will bring the total number of rooms up to 180 from the current 107, as well as adding conference facilities and a parking garage.

The Bridge Suite at the Atlantis
Though it was mysteriously absent from the Travel Channel's list of the most expensive hotel suites, the Atlantis Bridge Suite. Perhaps they did not consider the possibility that a hotel would charge an astounding $25,000 per night for a suite. The Atlantis is a premier destination in the Bahamas, known for its spectacular architecture and huge casino. The suite has 10 rooms, including a 1,250-square-foot living room with grand piano and twin entertainment centers, a dining room with a 22-karat gold chandelier and bedrooms with wardrobes so large "you could drive a car into them." The suite has a full kitchen and a permanent staff of seven, who access the rooms via a private entrance. There are 12-foot high ceilings throughout with full length windows and the suite's location is on the bridge that spans across the 23rd floor of the resort's two towers gives it the most spectacular views money can buy. Celebrity guests have included Michael Jackson, Oprah, Celine Dion and Bill Gates, but if you spend enough at the casino, the staff might just be able to fit you in for a night.

Will Kazakhstan Be The New Vegas?
It seems almost like a late April's Fool's Day joke but it's true, Kazak authorities are pondering a gambling and entertainment complex near the city of Almaty. The BBC reports that President Nursultan Nazarbayev has said that he had long thought of building a version of Las Vegas on a steppe outside the city. A desert gambling oasis may help control gambling inside the major cities. Almaty alone has nearly 40 casinos. Nazarbayev wants to shift that action to the shores of Lake Kapchegai around 50 miles away (Vegas with a beach). While the article references the rise of gambling in Asian countries it doesn't mention that another aspirant to the Vegas throne, the Cotai Strip in Macau which already has attracted major hotel and retail interest and has massive Vegas-style hotels under construction. Now if Steve Wynn shows up in Kazakhstan then we'll know it's really going somewhere.

Scotland Hotel Hires A Lambo To Lure Guests
A month ago we mentioned that a London hotel is offering a Maserati Quattroporte to lure customers into a stay, now the Scotsman reports that the Macdonald Holyrood Hotel in Edinburgh is offering a chance to take a Lamborghini Gallardo for a spin. The £600 per person package makes the hotel the only one in Britain to offer a Lamborghini to its guests. The Lamborghini package includes a double room on the hotel's butler service floor with complimentary champagne 24 hours a day and access to a private library. There have already been five bookings for the package.

Hotel de Saxe Opens in Dresden
The Hotel de Saxe which open in Dresden, Germany this month is a new hotel with an old look. The hotel, developed by the Frankfurt-based Steigenberger Hotel Group was modeled on the original Hotel de Saxe which was the place to stay from 1786 to 1888 when it was converted to a Baroque post office. After 1945, the building was used to hold stones from the Frauenkirche (shown on the left in this picture) while it was being restored. Now on the same spot, the new Hotel de Saxe blends the modern and the traditional. The facade was built to blend in with the Dresden cityscape and inside the hotel uses architectural fragments such as three torsos that came from Dresden buildings destroyed during WWII combined with modern design that includes plenty of wood and glass. The hotel has 178 room and seven suites and rates start at 119 euros.

Xscape, The Latest Place To Ski Indoors
It turns out that Dubai isn't the only place with a new indoor ski slope. Xscape has the U.K.'s largest indoor ski slope as part of a family destination in Glasgow, Scotland that combines ski slopes with bars, restaurants, a cinema and rock climbing walls. Other features of this unique spot include a fan drop, robocoaster, bowling, and a skypark, aerial adventure course. The launch party last night featured Danni Minogue and fireworks.

Kentucky Derby Houses for Rent
If you are thinking of heading to Louisville for the Kentucky Derby it's still not too late to rent a local house but it will cost you. Like Super Bowl houses the Kentucky Derby options run from the relatively modest to the deeply extravagant. This five-bedroom home has a master suite with a Jacuzzi, formal dining room and a workout area. It comes with six free Derby tickets and rents for $50,000 Thursday through Saturday

Villa Passalacqua
Enjoy a taste of the Clooney life on Lake Como in Italy. Villa Passalacqua is a gorgeous villa located not far from Gorgeous George's home, Villa Oleandra. Villa Passalacqua is perched in upper Moltrasio and its property runs from high up in the village all the way down to the lake’s shore. The home was built in the 1700s and was designed by Felice Soave. This amazing estate has play host to many famous and infamous people including Napoleon Buonaparte, Vincenzo Bellini and Winston Churchill. The Villa Passalacqua has a pizzeria, luxury suites, billiards room, theater, This luxury villa on Lake Como is available for rent for 42,000 euros a week. If you don't need something quite so posh you can also rent the Villa Bellini for 11,025 euros during the summer months. More shots of this beautiful estate after the jump.

Angelina and Brad Cozy Up At Burning Shore
Pregnancy has not slowed down the Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie hotel tour. This week finds them in Nambia at the Burning Shore Resort near Walvis Bay. They have taken over the whole resort with their children and five other people. A private security firm and local police officials are making sure that the couple has privacy. The small resort has a restaurant on the beach and the rooms have ocean views. Rumors are flying that the couple may marry in this exotic location.

Meier & Frank Department Store To Become Luxury Hotel
An old landmark in Portland Oregon is set to become the next luxury hotel. The Oregonian reports that the Meier & Frank building once a large department store, will now be Oregon's first Luxury Collection hotel, a high-end brand owned by Starwood that includes The Phoenician in Scottsdale. The hotel's eighth-floor lobby will still be home to the Georgian Room, a dining room which dates back to the 1920s. The lower floors of the building will be a newly renovated Macy's store. The plan is to keep the Macy's open while the upper floors go through a major renovation. The 330-room hotel is expected to open in 2008.

Hawaii Is the Most Expensive Summer Vacation in the U.S.
It's no big surprise that Hawaii is the most expensive place to vacation in the U.S. AAA has released their annual vacation costs survey. They found that a summer vacation will cost 5.4 percent more than last year.

The top five most expensive places for food and lodging for a family of four per day are:
1. Hawaii--$559
2. Washington D.C.--$518
3. Nevada--$348
4. Rhode Island--$329
5. New York--$329

For those on a budget, the bottom five are:
1. North Dakota--$191
2. Nebraska--$191
3. Kansas--$193
4. Iowa--$196
5. Oklahoma--$200

The national average is $261 and the average hotel rate is $141 per night.There are no big surprises in the bottom five but I had no idea that Washington D.C. ranked so high. If I had to guess I would have chosen New York second and placed California and Massachusetts in the top five.

Costanoa

Tent resorts seem to be the latest way to get away from it all. We've seen them in places from the Swiss Alps to Thailand. The San Francisco Chronicle takes a look at Costanoa Lodge and Resort, a resort in Pescadero, California. Costanoa is not a new resort, it opened in 1999 after a 16-year struggle with environmentalists. The resort's woodsy location offers plenty of places to hike, mountain bike or horseback ride. The resort has a wide range of accommodations from pricey lodge rooms that offer traditional hotel luxury to bring-your-own-tent campsites which cost as little as $40. The resort's famed canvas bungalows offer queen-sized beds with heated mattress pads, electric reading lights and Adirondack chairs. The bungalows share "comfort stations" with saunas, indoor and outdoor showers, and courtyards with fireplaces. The resort currently has a General Store that sells the work of local artists, wine, and other products and also does double duty as the resort's restaurant. That will change in May or June when a full-service restaurant will open. The resort is also planning a variety of new programs including family programs, corporate retreats, wine dinners and murder mystery dinners.

Red Rock Station
Can a lavish new casino resort in Nevada lure Vegas lovers away from the Strip? Red Rock Station is located fifteen minutes west of Las Vegas in Red Rock Canyon. The billion-dollar resort has views of the Red Rock Canyon and of the Vegas strip. The resort has opened with 414 rooms available and will eventually have another 436 (for a total of 850) by the end of the year. Despite the large amount of rooms, the hotel is aiming for a boutique hotel feel. Guests won't have to cross the casino to get to their rooms. Room details include 42” high-definition plasma televisions, iPod docking stations, automated private bars and 15” LCD televisions. All rooms have views over Red Rock Mountains or the Las Vegas Strip. There is a three-acre pool with swim-up blackjack tables and the hotel will over a large spa with a lap pool, yoga garden and "adventure activities" like rock climbing and white water rafting. There are nine restaurants and a variety of entertainment options including Cherry, a nightclub designed by Rande Gerber. Rates start at $129 per night and a spa weekend that includes two night in a Strip view room and two spa treatments costs $381.

Most Expensive US Hotel Rooms
Hotel prices are rising so quickly that it's a wonder anyone can keep up with them. The situation isn't helped by the fact that everyone ones to be the one to offer the most expensive, most luxurious suite possible. The average hotel room costs around $90 per night and that number increases every year. Some hotels, of course, are simply not equipped to offer $25,000 per night rooms, but it won't be long before the benchmark set by the Atlantis is surpassed. In fact, rumor has it that New York's Four Seasons Hotel is about to offer a room for $30,000 per night.
Forbes has the newest list of the US's most expensive hotel rooms. Starting at $10,000 per night, these super suites offer a super stay to celebrities and business people every day of the year. The highest priced suites include:
The Penthouse at The Setai in Miami costs $25,000 per night. It includes a personal butler, Andrew Marston, who used to supervise the Buckingham Palace staff. The suite also has four bedrooms, two of which are master suites, and twin living rooms.
Peninsula Suite at The Peninsula in New York costs $15,000 per night. Prefect for entertaining with views of the city, a grand piano and a dining room that can seat 10, the 3,300-sq. foot room can be expanded to 4,500 by adding an adjoining Deluxe suite.

The Villas at The Mansion at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas can cost up to $15,000 per night. They are 4 bedroom suites (smaller are available) that are up to 12,000-sq. feet and housed in the 290,000-sq. foot Tuscan-style Mansion. Suites have a discreet butler entrance, so guests will never have to leave their rooms - and they probably won't want to.

Hyde de Villaine Wine Tasting At The Beverly Hills Hotel
Yesterday I had the chance to attend the Hyde de Villane vertical tasting at the Beverly Hills Hotel. The wines are a collaboration between the Hyde family of Napa and the de Villaine family from Burgundy bringing together California grapes with French practices. They believe that gentle handling of the grapes and minimal intervention leads to a superior product. At the winery they use equipment which uses gravity to minimize mechanical pumping. Overall, the grapes are lovingly babied.
The luxury of a vertical tasting is the sense of sinking into a wine. The same winery, similar grapes but often such different results. It's a bit like having a friend that you have known through the various decades of life from the foolish teens to the mature forties. After the jump, my notes on the wines along with more photographs from the tasting and a few glamour shots of the Beverly Hills Hotel.Chardonnay
The great thing about the HdV Chardonnay wines is that they don't rely on the typically oaky and buttery approach that often characterizes California Chardonnays. They are created using no chemical fertilizers and aged in French oak barrels. The 2004 is still young but has a lovely sunny taste. The 2003 is a bit more citrusy with a light color with taste of green apple. The 2002 has the taste of a summer afternoon, peachy and floral but with a touch of underlying minerality. The 2001 is even earthier with a prolonged spice note and is perhaps the most appealing of the bunch because it is so multi-faceted. The 2000 is more of a classical Chardonnay with its taste of white fruit and its silky mouthfeel.

Proprietary Red:
These reds back up the assertion that Merlot has been getting a bad name lately. The wines use a mix of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes (generally a 90/10 percent ratio). The 2003 and 2004 are both still young wines but have deep black cherry notes. The 2004 Belle Cousine would be a great wine for a summer barbecue because it's light enough to be very versatile. The 2002 has a very velvety feel with muted tannins and and woodsy finish. The 2001, which they are calling an "adolescent" wine has lacks complexity now but has the potential to be amazing. The star of the entire tasting was the 2000. People keep drifting back to this one for just one more taste. It's a wine you want to sit with, a Bordeaux-like showstopper that tastes of dark fruits and spices. It would make a lovely companion to a nice steak.

Syrah:
Some people have a Merlot bias. Me, I've got a Syrah problem. For the most part they seem too fruity for me. The 2004 was a prime example of this, a red fruit salad that bowls you over and then quickly disappears. The 2002, which they call the "Midnight Ruby" had the most explosive nose of the entire tasting. It was just bursting with with fruit and spice. The wine itself didn't quite deliver on the complete rich promise and may need some cellar time. The 2001 was more to my liking, it had a rich taste that was almost port-like in its appeal. They recommend pairing it with lamb but its got a subtle sweetness and complexity that could make it work with a variety of foods from cheese to chocolate.

How A Crown Prince Travels
Hotel Chatter has a great story of the fabulous lives of crown princes. One of their spies was at the Four Seasons Hong Kong at the same time the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia was staying there. Apparently the Crown Prince rented out 179 rooms (nearly half of the hotel), had 100 Mercedes-Benzes waiting for him out front of the hotel at all times and came with thousands of pieces of luggage. The Crown Prince came and went on two private 747s. Michael Jackson needs to make friends with this guy.

Paradisus Palma Real
Tourism in the Dominican Republic is booming lately (most recently Brad Pitt has been rumored to be looking at land there). A new resort, Paradisus Palma Real had its official grand opening this month (its soft opening was in December). The $120 million new resort is Sol Melia's 2nd Paradisus in Punta Cana and their fifth in the Paradisus brand. The five-star all-inclusive resort has 554 suites which have mahogany furniture, Jacuzzis for two, plasma televisions and private terraces. There are seven restaurants including an Asian bistro that has a sushi bar and tepanyaki and Passion, an “adults only” fine dining venue. There are three pools including a 37,600-square-foot beachfront free-form pool that is the largest on the island, two small children's pools, a spa and health club and a casino with poker, black jack and slot machines. Their royal service option in 102 suites and two oceanfront Presidential Suites provides personal butlers, access to royal service lounges, access to a private pool and a private beach area with concierge service. The service also includes a DVD library, personalized pillow menu and a special in-room aromatherapy menu. According to some reviews on TripAdvisor, the hotel is still working out some of their opening difficulties, although many of the reviews did say that this is a beautiful resort. Their Romance package with an ocean view suite costs $509 per night.

Whatever-Whenever at W Hotels
Beginning this week, W Hotels is relaunching its Whatever/Whenever campaign. The hotels will offer five brand new services in addition to the existing "Whatever/Whenever" button on hotel phones that would allow a guest to make a request easily. The new services are:
Text messaging, which the hotels will use to alert guests when their rooms are ready, a package has arrived, etc. Guests can also text reservations and other requests to the hotel, which will pay for all W-related texts on guests' phone bills.
Wake up call options including inspirational messages and calls to cell phones, rather than room phones
A pillow menu, with three different pillow types for optimum comfort
Door-to-door package and luggage delivery, so guests don't have to travel with their bags in airports or anywhere else
Take-along prepared meals, specifically for guests who will be flying, since so many airlines have eliminated meal service. They will also print boarding passes and supply their own small version of an in-flight magazine for entertainment.

Revolutionary Cognac and the Lanesborough
The Lanesborough Hotel in London recently began serving a revolutionary drink. Actually, the cognac it is offering is from the time of the French revolution, bottled in 1790. It is being served in small one and one-half ounce servings that cost £1,700 each. Unlike the $3,000 Bombay Sapphire martini, the drink doesn’t need to come with a pair of custom-made diamond and sapphire earrings to justify its price tag.

The Elysian Opens in Bali
Another luxury getaway has opened in Bali. The Elysian is a member of the design hotel group and is a 26 villa hotel. Each vill has its own pool and an open floorplan. Each villa also has broadband internet connection, 40 channel cable television, DVD/VCD/CD player and a preloaded ipod Nano on request & Bose sound dock. The main pool has a Balinese temple and cabanas draped with traditional cloth. There is a clubhouse that includes the Rush-Bamboo poolside cafe and bar, a gym, a library and a spa. The hotel is located in Seminyak and there is a drop-off service that takes you to the beach which is a few minutes away. The villas are each privately owned and there are resale units available. Rates start at $195 per night.

The Lodge at Rancho Mirage: Where President Bush Spent The Weekend
President George W. Bush spent the weekend at The Lodge in Rancho Mirage near Palm Springs, California. Bush stayed in the presidential suite of course, and was the first president to stay at the hotel since former President Bill Clinton stayed there a decade ago. The hotel, which is located above the Coachella Valley is accessible from only one road. The suite includes a living room with a baby grand piano, formal dining room, master bedroom, and a master bathroom with Jacuzzi bathtub. According to The Desert Sun, Bush held a dinner there Sunday night with a handful of Southern California mayors, including Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. Fun fact, this is the same suite where Trista and Ryan Sutter (of The Bachelorette reality television show) stayed after their televised wedding at The Lodge two years ago.

Elvis Presley's Home For Sale on eBay
Graceland isn't for sale but Elvis Presley's home at 1034 Audubon Drive in Memphis can be yours. Elvis purchased 1034 Audubon Drive with royalties from “Heartbreak Hotel”. The four-bedroom home was the first house Elvis bought and he lived in it for 13 months. Spoon-bending psychic Uri Geller is apparently among the bidders. He wants to turn the hotel into a museum to explore Elvis Presley's interest in UFOs and other bizarre subjects. Bidding was up over $410,000 last time I looked (leaving Geller's last bid of $351,000 in the dust).

InterContinental Hotel Comes to Nashville
The best hotels in Nashville, Tennessee tend to be on the classic side. That's set to change when the InterContinental Nashville is completed. The new luxury hotel will be located on West End Avenue and there will also be an office tower, condos and retail space. The $250 million project will begin in June and the hotel is set to open in late 2008 or early 2009. The entire project will be two towers, one 23 stories tall and another 25 stories tall. The hotel will be at the bottom of the shorter tower with 70 condos above. Both towers will share a ground floor building with shops and restaurants.

Tides' Million Dollar Buyout Promotion
The Tides South Beach has just launched a promotion that amounts to the ultimate hotel stay: for $1.2 million, their Million Dollar Buyout package allows someone to rent out the entire luxury boutique hotel for an amazing three days and two nights. The 45-room hotel will become a virtual playground, complete with luxury suites and expansive views. The package includes an opening ceremony, a $1,000 amenity in each guest room, a dinner for 90 at the Versace Mansion, a golf outing for men and a shopping day for women. All of the hotels regular services will be available, as well as a private butler for each guest room, unlimited room service and 5 limousines on call 24-hours a day. Should boredom be a problem, the hotel also arranges a private pool party with professional salsa dancers and a pajama brunch party. For an additional $450,000, the hotel will also arrange first class flights for all guests into Miami International.

Steve Wynn Plans His Encore
That didn't take long, Steve Wynn is working on a new hotel, Encore at Wynn Las Vegas. The resort will be located adjacent to the Wynn on the north side of the property on the site of the old Desert Inn. Encore will be a full scale hotel that will be integrated with the Wynn. It will include new hotels rooms, meeting space, a casino, restaurants, nightclubs, a spa, retail outlets and swimming pools. Wynn's latest baby is scheduled for completion in December 2008.

Canyon Ranch Expands to Bethseda
Canyon Ranch, the Arizona-based health spa, is planning an expansion in Bethseda, Maryland, just outside of Washington D.C.. The nearly $1 billion complex will not be a spa, but a residential community with a wellness focus. is the second of its kind, as a Miami Beach location is already under construction. The property will have a 157 room hotel, 434 condos, 87 apartments and a restaurant, in addition to a 90,000-sq. foot wellness center. Condos will range in price from $900,000 to upwards of $5 million. The opening is expected to be sometime in 2008, but sales of the residences began this year.

Did A Hotel Strike Keep Tom Away?
Did a hotel strike change Tom Cruise's plans? Breaking Travel News reports that 60 employees at the Ritz Hotel in Paris went on strike Tuesday. Cruise was scheduled to appear there to promote "Mission Impossible 3" on Wednesday. But Reuters reports that the actor ditched the press cued up outside and spent the day exploring Paris with his two older children. Katie Holmes is at home with their newborn, Suri. Cruise has been hard to track this week, first saying he would cut short his tour but then extending it

Top 100 Hotel Restaurants
Using decor and service, as well as food quality and taste, the Zagat guide has compiled a list of the 100 best restaurants found in hotels across the United States. Most of these hotels use their restaurant not as money making ventures, but as a way of enhancing the reputation of the hotel, giving it an added layer of luxury by offering some of the finest dining in their city. Looking at the whole list, twenty of the top restaurants are in California and thirteen are in Massachusetts, followed by Nevada , Texas and Florida, with eleven, eight and six, respectively. The Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas actually has four restaurants on the list. Most of these fine dining experiences come with a high price tags, but the outstanding service, ambiance and, of course, the food, are well worth it. The full list is available here, but these are the top ten:

1.The French Room at The Adolphus Hotel, Dallas, TX
2.Fountain Restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel, Philadelphia, PA
3.Dining Room at the Little Palm Island Resort, Little Torch Key, FL
4.Inn at Little Washington at The Inn at Little Washington, Washington, VA
5.Maestro at the Ritz-Carlton Tysons Corner, McLean, VA
6.Hampton's at the Harbor Court Hotel, Baltimore, MD
7.Aujourd'hui at the Four Seasons Hotel, Boston, MA
8.La Mer at the Halekulani Hotel, Honolulu, HI
9.Dining Room at the Ritz-Carlton Buckhead , Atlanta, GA
10.Picasso at the Bellagio Hotel, Las Vegas, NV

Peninsula Hotels Wellness Programs
One of the top trends for hotels is the whole fitness/wellness angle, the other is the selling of hotel-branded items. The Peninsula Hotels have announced 'Peninsula Wellness' a sweeping lifestyle program that combines both of these trends. The Wellness plan will center on the Peninsula spas which will combine Eastern and Western wellness and relaxation philosophies. The hotels will also offer “Naturally Peninsula” light and healthy cuisine options at all Peninsula dining establishments. The hotels will use organic produce from local farms for the new range of lighter fare and will provide options for people on alternative diets. Peninsula will also publish a “Naturally Peninsula” cookbook and offer a range of organic teas, coffees and chocolates which will be available for purchase in the hotel boutiques. They will also offer “Simply Peninsula” toiletries and other products (including natural beeswax candles) which use essential oils and fragrances such as geranium, ginger lily and nutmeg. There are also CDs of relaxing Chinese and Thai music that will be played at the spas and, of course, are also available for purchase.