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Coming to Washington, DC & SF: An anti-Trump hotel

Rendering of the exterior of the Eaton Workshop hotel in Washington, previously a Four Points on K & 12th. (Image:Gachot Studios/Eaton Workshop)

The year-old Trump International Hotel in Washington D.C. has become the de facto gathering place of choice for right-wing, pro-Trump politicians and lobbyists. So should the Left have its own hotel in the nation’s capital?

Pretty soon, it will.

It’s called Eaton Workshop, a 209-room property located just north of the National Mall at 12th and K streets that’s expected to open sometime next spring.

The hotel will inhabit what was previously a Four Points hotel, as you can see on TripAdvisor.

Bloomberg News is calling it “the world’s first politically motivated hotel.” It’s the brain child of Katherine Lo, whose father runs Hong Kong-based Langham Hospitality Group, the parent of Langham Hotels. And it’s expected to be the first in a chain of similar hotels, with another one opening in Hong Kong later next year, followed by newly-built locations in San Francisco and Seattle.

Eaton Workshop describes itself as “a new global brand merging hospitality with progressive social change.”

Lo told Fast Company that “Pretty much anyone can stay there…but we do believe that [the customer base] is almost self-selecting,” since Eaton is gearing itself toward leftist beliefs.

The hotel will have a liberally stocked library. (Image: Gachot Studios/Eaton Workshop)

The Eaton Workshop will weave progressive and liberal ideas into the guest experience in various ways, e.g.

  • TV screens in the lobby broadcasting vintage footage from the 2012 and 2016 elections.
  • A series of liberal-oriented talks and lectures open to guests and to the public, and streamed as podcasts.
  • Specially created works of art that emphasize progressive themes.
  • Providing “a co-working space” for progressive groups and activists.
  • Creating a wellness program with holistic treatments (yoga and meditation classes, acupuncture, etc.) aimed at the guest’s “inner health” rather than the traditional workout room and spa services.
  • Hosting art, film and music events with a focus on social change.

Eaton Workshop’s website describes its new lodging concept as “a hybrid model of a hotel, co-working members club, and wellness center, with extensive content and cultural programming supporting the intersection of arts, consciousness and impact. As a gathering place for an inclusive tribe of change-makers and creatives, Eaton Workshop invites activists, artists and entrepreneurs from around the world to instigate meaningful and positive initiatives on both a local and macro scale, as well as to hang out, indulge and follow their bliss.”

The hotel’s small and simple front desk. (Image: Gachot Studios/Eaton Workshop)

Unlike the red-meat specialties (or breakfast popovers) at the Trump Hotel’s steakhouse, the Eaton Workshop’s restaurant menu is expected to show an emphasis on vegetables grown in the property’s own garden, and guest rooms will have information on how to contact members of Congress. You get the picture.

The hotel will also have one non-political amenity that almost all new urban hotels have these days: a rooftop bar.

No word yet on rates.

Would you stay at the Eaton hotel in Washington or elsewhere? Please leave your comments below. And even though we don’t normally take political comments on TravelSkills, they are likely unavoidable in a post like this!

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TWA Hotel takes shape at JFK & in Manhattan (slideshow)

Reception desk at the TWA Hotel pre-opening sales office at the World Trade Center. (Image: Emily Gilbert)

The foundations have been laid and construction is proceeding on the new TWA Hotel at New York JFK Airport, a 505-room property that incorporates the original 1962 TWA Terminal as its centerpiece.

A pair of guest room structures will soon rise on either side of the old terminal, which is being preserved and restored, and will also be linked to JetBlue’s Terminal 5 at the airport. The hotel construction and terminal restoration is a project of MCR Development.

Designed by renowned architect Eero Saarinen, the terminal – also known as the TWA Flight Center — is distinguished by its sweeping curves, a striking example of the Midcentury Modern style. The TWA Hotel – the only on-site hotel at JFK – will also offer 40,000 square feet of meeting and event space, eight food and beverage outlets, and a 10,000 square foot observation deck where plane spotters can watch aircraft take off and land.

The hotel this week cut the ribbon on a pre-opening sales office on the 86th floor of the World Trade Center in lower Manhattan. The office has many design elements taken from the TWA Flight Center, along with TWA memorabilia. A press release states: “With views from Manhattan to JFK Airport 12 miles to the east, the TWA lounge at 1WTC on the 86th floor, designed by Lubrano Ciavarra Architects, is informed by key design features of Eero Saarinen’s iconic TWA Flight Center.”

Wanna see the lounge at WTC in Manhattan? While it’s not really open to the public, here’s what a spokesperson told TravelSkills: We are thrilled to welcome partners, friends, and fans of the TWA brand at the TWA lounge.  We will be hosting special opportunities to visit the space so stay tuned. For now, appointments can be made by emailing 1WTC@TWAHotel.com.

The hotel already has a website at www.twahotel.com.

Here’s a look at both projects:

Carpeting inside the TWA Flight Center at JFK is still “TWA Red.” ((Image: Max Touhey)

 

The sweeping curves of the TWA Terminal’s exterior. (Image: Max Touhey)

 

The spacious interior of the TWA Flight Center. (Image: Max Touhey)

 

The foundation for the TWA Hotel is complete. (Image: MCR)

 

View of the construction zone from the JetBlue Terminal next door. (Image: Max Touhey)

 

Reception desk at the TWA Hotel pre-opening sales office at the World Trade Center. (Image: Emily Gilbert)

 

The TWA Lounge at the World Trade Center reflects the design from the TWA Flight Center. (Image: Jesse David Harris)

 

Vintage uniforms are on display at the TWA Lounge. (Image: Emily Gilbert)

Readers: Did you ever use the TWA Terminal at JFK? Are you glad it’s being preserved? Do you miss TWA?

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Airbnb tests a new luxury category

This Airbnb guest house in Santa Monica lists for $160 a night. (Image: Airbnb)

Do you hesitate to book an Airbnb stay because you’re not sure that it will provide all the comforts and amenities that you know you’ll get at a hotel? Airbnb is working on a way to change your mind.

According to a Bloomberg News report, Airbnb is planning a pilot program that would create a new category of luxury properties. The new category could give the home-sharing netowrk a way to attract affluent consumers and business travelers who haven’t yet tried Airbnb.

The company would use a team of property inspectors armed with a checklist of all the special touches that an upscale customer might reasonably expect. Properties that pass the inspection would be eligible for inclusion in the new luxury category, with priority placement on its website and its app.

 The company is using the name Airbnb Select for the test program, although a permanent identity hasn’t yet been firmed up.

Airbnb will pick potential Select properties based on the quality reviews they have received from customers. Hosts will have the option of whether or not to subject themselves to the inspection.

If they agree and are approved for inclusion in the luxury category after a property inspection, hosts would be eligible for special benefits from their Airbnb membership, like having a professional photographer take pictures of the property for the Airbnb website, and having access to a consultation with an interior decorator provided by Airbnb.

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Airport news: AA’s new JFK lounge + Chicago, Philadelphia, Minneapolis, Charlotte

Part of American’s renovated and expanded Flagship Lounge at New York JFK. (Image: American)

American Airlines has cut the ribbon on its first new Flagship Lounge at New York JFK; faster TSA lanes have opened at JFK’s Terminals 2 and 4; Chicago Midway gets a bunch of new food and beverage outlets and stores; Philadelphia International moves ahead with a big improvements project; more details on the new hotel coming to Minneapolis-St. Paul; and Charlotte unveils a long-term development program including an on-site hotel.

American has opened the first of several new premium airport lounges at its New York JFK Terminal 8. The newly renovated and enlarged Flagship Lounge is now available not just to first class flyers but also to business class passengers on international and transcontinental flights. (But first class travelers do have exclusive access to the new sit-down dining experience at the lounge’s new Flagship First Dining facility.) The Flagship Lounge offers quiet rooms, individual work pods, showers, a hot and cold food buffet, and made-to-order dining entrees. There’s also a “make your own cocktail” station. Later this year, American will open renovated Flagship Lounges at Los Angeles, Chicago O’Hare and Miami; and in 2018 at Dallas/Ft. Worth, Philadelphia and London Heathrow.

Elsewhere at JFK, Delta’s Terminals 2 and 4 are now equipped with those new “smart lanes” at TSA security checkpoints. Offering automated conveyor belts, larger bins, and the ability for more travelers to load up bins for the x-rays simultaneously, the new lanes are estimated to speed up the lines by 30 percent.

New restaurants have opened at Philadelphia’s Terminal B. (Image: American)

Three new restaurants have opened in Terminal B at Philadelphia International, with more improvements on the way. They include an Italian restaurant, a French pastry café and a German beer garden, and all feature iPads for ordering – a trend that is spreading quickly at major airport food outlets. (Passengers seem to love or hate iPads in equal measure.) They are among a total of eight new restaurants coming to the facility, all iPad-equipped, as part of a $33 million terminal redesign. That’s just a piece of a larger $900 million airport improvement project at PHL that will include substantial enhancements to basic infrastructure like elevators and escalators, along with plans by American to build a new front entrance to replace the Terminal B and C ticketing areas.

Chicago’s Midway Airport is bringing on 21 new food and beverage outlets and retail stores, the airport announced this month – all part of an ongoing $75 million improvements program. The project will increase the number of full-service sit-down restaurants at MDW from one to three, and will add other dining options ranging from a sushi outlet to a burriteria to a Dunkin Donuts. New retail stores at the airport include Tech on the Go and Sweet Indulgences. Other outlets will feature well-known Chicago brands like the Home Run Inn and Go Go White Sox.

Rendering of the InterContinental Hotel under construction at Minneapolis-St. Paul. (Image: InterContinental)

An airport hotel with its own TSA security checkpoint? That’s one of the innovations coming for the hotel under construction at Minneapolis-St. Paul International, due to open in the summer of 2018. InterContinental Hotels Group said this month that its new InterContinental Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport will be linked to Concourse C of the airport’s Lindbergh Terminal via a climate-controlled skybridge. The 12-story, 291-room hotel will also offer two restaurants, an upper-floor “observation bar,” an InterContinental Club Lounge, business and fitness centers, and a spa. Companies will be able to schedule same-day, fly-in, fly-out meetings, since the hotel will have 20,000 square feet of meeting space, including a 10,800-square foot ballroom.

New on-site airport hotels are also coming at San Francisco, Atlanta and New York JFK, and now one has been announced for Charlotte Douglas International in North Carolina. Airport officials said this week they plan to build a full-service hotel on the site of the airport’s existing control tower, which the FAA will replace with a new structure in 2020. The tower is just north of CLT’s new hourly parking deck adjacent to the terminal. In a presentation to the Charlotte city council, airport officials said their new long-term development plan also calls for construction of an automated people-mover that would run from the hourly parking deck through the hotel to Wilkinson Boulevard, where to would link up with a new light rail line planned by the Charlotte Area Transit System.

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New hotels: Stunning London luxury, Hip option in LA, Design-forward in NYC + 3 more!

A studio suite at The Ned in London’s Financial District. (Image: The Ned)

In news of hotel openings, a hot new business hotel comes to London’s financial district; InterContinental Hotels Group brings an Indigo to downtown L.A.; a British boutique property debuts in midtown Manhattan; a Baltimore pier is remade into luxury lodging; Atlanta welcomes another airport hotel; and Dallas gets a dual-branded Marriott property near Love Field.

The talk of the lodging scene in London is a new hotel called The Ned, located in the heart of The City (i.e., the financial district) in the stately 1920s-era Midland Bank building. (The building was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, known as Ned to his friends. Hence the name.)  The building’s original design features have been preserved, with a 252-room hotel incorporated into them. A project of renowned hoteliers Andrew Zobler and Nick Jones, The Ned is slated to open April 27. No cookie-cutter rooms here: Rooms come in 13 categories, and the property boasts seven restaurants (including a 24-hour brasserie and a Jewish deli), six meeting rooms, a spa, men’s and women’s salons, and even a barber shop. The building’s former bank vault now contains a bar, and there’s also a rooftop grill. Pre-paid, non-refundable nightly rates for a small “crash pad” room start at $320, although the hotel offers a special discount rate of $230 for persons under 30.

Lobby of the new Hotel Indigo in downtown Los Angeles. (Image: InterContinental Hotels Group)

The mixed-use Metropolis development in downtown Los Angeles includes a newly opened, 350-room Hotel Indigo from InterContinental Hotels Group. The newly built, 18-story Hotel Indigo Los Angeles Downtown, at 899 Francisco Street, is within walking distance of the L.A. Live entertainment district, Los Angeles Convention Center and the Staples Center. It has a lobby-level restaurant/bar called Metropole; a top-floor cocktail lounge; a large outdoor pool terrace and bar on the fourth floor; 24-hour fitness facility; and 11 meeting rooms. Rates start at $263.

A terrace suite at Manhattan’s new Whitby Hotel. (Image: The Whitby)

Newly opened in Midtown Manhattan is The Whitby Hotel, an 86-room boutique property with a strong British influence from designer Kit Kemp, who created several similar properties in London along with the Crosby Street Hotel in New York’s SoHo neighborhood. The Whitby, at 18 West 56th Street, is close to the Museum of Modern Art and a few blocks from Central Park. Guest rooms have floor-to-ceiling windows and free Wi-Fi, and some come with private terraces. The hotel has a restaurant/bar open for three meals a day, and an adjacent orangerie with high ceilings and a skylight. The hotel serves a traditional British afternoon tea.  Rates start at $695.

Room with a waterfront view at Baltimore’s new Sagamaore Pendry. (Image: Pendry Hotels)

Baltimore’s century-old Recreation Pier building along the Fell’s Point waterfront, at 1715 Thames Street, has been totally renovated into a luxury boutique hotel called the Sagamore Pendry Baltimore. Along with 128 over-water guest rooms and suites, the new Pendry has a signature restaurant called the Chop House; the Cannon Room bar; a seasonal waterfront pool with a bar and grill; 10,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting space; a water taxi service; 24-hour fitness center; and a spa. Advance purchase rates start at $375.

Lobby at the Renaissance Atlanta Airport Gateway Hotel, (Image: Renaissance Hotels)

In Atlanta, an early May opening is slated for the new Renaissance Atlanta Airport Gateway Hotel, accessible from ATL on the airport’s free SkyTrain. Part of the Gateway project (which already has a SpringHill Suites and a Marriott) near the Georgia International Convention Center, it’s on the west side of the airport, about three miles from the existing Renaissance Concourse Atlanta Airport Hotel on the north side.  The 204-room Renaissance Gateway has a restaurant called Hickory & Hazel Southern Table & Bar and a fitness center. Rates start at $136.

Bar the the new Aloft Hotel near Dallas Love Field. (Image: Marriott)

Just a mile from Dallas Love Field, at 2333 W. Mockingbird Lane, is a new dual-branded property from Marriott that includes a 133-room Aloft hotel and a 91-room Element property. The two share a common entry and meeting space, along with a fitness center and outdoor pool. They’re part of the new retail/residential development called West Love. The Element Dallas Love Field’s  guest units come with full kitchens and spa-style bathrooms, free breakfasts, and bicycles to ride on local trails. The Aloft Dallas Love Field offers a grab-and-go food market and drinks kiosk, and the property has musical entertainment at its W XYZ Bar. Rates start at $179 at the Aloft and $164 at the Element.

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New facets for HHonors Diamond lifetime status

HHonors Diamond members can get free premium Wi-Fi at hotels like the New York Hilton Midtown. (Image: Hilton)

HHonors Diamond members can get free premium Wi-Fi at hotels like the New York Hilton Midtown. (Image: Hilton)

Hilton’s loyalty program is making it a little easier to earn its highest elite status permanently.

Effective next month, a company spokesperson tells TravelSkills, Hilton’s HHonors program is making a couple of adjustments to the requirements for lifetime Diamond designations.

The current rules state that members who want lifetime Diamond status must have maintained Diamond status for a minimum of 10 years — not necessarily consecutive ones – and stayed at least 1,000 total paid nights in Hilton properties.

HiltonHHonorsLogoUnder the new terms, those 1,000 nights needed to qualify can be either paid nights or award nights.

As an alternative to the 1,000 nights, 10-year Diamond members can now gain lifetime status by accumulating 2 million base points in the HHonors program.

“Only base points are eligible” for the latter requirement, the spokesperson said. “Bonus points earned via promotions, co-branded credit cards, or other means do not count towards status.”

The company will notify members by email in February 2017 if they have qualified for a lifetime Diamond status by December 31 of this year. “If you want a sneak peek to find out if you will qualify, you can contact the Diamond Desk and the team will be happy to help,” the spokesperson said.

Here’s a summary of the current requirements to achieve Diamond status annually, and a list of the benefits associated with that level.

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How to inspect your hotel room

Best Western Premier hotel Miami

A nice, new, clean and quiet room at the Best Western Premier hotel near Miami International Airport (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

On a recent overseas trip, in a fit of bleary-eyed jet-lag, I made the mistake of checking into a hotel without going through the standard list of questions I normally ask at the front desk to ensure I get a good room. (You can find that list here…it’s one of our most popular posts- ever!)

When I got to my assigned room, it was hot, smelled like disinfectant and had a view of a large exhaust fan. The air conditioning hummed and vibrated so loudly that I thought an A380 was landing on the roof. Despite wanting to just crawl into bed and crash after the 10-hour overnight flight (in premium economy), I returned to the front desk and told the clerk that the room was not acceptable. A few keystrokes and a smile later, she apologized, and handed me the key to another room in a recently renovated wing on the opposite end of the hotel.

What a change! The hallway to my room was bright and new. The bathroom was spotless, the room décor modern and clean, the air conditioner was already on, and I had a nice view of airport runways without a peep of airplane noise.

I learned then that it’s always a good idea to give your room a quick inspection as soon as you enter — to avoid having to ask for another room once you’ve unpacked and settled in.

It also reminded me of one of my frequent traveling parents’ maxims: Never take the first hotel room offered to you, especially if you plan to stay more than one night.

Aloha from Hawaii where we are burning off some SPG points at the St Regis Princeville on Kauai (Photo: Barkley Dean)

Stunning view from our room at the St Regis Princeville in Hawaii- but they don’t all look like this!  (Photo: Barkley Dean)

When I walk into a hotel room now, I always check the view, the air conditioning/heating and the bed. I pull back the bedspread to look for hair on the sheets or pillows (especially after some scary recent revelations), and I inspect around the mattress or box spring edges for any evidence of bedbugs (they look like flat appleseeds).

If I’m planning to work in the room, I’ll turn on my laptop and check the strength of the wi-fi signal before I unpack my bags.

I also check that there are disposable plastic cups for water because I’m never sure about the cleanliness of glasses.

I’m not the only one with a checklist. A good friend of mine who is also a hotel GM told me that as soon as she walks in a room, she flushes the toilet to make sure it is operational and checks grout lines in the tub and shower for a solid clean seal- a key indicator of the age and overall condition of the room.

Always check the space between the bedside table and bed for cleanliness (Photo: Chris McGinnis) Picturee- Hotel Nines in Portland, OR

Always check the space between the bedside table and bed for cleanliness (Photo: Chris McGinnis) Picturee- Hotel Nines in Portland, OR

She also said that she checks the the floor space between the nightstand and the bed, which indicates how thorough the room cleaning and inspection process has been. She also checks for air conditioning fan noise and looks out the window to see if there is anything that might disrupt sleep.

Which reminds me of another thing I frequently forget to ask when I make a reservation or check in: Does this room have a motion-sensitive thermostat that turns off in the middle of the night when I’m asleep? Is there a way to bypass that? I’ve read about several solutions to this on other blogs, but have so far been unable to bypass a hotel thermostat. Have you?

What are the first things you check when you walk into a hotel room? Please leave your comments below.

A similar version of this post was written by TravelSkills editor Chris McGinnis for BBC.com 

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Marriott’s new beta-test hotel in Charlotte

The Great Room at the M-Beta at Charlotte Marriott City Center. (Image: Marriott)

The Great Room at the M-Beta at Charlotte Marriott City Center. (Image: Marriott)

Marriott’s 32-year-old Charlotte Marriott City Center in North Carolina has gone through some changes in recent months, and has now been repurposed as the lodging giant’s testing lab for new hotel concepts. It’s now called M-Beta at Charlotte Marriott City Center.

All big hotel companies have venues where they try out new room designs, guest technology and so on, but they are usually not for the public until the new concepts are actually approved and deployed. At this Charlotte hotel, Marriott guests are trying out the new ideas in real time.

Throughout the hotel, guests will see “Beta Buttons” that they can punch to register their approval of a particular innovation. “Beta Button engagement, votes and feedback on hotel innovations are then aggregated and brought to life in real-time via Beta Boards, digital screens placed throughout the hotel for all to see,” Marriott said.

Marriott chief Arne Sorenson (center) was present for the opening. (Image: Marriott)

Marriott chief Arne Sorenson (center) was present for the opening. (Image: Marriott)

The new concepts and services will change from time to time, but here’s what the property is testing right now:

*The elimination of the front desk, replaced by personal greeters who meet arriving guests in the lobby or even at curbside.

*A selection of hundreds of on-demand workouts that guests can access on video screens in the hotel’s fitness studio or in their rooms, plus access to nearby fitness centers.

*A meeting space that includes a full kitchen, “providing an elevated food and beverage experience that can be tailored to any type of gathering, from a brainstorm to a networking event.”

*An interactive experience in the hotel’s Stoke restaurant that lets guests communicate directly with chefs by removal of the wall between the kitchen and dining area. Guests can watch and learn, make suggestions, or take cooking classes.

*A new “social hub” that lets guests mingle, try out coffee and food offerings from local small businesses, and enjoy a varied program of musical, entertainment and educational events.

“Every corner of the hotel allows for rapid prototyping, inviting guests to test and give feedback in real-time, ultimately shaping their future hotel experience,” Marriott said.

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Stunning changes at iconic NYC hotel

A Chinese firm that bought the Waldorf-Astoria is reportedly planning to convert much of the hotel to condos. (Image: Waldorf-Astoria)

A Chinese firm that bought the Waldorf-Astoria is reportedly planning to convert much of the hotel to condos. (Image: Waldorf-Astoria)

In 2005, New York’s legendary Plaza Hotel closed down for a three-year renovation that left it with just 130 hotel rooms, and the rest of its space converted into condo hotel units and luxury condo apartments. And now the same thing might be happening to another iconic Manhattan property, the Waldorf-Astoria.

According to the Wall Street Journal (paywall), the new Chinese owner of the once-tony-now-shabby midtown hotel – Anbang Insurance, which lost out to Marriott in an unsuccessful takeover effort for Starwood Hotels – plans to shut the property down next spring and convert most of its space into apartments.

In recent years, the grand dame has fallen from grace with many business travelers– on TripAdvisor it now ranks #281 out of #475 New York City hotels. Nonetheless, a cursory check of rates for summer and fall find it still fetching close to $500 per night. 

Citing “people familiar with the matter,” the newspaper reported that Anbang will repurpose up to 1,100 of the Waldorf’s 1,413 rooms into luxury condominiums to be sold to private owners. That would leave the property with 300 to 500 hotel rooms that would be upgraded to luxury standards. Hilton would continue to manage the hotel portion after the conversion, the article said.

Room decor at the Waldorf is nice, but dated (Photo: Waldorf-Astoria)

Room decor at the Waldorf is nice, but dated (Photo: Waldorf-Astoria)

There was no estimate as to how long the renovation project – expected to cost more than $1 billion — would keep the hotel, which spans a full city block in Manhattan, closed.

The Waldorf had long been used as a New York base for visiting U.S. presidents and for the country’s United Nations delegation, but the U.S. government had problems with continued use of the property after Anbang bought it, citing security concerns.

Have you ever stayed at the Waldorf? For me, the hotel conjures up memories of my very first trip to NYC with my parents at the tender age of 13. Even when I’m not staying there, I still like to duck into its popular, dark and clubby Sir Harry’s lobby bar for a manhattan and nibblies!

What do you think of when you hear about The Waldorf-Astoria? 

–Chris McGinnis

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New hotels: Chicago, New York, Baltimore, Washington D.C.

The new LondonHouse in Chicago is at N. Michigan Ave. and Wacker. (Image: LondonHouse)

The new LondonHouse in Chicago is at N. Michigan Ave. and Wacker. (Image: LondonHouse)

In news of hotel openings, a new Chicago property has a prime downtown location and an affiliation with Hilton; a big Spanish lodging group makes its U.S. debut in New York City; Radisson comes to Baltimore’s Inner Harbor; and there’s a new Homewood Suites at Washington D.C.’s convention center.

Right at the corner of North Michigan Avenue and Wacker Drive – overlooking the Chicago River – is the newly opened LondonHouse Chicago, a 452-room “luxury lifestyle” property that incorporates the 93-year-old London Guarantee Building. The new independent hotel is a member of Hilton’s Curio Collection, and Hilton HHonors is offering members a 5,000-poont bonus when they stay at the hotel for three days or more. The hotel has a 24-hour fitness center, lobby bar, free Wi-Fi, a full-service spa, and a tri-level rooftop dining venue and cocktail lounge called LH. Guest rooms have 55-inch TVs with media streaming technology from Google Chromecast; they also feature mini-fridges, linen bedding and marble bathrooms. Rates start at $207.

Iberostar's first U.S. location is at 70 Park Ave. in New York. (Image: Iberostar)

Iberostar’s first U.S. location is at 70 Park Ave. in New York. (Image: Iberostar)

Spain’s Iberostar Hotels & Resorts has set a June 15 opening for a 205-room, four-star boutique Iberostar hotel in New York City, its first venture in the U.S. Located at 70 Park Avenue (at 38th Street), it’s a short walk from Grand Central Station. The property was formerly a Kimpton hotel called 70 Park Avenue. We tried to check rates for the new property, but at this writing it wasn’t yet available in Iberostar’s reservations system. Iberostar said it also plans to open a hotel in Miami’s South Beach district at the end of this year.

A room at the Radisson Baltimore Downtown-Inner Harbor. (Image: Radisson)

A room at the Radisson Baltimore Downtown-Inner Harbor. (Image: Radisson)

Radisson has cut the ribbon on the 323-room Radisson Hotel Baltimore Downtown-Inner Harbor, at 101 West Fayette Street, half a mile from the Inner Harbor. It offers downtown Baltimore’s only outdoor rooftop pool, free Wi-Fi, a business center and 24-hour fitness center. Accommodations include Carlson Business Class rooms that come with upgraded amenities and free breakfast. Food and drink is available at the hotel’s Balto Tavern & Tap, which also offers a grab-and-go menu. Rates range from $95 to $249.

Hilton;'s new Homewood Suites in Washington D.C. is near the convention center. (Image: Hilton)

Hilton;’s new Homewood Suites in Washington D.C. is near the convention center. (Image: Hilton)

Hilton has opened a 160-unit, all-suite Homewood Suites property near the Washington D.C. Convention Center, at 465 New York Avenue NW. It has studio and one-bedroom guest accommodations that have separate living and sleeping areas as well as fully equipped kitchens. Guests get free hot breakfasts and free Wi-Fi along with use of the hotel’s fitness center. The property hosts an “evening social:” for guests on weeknights. Advance purchase rates start as low as $140.

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: United’s newest, longest flight + Tipping Uber drivers + Qantas 747 Trip Report + Confusion over PreCheck policies + No-fee earlier flights

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Airports: Delta Sky Club re-do, Hotel at MSP, United Club CLE, JFK nap pods

Minneapolis-St. Paul's new airport hotel will be an InterContinental. (Image: Graves Hospitality)

Minneapolis-St. Paul’s new airport hotel will be an InterContinental. (Image: Graves Hospitality)

In airport news, Minneapolis-St. Paul is the latest facility to announce plans for a new on-site hotel; Delta reopens a SkyClub at Dallas/Ft. Worth; United downsizes at Cleveland; JetBlue has a new amenity for passengers at New York JFK; and O’Hare welcomes new food and beverage concessions.

Denver International Airport officials cut the ribbon on a new on-site Westin hotel last fall; on-site airport hotels are coming soon to San Francisco International and Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson; and now Minneapolis-St. Paul will get one as well, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Minneapolis developer Graves Hospitality will begin work this summer on a 300-room, 12-story hotel at the airport’s entrance, with completion expected by early 2018. It will be operated by InterContinental Hotels, the same firm that will manage Atlanta’s new airport hotel.

A section of the newly reopened Delta Sky Club at DFW. (Image: Delta)

A section of the newly reopened Delta Sky Club at DFW. (Image: Delta)

Last year, Delta had to move its Sky Club at Dallas/Ft. Worth International to a temporary location in order to accommodate renovation work, but now it has reopened the club at its previous site between Gates E10 and E11. Delta said the refreshed DFW Club can accommodate 114 persons in its 7,800 square feet. The Sky Club offers free food and beverages, Wi-Fi and power outlets for passengers, and serves up a local beer, Deep Ellum Brewing IPA. The airline opened a renovated Sky Club at Nashville last month, and plans to cut the ribbon on new Sky Clubs later this year at the Atlanta, Seattle and Denver airports.

Speaking of airport lounges, United Airlines has reportedly pledged to keep its United Club in Cleveland Hopkins Airport’s Concourse C open through 2029 even though the airline’s operations have downsized considerably there. The Cleveland Plain Dealer said that a new lease agreement between United and the airport will give the airline just 14 gates, C-16 through C-29, at the far end of the C Concourse through 2029. United gave up several closer-in C gates. Several years ago, United/Continental had up to 41 gates at CLE; it decided two years ago to end the airport’s hub status. Airport officials said American Airlines is expected to take on five of the vacant Concourse C gates.

Update to post earlier this week about LAX: A spokesperson told TravelSkills that the new United Club with outdoor deck at LAX is slated to open in September 2016.

JetBlue's JFK terminal now has privacy pods for cat-napping. (Image: MetroNaps)

JetBlue’s JFK terminal now has privacy pods for cat-napping. (Image: MetroNaps)

The newest amenity at JetBlue’s New York JFK Terminal 5 is a set of four new “JetNap EnergyPods” where passengers can catch a few winks. (A few is right – they’re available free on a first-come, first served basis, but only for 20-minute naps, the airline said.) Users can plug their own headphones into the pods, which feature privacy visors and built-in speakers that reduce background noise. Personal items can be stowed in internal storage bins, and users are awakened with lights, music and vibrations. The pods were developed by Long Island-based MetroNaps.

Newly opened food concessions at Chicago O’Hare include a restaurant called Summer House Santa Monica in Terminal 2 and Green Market in Terminal 3. Summer House, located past security across from the Coach and MAC stores, serves up California-influenced American cuisine and some grab-and-go items. It’s operated by Chicago’s Lettuce Entertain You restaurant group, which has a Summer house in the city’s Lincoln Park neighborhood. Terminal 3’s Green Market, near Gate L3, offers selections from local Chicago providers like Red Hen Bread, Molino Baking, Chicago Classic Confections, Vosges Chocolates and Breadcrumb, as well as local brewers Berghoff and Goose Island.

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: United’s newest, longest flight + Tipping Uber drivers + Qantas 747 Trip Report + Confusion over PreCheck policies + No-fee earlier flights

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Munich Airport: Big new terminal, new US route, new hotel

Lufthansa will be able to expand its Munich hub with the opening of the Terminal 2 Satellite. (Image: Lufthansa)

Lufthansa will be able to expand its Munich hub with the opening of the Terminal 2 Satellite. (Image: Lufthansa)

There’s a lot going on at Munich Airport these days. Later this month, officials will cut the ribbon on a big new terminal as Lufthansa expands its second hub. Not long after the opening, the airline plans to add a new U.S. route from Munich. Meanwhile, Marriott has cut the ribbon on a new hotel at MUC, and a European carrier is adding a base of operations there.

April 26 is the scheduled opening date for Munich Airport’s new Terminal 2 Satellite, a standalone facility that will give Lufthansa another 52 gates. Fifty meters wide and longer than three football fields, the T2 Satellite provide travelers with 20 more security checkpoints and 42 new passport stations. Other features of the big new facility include a 7,000 square meter central marketplace, two bars with great views of the airfield, and five new lounges.

Munich's new T2 Satellite's marketplace includes a vegetable stand. (Image: Koch + Partner Architects)

Munich’s new T2 Satellite’s marketplace includes a vegetable stand. (Image: Koch + Partner Architects)

Lufthansa started building up a hub at Munich after its original Terminal 2 opened there in 2003, but that facility was designed to handle up to 25 million passengers a year – a limit that the airline said has been exceeded over the past few years. The new satellite will expand Lufthansa’s capacity at Munich by another 11 million annual passengers. It will be linked to Terminal 2 by an automated underground people-mover system that can handle up to 9,000 passengers an hour in each direction. “In order to comply with EU security regulations, the passenger transportation system is conceived so that three different passenger groups can be transported separately according to the country of origin of their flight,” Lufthansa said.

As part of its ongoing expansion at Munich, Lufthansa plans to add a new U.S. route. On May 11, the airline will begin operating five flights a week to Denver International, an airport that it already serves from its Frankfurt hub. Airport officials at DEN said the new Lufthansa service will increase capacity from Denver to Europe by 20 percent.

Related: Berlin’s glitch-plagued Brandenburg Airport won’t open until late 2017

Marriott's new MOxy Hotel at the airport has bold colors and designs. (Image: Marriott)

Marriott’s new Moxy Hotel at the airport has bold colors and innovative designs. (Image: Marriott)

Meanwhile, Marriott has cut the ribbon on a new hotel at Munich Airport – a 252-room property that belongs to the lodging giant’s new Moxy brand. What does the Moxy brand represent? According to Marriott’s brand-speak, the Moxy brand “boldly reinvents the select-service hotel paradigm offering a spirited experience– to fully embrace today’s Next Generation traveler and to show the world what ‘moxie’ really means – fun, spirited and stylish.” Its “bold design and affordable style” include a “living room” that’s a guest hub, with fast free Wi-Fi and lots of USB and power ports. There’s also a library, a fitness center, 24/7 self-service food and beverage. It’s five minutes by shuttle bus from the terminals.

Finally, the European carrier Transavia – a low-cost subsidiary of Air France-KLM – this spring is developing a new base of operations at Munich, putting four 737s there. Transavia’s only existing route from Munich is to Paris Orly, but it plans to add MUC service to 16 more destinations in Italy, Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Portugal, Spain and Morocco.

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about:  Should I tip my Uber driver? + Boeing 747 nearing its end? + Bargain hunters travel guide for 2016 + World’s best airline lounge? + Fares to Europe tumble 

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Airports: LAX consolidation, Oakland kiosks, ATL hotel, DFW improvements & more

Part of the signage for Star Alliance's new Aisle C in the Bradley Terminal at LAX. (Image: Star Alliance)

Part of the signage for Star Alliance’s new Aisle C in the Bradley Terminal at LAX. (Image: Star Alliance)

In airport news this week, Los Angeles brings the Star Alliance together; Oakland adds passport kiosks, Dallas/Ft. Worth makes improvements to Terminal B, Atlanta revises plans for its on-site airport hotel, and Charlotte begins construction of a new concourse.

The Star Alliance reports that it has finished moving its overseas carrier members into the same section of Los Angeles International’s Tom Bradley Terminal, where it also now offers more check-in options. The new Star Alliance area is Aisle C at the north end of the terminal, which is now home to the check-in counters for Air China, Air New Zealand, ANA, Asiana, EVA, Ethiopian, Lufthansa, Singapore, SWISS and Turkish Airlines. When Scandinavian Airlines begins LAX service this month, it will also be located there. The group has installed 24 kiosks that can print boarding passes and luggage tags for all the member airlines, and bag-drop counters are available for those who tag their own luggage. The airport plans to open a new North Security Checkpoint later this month at the end of Aisle C. Star Alliance members not in the Bradley Terminal include United (Terminals 7 and 8), COPA (Terminal 6) and Air Canada and Avianca (Terminal 2).

Oakland International is the latest airport to install new self-service Automated Passport Control kiosks for returning overseas travelers. No pre-registration or fee is required to use the eight kiosks, where travelers can input the requested entry data and then receive a receipt to present to a Customs and Border Protection agent as they exit. “Use of the self-service kiosks will expedite the border clearance process, resulting in shorter waits for travelers, fewer missed connections, and cost and space savings for OAK,” an airport official said.

Officials at Dallas/Ft. Worth International say the airport has finished work on a major overhaul of part of its B Terminal, covering the section from Gates B4 through B11 as well as baggage claim areas and a security checkpoint. The project also provided two new passenger entries with elevator access, including a covered walkway from the parking garage to the terminal. New passenger concessions in the renovated Terminal B section include an Ice Box Café, Hudson News, Dunkin’ Donuts, InMotion, Texas Marketplace and Red Mango. A pre-security Sierra News store has been added near the B4/B5 baggage claim area, and new charging tables have been installed in the affected gate areas. The next phase of the work will cover the area around Gates B18-B23.

New rendering of the hotel coming to Atlanta's airport. (Image: Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson)

New rendering of the hotel coming to Atlanta’s airport. (Image: Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson)

Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International has released new drawings of the on-site hotel to be built at the airport, and the property looks quite different from the original renderings that came out a few months ago. The new hotel is still expected to be designed by the firm of renowned Atlanta architect John Portman, but its new look is more “modern” and “geometric,” according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. InterContinental Hotels is expected to operate the property, which is now being projected at 440 rooms instead of 300. It’s part of a larger “Airport City” project that will include commercial space, retail outlets and a travel plaza.

Construction started this week on a new concourse at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, to be located on the site of former rental car buildings north of the existing Concourse A. The new $200- million, nine-gate concourse – which will serve airlines other than American – will be linked to Concourse A by moving walkways. It’s due to open in 2018, officials said, noting that more space is urgently needed since the airport’s passenger numbers in creased by 60 percent over the past decade.

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about:  Should I tip my Uber driver? + Boeing 747 nearing its end? + Bargain hunters travel guide for 2016 + World’s best airline lounge? + Fares to Europe tumble 

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5 newest hotels in New York City: The Knickerbocker

Knickerbocker hotel

Earlier this month I was in New York City to speak at the New York Times Travel Show. I extended my stay to spend a full day checking out five of the newest business class hotels in town, packing along my camera and notepad. It was an exhausting day, but I loved every minute of it. 

There are many more than five new hotels in this burgeoning market, so I chose only among those that opened in 2015… and those that I thought would appeal most to TravelSkills readers.

Here’s a look at the fifth of the big five…Enjoy!

Here’s the fifth:

The Knickerbocker (Overlooking Times Square at 42nd & Broadway)

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Among the five hotels I toured in NYC, the Knickerbocker has the most history and the best story. This hotel was THE place to see and be seen in the early 1900’s. Scion John Jacob Astor opened the hotel in 1906 and when big shots showed up in New York, they bedded down (and partied) at the Knickerbocker.

But the party only lasted for about 15 years. Prohibition became the law of the land in 1919, and by 1921 the hotel shut down. Until recently this fabulous Beaux-Arts structure at the corner of 42nd Street and Broadway has forlornly served as an office building– at one time housing the offices of Newsweek Magazine.

But the brand new 330-room, 17-story Knickerbocker came back to life in February 2015 as “the only five-star hotel on Times Square” according to a spokesperson.

What struck me most about the hotel is how its interior is the opposite of what you see outside. It’s freshly scrubbed facade is ornate and busy. The hotel is located on one of the craziest crossroads in the world with lights, sounds, smells and crowds pulsating along the streets and sidewalks.

But walk in the front door on 42nd Street and you are greeted by a soothing cool and quiet lobby (see photo) without much going on. Head to the elevator and up to your room and you feel the same sense of zen-like peace surrounded by neutral colors, low-slung, modern furniture with clean lines. All that calm is juxtaposed when you peer out your window to the cacophony of the street scene below.

So what the Knickerbocker offers is the best of two worlds– access to the craziness of Times Square and a cool quiet and spacious sanctuary (rooms are large by NYC standards) to get away from the hustle and bustle.

Don’t miss the Knickerbocker’s outstanding rooftop bar (St Cloud) and decks– easily one of the most dramatic rooftops in a city where rooftop bars are sprouting up like mushrooms after a rain. Pop in for a drink and soak up the psychedelic show below. Celebrity restaurateur Charlie Palmer runs St Cloud as well as the classy diner-like Jake’s and Charlie Palmer at the Knick (perfect for power breakfast).

Average rates run in the $400-$500 range, but in mid February, we found prices as low as $275 (including breakfast) for a basic room. But if you feel like a splurge, the dramatic corner suites with that stunning Times Square view are going for about $500 per night in February.

Hotel website: The Knickerbocker, 6 Times Square, NYC (A member of Leading Hotels of the World)

In case you missed our previous posts in this series, here’s a look at all of them:

 1 Hotel Central Park (Midtown)

The Baccarat (Midtown)

New York EDITION (Flatiron/Madison Sq Park)

The EVEN Hotel (Near Penn Station/Garment district)

The Knickerbocker (Times Square)

Are you signed up for the TravelSkills.com blog? Why not? Do it right now and don’t miss out. 

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about:  Boeing 747 nearing its end? + “Targeted” for an upgrade? + 5 newest biz class hotels in New York + TSA PreCheck is exploding + Bargain hunters travel guide for 2016 

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So you want to go to the Super Bowl?

JetBlue will add several extra flights between DEN and SFO for the Super Bowl (Image: Jim Glab)

JetBlue adding several flights between DEN and SFO for the Super Bowl (Image: Jim Glab)

Let’s say a rabid Denver Broncos fan decided to go to the Super Bowl to cheer on his team. How much would it cost?

We looked into that on Tuesday afternoon (January 26). The time we searched is important, because a devoted fan would have started booking things in the Bay Area as soon as his team wrapped up the AFC championship game against the Patriots last Sunday. Since then, things have been booking up fast.

We were advised as much by a number of websites we looked at for our hypothetical February 6-8 trip. Once they got the dates and the destination, the sites would display — often in red type — messages like “this is a period of heavy demand” or “going fast — book now.”

The game is in Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California — at the far south end of San Francisco Bay, next to San Jose. But most fly-in fans will probably come in through SFO and stay in San Francisco (more flights, better restaurants, accommodations, and parties) about 40 minutes away.

Someone who spent hours and hours searching the web might be able to find better prices, but here’s the thing: You don’t have hours and hours.  Here’s what we found:

THE BIG GAME: $4,000+

Superbowl

(Image: VividSeats.com- click for more info)

The first step is to secure a game ticket. At events ticketing giant Stubhub, we learned that as of Tuesday, the lowest-price tickets were going for $3,906 — oops, just looked again and they went up to $4,200 — and that’s for a seat high above the end zone. Closer to midfield, but still in nosebleed territory, tickets started at $4,040. (The 50-yard line close to the field? That’ll set you back $25,000 per ticket — and there are only two left as of Tuesday afternoon!) Oh, and don’t forget the $80 stadium parking fee if you drive.

AIR FARE: $700+

Both JetBlue and Southwest have scheduled a few extra flights from Denver to the Bay Area for game weekend.

But when we searched on Southwest for our February 6-8 schedule, we couldn’t get any westbound non-stops to either SFO or San Jose — they were sold out. The best deal was a $768 roundtrip to SFO via a connection through Phoenix westbound and a non-stop return flight. To San Jose, Southwest’s best was $810 roundtrip via Phoenix in both directions.

So we tried to cast our net a bit wider by trying Kayak.com and had better luck — DEN-SFO non-stops in both directions at reasonable times for $717 roundtrip (westbound on Frontier, back on JetBlue).

JetBlue, which does not normally offer nonstops on the DEN-SFO route, had a few seats left for Friday departures and Monday returns at $741 round trip.

HOTEL/HOUSE: $600+

Check in counter at San Francisco's Mark Twain hotel (Image: Mark Twain Hotel)

Check in counter at San Francisco’s Mark Twain hotel with rooms for $848 per night (Image: Mark Twain Hotel)

To find a room, we turned to Trivago, which searches across multiple booking sites for the best rates. San Francisco has thousands of hotel rooms, but they all heard about the game and took the opportunity to raise rates to what they think the market will bear. The best deal we found for our two-night stay was a quote of $848 at the Mark Twain, a modest three-star property a few blocks from Union Square.

Not nice enough? The Stanford Court is nicer, rated at four stars, and a two-night quote of $2,710 for a room with a queen bed — and there were only a couple of those left.

Want to save money by staying closer to the game in Santa Clara? Don’t count on it: The best two-night rates we could find — for bargain-basement two-star properties in Santa Clara — were $918 at the Best Western and $950 at the Mission Inn. But based on the screaming admonitions on the booking pages (“We have 1 room left!” the Mission Inn warned), those are probably gone by now. Better stick with San Francisco.

Better yet, consider Airbnb. Its website shows a number of San Francisco rentals at rates better than hotels. The lowest one we found for Super Bowl weekend (not counting a room in someone’s house or apartment) was a two-bedroom apartment in the Mission District with a two-night rate of $440. Oh, wait — that doesn’t include the $90 cleaning fee, a $64 “service fee,” and $74 in occupancy taxes. Still, the $668 total is less than a hotel that weekend.

CAR: $158

Companies are still unsure about the safety aspects of ride-sharing service. (Image: Uber)

No telling what Uber’s surge price will be on game day by the Bay (Image: Uber)

Unless you want to take your chances with Uber’s surge pricing on game day — we can only shudder to think what a ride from downtown to Santa Clara and back would cost — you’ll need a car. And that wasn’t bad, relatively speaking. Expedia steered us to the Payless counter at SFO, which was offering a two-day rental of a mid-sized car for just $158.

So adding that all up, the total for our bare-bones options comes to $5,583 for one person with air fare, a rental car, Airbnb, and a game ticket that requires binoculars if you want to really see the action on the field. And it doesn’t include parking at your hotel, meals, drinks, or a souvenir Peyton Manning jersey.

On second thought, what’s wrong with a big-screen TV, a six-pack and a pizza back in Denver?

Have you ever been to the Super Bowl? Would you pay $5,000+ to see your team play? Please leave your comments below.

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about:  Boeing 747 nearing its end? + “Targeted” for an upgrade? + 5 newest biz class hotels in New York + TSA PreCheck is exploding + Bargain hunters travel guide for 2016 

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5 newest hotels in New York City: EVEN Hotel

EVEN hotel New York

Mood lighting, hardwood floors and healthy perks at the brand new EVEN hotel NYC (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Earlier this month I was in New York City to speak at the New York Times Travel Show. I extended my stay to spend a full day checking out five of the newest business class hotels in town, packing along my camera and notepad. It was an exhausting day, but I loved every minute of it. 

There are many more than five new hotels in this burgeoning market, so I chose only among those that opened in 2015… and those that I thought would appeal most to TravelSkills readers.

Here’s a look at the fourth of the big five…I’ll post all of these in a series over the next few days. Enjoy!

(In case you missed it, here’s a look at the first three, the 1 Hotel Central Park, The Baccarat and New York EDITION)

Here’s the fourth:

The EVEN Hotel Times Square South (The name is a stretch– it’s located at 321 West 35th St between Penn Station & Javits Center)

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Since the EVEN Hotel was the brand-newest hotel in New York (opened Nov 2015), I decided to stay there during my four days in the big city. But that was not the only reason… there are several more factors that swayed me.

First, this 150-room, 25-story hotel is just a ten-minute walk to Javits Convention Center where I was speaking. Second, it’s a block away from Penn Station, which is where the train from Newark Airport arrives, making the airport-to-hotel portion of the trip a breeze. (See our trip report: SFO-EWR on United) Since opening, the EVEN hotel has remained in the top 10 best hotels in NYC on TripAdvisor.

Then there’s an even bigger factor: My rate at the hotel was only $115 per night! Plus, I earned IHG Rewards points for the stay. That $115 is a pretty amazing rate for a brand new, brand-name hotel in Manhattan, but I was there over a weekend during the “dead weeks” of early January, which is the slowest time of year in New York. (Currently the lowest rate at the EVEN hotel for mid-February is about $169.)

Related: Bargain hunters’ guide to 2016 travel deals

The EVEN is one of several smaller name-brand hotels that have bloomed in the Penn Station area in recent years. There’s a similar phenomenon going on in the Herald Square area where the big brands have jumped into nondescript neighborhoods near Midtown with tall, skinny hotels on small footprints. My room was on the small side, but thoughtfully appointed with super clean cork floors, big bright bathroom, a big comfy bed, free and very fast wi-fi. Downsides included a very small closet and a noisy hallway. Be sure to ask for rooms above the 20th floor to get the most natural light, views and avoid construction noise.

EVEN is IHG’s newest brand and it’s focused on health and wellness– and helping guests stick to exercise routines when they are traveling. They do this with some inventive ideas such as standup desks, yoga mats, exercise balls, rollers, resistance training straps and even mood lighting in all rooms. There are three different flavors of ice water at the front desk for arriving guests. Hotel staff wear uniforms from the outdoor store REI. The hotel general manager periodically leads an easy jog along a three-mile loop through the city’s “midtown west” neighborhood. There is fresh squeezed orange juice, smoothies and kale salad in the hotel’s limited service restaurant.

Hotel website: EVEN Hotel Times Square South, 321 West 35th St between 8th and 9th Avenue

In case you missed our previous posts in this series, here’s a look at all of them:

 1 Hotel Central Park (Midtown)

The Baccarat (Midtown)

New York EDITION (Flatiron/Madison Sq Park)

The EVEN Hotel (Near Penn Station/Garment district)

The Knickerbocker (Times Square)

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about:  Boeing 747 nearing its end? + “Targeted” for an upgrade? + 5 newest biz class hotels in New York + TSA PreCheck is exploding + Bargain hunters travel guide for 2016 

twitter-floowmeDo you follow us on Twitter? It’s a great way to keep up with the latest news!

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Airports: Atlanta’s airport hotel + Speedier Boingo + New Oakland lounge + more

Rendering of the hotel planned for Atlanta's airport. (Image: Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson Airport)

Rendering of the hotel planned for Atlanta’s airport. (Image: Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson Airport)

In airport news, Atlanta officials have reportedly selected a brand for their new airport hotel; Boingo boosts Wi-Fi speeds at a number of U.S. airports; a new passenger lounge is coming to Oakland Airport; Chicago airports now offered reserved parking spaces; and Tampa adds a huge number of charging outlets for travelers.

The new hotel planned for construction near Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson’s domestic terminal is expected to be an InterContinental, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The 300-room high-end hotel is envisioned to be part of a $600 million “Airport City” project that will include commercial space, retail outlets and a travel plaza, and perhaps even residential space. The newspaper reported that renowned Atlanta architect John Portman will design the hotel, which will have meeting rooms, a restaurant, lobby bar and grill and other amenities. It is expected to be built within three years.

Boingo, the leading airport Wi-Fi provider, said that its paid subscribers can now select from options that will give them speeds of up to 20 Mbps at seven major airports, with more coming soon. The highest-speed airports include Baltimore/Washington, Boston Logan, Chicago Midway, Chicago O’Hare, New York JFK, New York LaGuardia and Newark. The company said all travelers can now get free Wi-Fi, and “power users” can select from a number of paid options, including speeds of 20 Mbps, bursting to 50 Mbps. “All Boingo subscribers, including those enrolled in the American Express Preferred Plan, will automatically receive the highest tier of speed when they log in,” Boingo said.

Oakland International Airport said that the U.S. subsidiary of U.K.-based MAG will develop a new passenger lounge at OAK that should open in June 2016. The 2,600 square foot Escape Lounge will be open to all passengers for a per-use fee, offering free food and beverages, Wi-Fi, and other amenities. Earlier this month, MAG opened its first U.S. airport Escape Lounge at Minneapolis-St. Paul International.

Chicago’s O’Hare and Midway airports this month introduced a new option of reserved parking spaces close to the passenger terminals. The reservation fee is $10 per space, per day (plus parking charges, taxes and fees). All spaces are inside the garages, and are guaranteed even when the facility is full. Parking spaces can be booked at https://ord.clickandpark.com/ for O’Hare or at https://mdw.clickandpark.com/ for Midway.

Tampa International Airport next year will make life easier for power-hungry business travelers and their devices. The airport is planning to install thousands of power outlets and USB ports for passengers — 4,683 of them, to be exact. Some will be at 299 new work stations the airport will install; the rest will be on towers wedged between seat rows at gate areas. Currently the airport only offers 237 outlets at work stations scattered around the terminal.

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about:  Delta free upgrades disappearing + Shipping vs. checking a bag +_San Francisco’s new long-haul routes + Is Newark our worst airport? + Delta, United forge new international partnerships

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New hotels in San Francisco, Philadelphia, Dallas, Washington, NYC

The Library in San Francisco's new Axiom Motel. (Image: Axiom Hotel)

The Library in San Francisco’s new Axiom Hotel. (Image: Axiom Hotel)

In domestic lodging developments, downtown San Francisco gets a new property; a Philadelphia classic reopens with a new identity and a new chain affiliation; Starwood opens a Westin in the heart of Dallas; there’s a new Hyatt Place in the nation’s capital; and InterContinental Hotels Group cuts the ribbon on another Holiday Inn in Manhattan.

In San Francisco, the former Powell Hotel — across from the cable car turnaround at the base of Powell Street, near the BART station– is being transformed into a new identity as the Axiom Hotel, and a representative tells TravelSkills it’s expected to open its doors to guests in mid-January. The 152-room boutique hotel — now owned by Host Hotels — will have a bar and cafe in the lobby and a Library nearby, and lots of original art work combining historical and high-tech themes. Other amenities include a business center, fitness center, and fiber-optic Wi-Fi throughout. Rooms have RFID locks, 48-inch smart TVs and refrigerators. We found rates starting as low as $199.

Relaxing library/lounge at Philadelphia's Logan Hotel. (Image: The Logan)

Relaxing library/lounge at Philadelphia’s Logan Hotel. (Image: The Logan)

Philadelphia’s Four Seasons Hotel at Logan Square, which closed in June, has gone through a multi-million dollar transformation and reopened this month as The Logan Philadelphia, a member of Hilton’s Curio Collection. (These are independent hotels that participate in Hilton’s reservations system and its HHonors loyalty program.)  The hotel’s 391 rooms include 64 suites with separate living and sleeping areas. The Logan has a 24-hour fitness center and business center, a spa, and a heated indoor pool, along with 12,700 square feet of meeting space. There’s even a library with a fireplace and pool table. Rates start at $233.

A king room at the new Westin Dallas Downtown. (Image: Westin)

A king room at the new Westin Dallas Downtown. (Image: Westin)

January 4 is the starting date for reservations at Starwood’s new Westin Dallas Downtown, a 323-room hotel built into the 33-story One Main Place tower. The 326-room Westin will occupy the top 10 floors of the building as well as public space on lower levels, and will have a separate entrance on Elm Street. The rest of the building will be office and retail space. The hotel has a WestinWORKOUT fitness studio (guests can borrow workout clothes), indoor pool, restaurant, bar, coffee shop, and high-speed Internet, as well as 31,000 square feet of meeting space. Rates start at $217.

Spacious standard king accommodations at Washington D.C.'s new Hyatt Place. (Image: Hyatt)

Spacious standard king accommodations at Washington D.C.’s new Hyatt Place. (Image: Hyatt)

At 400 E Street SW in the nation’s capital, four blocks from the National Mall, is the newly opened Hyatt Place Washington DC/National Mall. It has 214 rooms with separate sleep and work areas, free Wi-Fi throughout, an outdoor pool, 24-hour gym, free hot breakfast, rooftop bar and 24/7 Gallery Menu & Market with freshly prepared meals and take-out items. Rates start at $169.

Guest room at the new Holiday Inn-Times Square in New York. (Image: Holiday Inns)

Guest room at the new Holiday Inn-Times Square in New York. (Image: Holiday Inns)

It’s actually a few blocks from Times Square at Eighth Avenue and 39th Street, but InterContinental Hotels Group’s newest property in Manhattan is the newly built, 35-story, 271-room Holiday Inn New York City-Times Square. It offers  24-hour business and fitness centers, a flight check-in kiosk, guest room charging stations, and a restaurant and bar (with 49 microbrews on tap!). Rates start at $118.

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about:  New Oakland-London route + Big hotel acquisition + Uber at Las Vegas McCarran + American’s international Premium Economy service + Healthy eating for travelers

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Popular Yotel has big expansion plans

A premium queen "cabin" at the Yotel in New York City. (Image: Yotel)

A premium queen “cabin” at the Yotel in New York City. (Image: Yotel)

Say what you will about the size of accommodations in a Yotel property — the London-based company’s lodging concept is certainly innovative, and brings a level of affordability to pricey markets. And one may soon be coming to an airport or city center near you.

The eight-year-old company currently has just four Yotels in operation — airport properties at London Heathrow, London Gatwick and Amsterdam Schiphol, and a city center location in Manhattan. But it has plans for a dozen more over the next couple of years, including city-center U.S. locations in San Francisco, Miami, Brooklyn and Boston, as well as airport locations at Paris CDG and Singapore Changi. More European locations are expected to be announced soon, including London and Geneva; and a 438-unit Yotel is coming to Dubai.

Guest accommodations (Yotel calls them “cabins,” not guest rooms) are significantly smaller than a normal hotel, but with plenty of quality amenities; the company likens them to first class air travel. And the price is right: We checked New York City’s Yotel (10th Ave & W 42nd St near Javits Center & Hudson Yards) and found a premium queen cabin in slow mid-January for $129 a night, for single or double occupancy.

Cabins offer luxury bedding, mood lighting, monsoon rain showers and what it calls a “techno wall” with a flat-screen TV, multiple power plugs and free Wi-Fi.

Check out this video intro to the Yotel NYC. 

The San Francisco Yotel, due to debut in 2017, will offer 203 cabins in an overhaul of the old Grant Building at 1095 Market Street (at 7th St- see street view) near Twitter HQ. Besides standard cabins, it promises a new type of “loft-style” rooms and some suites. It will also offer a Club Lounge with meeting/work spaces; a ground floor restaurant; and a rooftop bar.

Also opening in 2017 is a Yotel in Boston, in an 11-story building located in the city’s so-called Innovation District near Boston Harbor. That one will have 326 cabins. And a 250-cabin Yotel is coming to downtown Miami (at 227 NE Second Street), also with a target opening date of 2017.

Readers: Have you stayed in a Yotel? How did you like it?

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: World’s largest passenger plane + Get on earlier flight without paying fee + New overseas plan from Verizon + Avoid surge pricing

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New on-airport Grand Hyatt for SFO

This image shows hotel location at the corner of Hwy 101 and airport entrance ramps (SFO)

This image shows location SFO Grand Hyatt at the corner of Hwy 101 and airport entrance ramps (SFO)

The new 350-room, on-airport hotel at San Francisco International Airport will be a Grand Hyatt.

The four-star hotel will be located on airport grounds near the International Terminal, Boarding Area A parking deck will be connected to all terminals via the airport AirTrain system.

The expected opening date is mid-2019, according to SFO. 

“The Grand Hyatt is recognized around the world for exceptional guest service, and with this approval we move one step closer in our vision to create the most innovative, luxurious, and environmentally sustainable on-airport hotel in the world,” said Airport Director John L. Martin.

This image shows how the hotel will connect to the AirTrain system (SFO)

This image shows how the hotel will connect to the AirTrain system (SFO)

SFO will construct and own the property, with the Grand Hyatt providing branding and day-to-day management of the facility.

The SFO Grand Hyatt will feature 17,500 square feet of meeting space, both full-service and casual restaurants, wine and sushi bar, health club, pool, spa and best of all: A rooftop cocktail lounge. (Can’t wait for the TravelSkills meetup there! Regrettably, due to the location of the hotel, it will likely have better views of Highway 101 than airport runways…)

Construction on the $230-million project is expected to begin in the spring of 2016.

Note: An airport spokesperson provided these images to TravelSkills.com, but noted that they, “in no way represent the final design, but it’s a starting place…”

–Chris McGinnis

Here's a rendering of what the hotel could look like (SFO)

Here’s a rendering of what the hotel could look like (SFO)

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about:  5 ways to save using Uber/Lyft  + New overseas plan from Verizon + Trans-Pac fare war?

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Big inside-the-airport hotels coming soon at DEN, JFK, SFO

The new Westin at Denver International opens this fall. (Image: Westin)

The new Westin at Denver International opens this fall. (Image: Westin)

If an “airport hotel” is a few miles away from the terminals, is it really an airport hotel?  Maybe so, but it can’t compare with a location right on the airport grounds, especially at large airports — like the Hilton at Chicago O’Hare, or the two Hyatts at Dallas/Ft. Worth.

Not many of these have been built in recent years, but three of them are in the works at some of the nation’s busiest airports — Denver, New York JFK and San Francisco.

The first to open will be the new Westin at Denver International Airport, due to start accepting guests on November 19.  If you’ve passed through the airport recently, you must have noticed the big, curvey, greenish-blue building at the south end of the main terminal. The Westin has 519 rooms including 35 suites, all thoroughly soundproofed. The same structure accommodates the airport’s new Transit Center, which will be the terminus for the light rail line that starts carrying passengers next spring. The trains will run every 15 minutes on a 35-minute ride linking the airport with Union Station in downtown Denver. The hotel has a fitness studio, indoor pool and multiple dining venues. Rates start around $229.

The classic TWA terminal at New York JFK will serve as public areas for a new hotel. (Image: DmItry Avdeev/Wikiimedia Commons)

The classic TWA terminal at New York JFK will provide the public areas for a new hotel. (Image: Dmitry Avdeev/Wikiimedia Commons)

In New York, the Port Authority and Governor Andrew Cuomo have just given approval to a lease deal on the old TWA Flight Center at JFK Airport that will permit the construction of a 505-room hotel on the site with 40,000 square feet of meeting space and at least half a dozen restaurants. It will be built by a partnership of JetBlue Airways and MCR Development, and the original Eero Saarinen-designed TWA terminal building — with sweeping curves and huge windows — will serve as the lobby. To be called the TWA Flight Center Hotel and due to open in 2018, it will be the only hotel on the grounds of JFK. It’s connected to JetBlue’s Terminal 5, and it will boast a 10,000 square foot observation deck for planespotters.

Artist't renderign of the new hotel coming to San Francisco International. (Image: San Francisco Airport)

Artist’s rendering of the new hotel coming to San Francisco International. (Image: San Francisco Airport)

Officials in San Francisco are about to close the bidding for construction of a four-star hotel on the grounds of San Francisco International that will be owned by the airport but operated by a private company yet to be selected. Also aiming at a 2018 completion date, the hotel will have 350 rooms, a restaurant, wine and sushi bar, casual cafe, rooftop cocktail lounge, health club, pool and spa. Located near the entrance to the airport, it will be linked to an AirTrain station for easy access to the terminals. The building site — at South McDonnell Road, Interstate 101 and the off-ramp from the interstate to the airport — was previously occupied by a Hilton that was demolished 20 years ago prior to construction of SFO’s new international terminal.

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: SFO could get world’s longest flight + PreCheck: Fewer free rides + Plight of the tall traveler + Photos: New United first class seat + 6 secrets for snagging low fares

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Travel app usage surprisingly low

How many travel apps do you have on your phone? (Image: Jim Glab)

How many travel apps do you have on your phone? (Image: Jim Glab)

Do you use travel apps on your smartphone to book or track any elements of your travel? If so, you’re actually in the minority, according to a new survey by the Global Business Travel Association Foundation (GBTA) and Carlson Wagonlit Travel.

They polled more than 500 U.S. and Canadian road warriors, and found that only four in 10 have used a smartphone to book a hotel in the past six months — and hotel apps are the most frequently downloaded onto those devices. You can’t book if you don’t have apps, and the study found that “less than half of the business travelers surveyed have downloaded airline, hotel, travel reservation or general travel apps” onto their phones.

While just 39 percent booked a hotel on a smartphone app, 58 percent did so on a laptop and 43 percent used a desktop. Just 25 percent booked with a tablet.

To no one’s surprise, use of smartphone apps for travel purposes  — like so many other things — declines with age. Travelers 55 and over were much less likely to have travel apps on their phones than their younger colleagues.

Another surprise (to us, at least, here in San Francisco) is that only about a third of business travelers have downloaded ground transport apps like Uber, Lyft, etc. Is that you? Then sign up here today and get your first ride for free! 

apps2
“When it comes to how the apps are used, Millennials are more likely than Baby Boomers to use apps for booking hotels, hotel check-in, booking car rentals, checking reviews and online translation,” GBTA said. “Gen-X travelers are more likely than Baby Boomers to use travel apps for navigation, hotel check-in, tracking expenses, booking car rentals and online translation.”

Hotel apps dominated the types of travel apps downloaded, followed by general travel booking apps like online travel agencies, followed by ground transport apps and then review apps.

Looking at online hotel reservations that were not made through a company’s own online booking tool, 54 percent of the travelers said they booked directly with a hotel, while 41 percent used a third-party website and 5 percent used an event registration site.

“Interestingly, 42 percent who used an alternative channel said they are not required to share their travel information with their company,” GBTA noted. “This hampers a travel buyer’s ability to monitor and enforce policy compliance and also means they may not be able to locate their traveler in an emergency.”

What apps are on your smart phone? Which ones do you use the most? 

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: TSA PreCheck: No more free rides + Plight of the tall traveler + Photos: New United first class seat + Save money on calls from other countries + 6 secrets for snagging low fares

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What “Do Not Disturb” really means at hotels

Unusual room number display at Sofitel So, Bangkok (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Housekeeper caught you with your pants down? It happens! But who is to blame when embarrassment ensues?

There seems to be a lot of confusion about what a Do Not Disturb sign really means at a hotel. So we hit up a friend of TravelSkills who is a hotel general manager for the skinny. Here’s what he said:

First and foremost, it is one of the cardinal rules of hospitality that employees are not supposed to knock on a door with a DND sign on it.  However, there is no legal issue.  The hotel has a legal right to ignore the DND sign any time and for any reason.  After all it’s their property.  The way it’s supposed to work is that a hotel will only violate the DND sign if they have reason to believe that health, safety or property may be an issue.  Examples:

  1. The phone system shows that 911 was dialed from the room.
  2. The hotel staff heard loud noises coming from the room (potential property damage).
  3. The hotel staff heard loud voices, arguing or screaming form the room (potential domestic abuse).
  4. The DND sign has been on the door for 24-48+ hours straight (every hotel has their own standard, but health and well-being of the guest could be an issue here).
  5. A large number of suspicious people have been seen entering or exiting the room (potential illegal activity).
  6. Water is leaking into the room from the ceiling (someone left the tub running in the room above?  Potential health issue as well as potential property damage).

In practice, there are two main reasons why hotel staff sometimes violate the DND sign:

  1. The housekeeping staff simply wants to clean their assigned rooms, especially rooms due to check-out that day.  They don’t get paid for rooms they are assigned but do not clean, and they’re eager to see if the guest left them a tip.
  1. Guests will frequently leave the DND sign on their door when they go out for the day.  Then when they return they think that somehow, magically, their room was supposed to have been cleaned without someone violating the DND sign.  Then they’ll call down to the front desk and complain that their room was not cleaned and flat out lie about having left their DND sign on the door.  This happens so often it’s crazy.

So the above two reasons are certainly not valid excuses for hotel staff violating the DND sign, but they go a long way towards explaining why it sometimes happens in hotels without excellent housekeeping management.

What we’ll do at my hotel is that if a staff member encounters a room they need to enter that has a DND sign on it, the staff will ask the front desk to call the room to ask if it’s okay to knock and/or enter.  This happens very often with room service.  If there’s no answer to the call and there’s no emergency, we will simply not enter, and we’ll hang a sign on the door saying that we respected their request for privacy.  And yes, this means that sometimes we’ll leave a room service tray at the door (a fair number of drunk guests order room service, pass out, then wake up to discover their cold meal outside their door in the morning!)

There does seem to be a school of thought out there that thinks the DND sign means that hotel staff should not call the room either, but I don’t subscribe to that.  Of course if you request no calls to your room we will abide.  In that case, if we still need to communicate with you and there is no emergency, we’ll slip a note under the door.

Likely more than you want to know about hotel DND signs but I had fun writing this all down for the first time 🙂

What are your thoughts on this issue? Is it okay to ignore the Do Not Disturb sign? Do you have any funny stories to share along these lines? Please do so in the comments!

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: Surviving San Francisco + Photos: New United first class seat + Save money on calls from other countries + 6 secrets for snagging low fares

 

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The largest hotel you’ll likely never stay in

This hotel complex in Mecca will have 10,000 rooms. (Image: Dar Group)

This hotel complex in Mecca will have 10,000 rooms. (Image: Dar Group)

Most of the world’s largest hotels are in Las Vegas; the Venetian/Palazzo complex has more than 7,000 rooms, giving it the number one spot worldwide. But a new property is going up in Saudi Arabia that will move the title there.

A mixed-use complex being built at Abraj Kudai in Mecca will include 10,000 hotel rooms. It is due to be finished in 2017, but don’t try to make a reservation: Unless you’re a Muslim, you can’t go to Mecca.

Screen Shot 2015-05-21 at 4.06.59 PM

The hotel is intended to accommodate many of the millions of Muslims each year who make a sacred pilgrimage, or Hajj, to Mecca as part of their religious duty.

Recent: Airfare war in the wings? | Another carry on crackdown 

Besides 10,000 guest rooms in a dozen 44-story towers, the complex will reportedly include 70 restaurants, helipads on the roof, and a large convention center.

Western hotel groups are also coming to Mecca. A Hyatt Regency is due to open this summer, and Hilton’s Conrad Makkah (the alternate spelling for Mecca) should debut next year. But you likely can’t stay at them either.

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: Delta accused + Starwood Hotels’ new tech touches + Virgin Atlantic’s new LAX lounge + Southwest adds Oakland-Atlanta service


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6 key questions to ask at hotel check-in

Check in counter at The Nines hotel in Portland, OR (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Check in counter at The Nines hotel in Portland, OR (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Here are six questions every smart traveler should ask when checking in a hotel:

1) What’s the location of this room?

When you ask about the specific location of the room, the clerk becomes personally involved in your room choice—and does not leave it up to whatever the hotel reservations system has assigned you. Depending on your specific situation, you may want to ask for a room away from the elevator bank, ice machine or maintenance/housekeeping closet for peace and quiet. You may want a room that does not get direct morning or afternoon sun. You may want a high floor for the view or a low floor for safety. It’s up to you but best to always ask for something specific.WiFi

2) How’s the wi-fi connection in this room?

Depending on the age of the hotel, wi-fi service can vary significantly from floor to floor… or even from one end of a hallway to the other. Based on complaints about slow service, the desk clerk should know which rooms are closer to routers, or those that get fewer complaints. If wi-fi is important to you, always ask about the connection speed before you get your room assignment! 

3) Does this room have a connecting door?

There’s not much worse than a noisy hotel neighbor, especially when the sound can be heard from under the door to the connecting room. I’ve been roused from precious slumber by loud snorers, screaming babies, eerie prayer chants, and worst of all, loud TVs that neighbors leave on ALL. NIGHT. LONG. Good grief. Avoid all that by requesting a room without a connecting door when you check in. (Did you know that there’s a difference between “connecting” and “adjoining” rooms?)

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4) When was this room renovated? Is it in the new part or floor?

Hotels rarely shut down completely for renovations. Instead, they renovate one floor at a time. Your question here should be two-pronged: 1) May I please have a room on a renovated floor? And 2) Should I be concerned about any renovation noise coming from above or below this room?

An ADA compliant bathroom at the Hilton Westchester (Photo: Hilton)

An ADA compliant bathroom at the Hilton Westchester (Photo: Hilton)

5) Is this an ADA compliant room?

Even though I do not have any physical disabilities, I always seem to be the guy who gets one of the hotel’s ADA compliant rooms. For some reason, hotel clerks won’t tell you this at check in, so you won’t know until you get to the room. You’ll know you have an ADA room when you see two peepholes in the door, the big wide door to the bathroom, metal grab bars around the toilet and the roll-in shower area. The hooks in the ceiling, the paddle-style sink hardware, the unusual closet layout. If I’m just there for the night, I’ll usually take it…and enjoy the extra space. But for longer stays, I’ll ask for another room.

RELATED: New breed of discount hotel booking sites | 

6) Do you have my correct loyalty program info?

I’m surprised how often I have to follow up on hotel loyalty credits because the person who booked my trip neglected to include the proper loyalty program numbers on the reservation. It’s a lot easier to get the points when checking in than trying to claim them after you’ve checked out. So double check.

Did I miss any? Please leave the question YOU always ask below… or comment on mine! 

—Chris McGinnis

 

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Marriott’s new “free” wi-fi: Is it fast enough? [POLL]

Marriott wifi

Today Marriott announced that it would offer free wi-fi to all Rewards members at all its brands, worldwide, including Ritz-Carlton, starting in January. That’s 42 million members getting free wi-fi at more than 3,800 hotels around the world. That’s huge!

Or is it? (See poll below)

Dig into Marriott’s release about the plan, and you’ll see that the free wi-fi is the “standard” or basic version- at many hotels that’s only fast enough for a quick check of email or flight status. Plus, to get free wi-fi you have to book directly with Marriott.com or with a hotel– travel agency or other third party bookings won’t qualify.

Have you ever tried to do anything else with the basic version of wi-fi at Marriott or any other hotel? To me, basic wi-fi is now basically useless given today’s much bigger bandwidth requirements. But hey, it’s better than paying $16.95 for a crappy connection, right? (PLEASE TAKE POLL BELOW)

How do you feel about "basic" hotel wi-fi?

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Please click the clear-looking or “vote” button

Some good news: Marriott is giving free “enhanced” wi-fi to its elite Platinum and Gold Rewards members. If that’s not you, you’ll have to pay up for the fatter pipes.

Helpful: Choose your hotel based on its wi-fi speed

In any case, Marriott’s announcement is more evidence that it pays off to join nearly every hotel loyalty program at at least the basic level. Marriott joins other brands like IHG,  Kimpton and Fairmont in offering free wi-fi– but only to registered members of their loyalty programs. Best Western was the first chain to offer free wi-fi at all its hotels way back in 2004.

Bonus: How to get 50,000 Marriott Rewards points

Tell us what you think about Marriott’s big move…and what you think about “tiered” hotel wi-fi speeds. >PLEASE scroll up and take our poll!< 

>>Take a peek at what you may have missed on TravelSkills.com this week! <<

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Hilton’s Conrad snags posh new London hotel

A room at the Conrad London hotel (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

A room at the InterConti– soon-to-be Conrad London Westminster hotel (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Hilton’s Conrad brand announced today that it will take over the InterContinental Westminster, which just opened in December 2012. The new Hilton Conrad London Westminster will make its debut in September.

The hotel has a central London location, service, and style business travelers require. It also has a handsome restaurant and bar with a type of food you would not expect to find across the pond.

While in the UK over the holidays in 2013, I checked in at the hotel for two nights.

The hotel is located in a quiet corner of London near Buckingham Palace (Chris McGinnis)

The hotel is located in a quiet corner of London near Buckingham Palace (Chris McGinnis)

>The 256-room hotel opened as an InterContinental in early December 2012 in a quiet, yet very central area of London, in between Buckingham Palace and the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben and Westminster Abbey. It’s next door to New Scotland Yard. It will become a Conrad this starting September 14 2014.

>The new hotel was built inside a group of 19th century buildings called the Queen Anne’s Chambers—so even though it looks traditional red-brick-London on the outside, everything inside is modern and brand new. As a matter of fact, when I was there, rooms on two floors of the hotel were still under construction.

>Room rates are currently pegged at about $450 per night in August, and since it will soon be part of Hilton,  you will be able to earn and burn HHonors points here.

The new InterContinental Westminster near Buckingham Palace. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

The  InterContinental Westminster near Buckingham Palace will soon be the Hilton Conrad Westminster. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

>This is one of the few luxury hotels in London that offers free wi-fi—and since the hotel is new, it has fat, fast pipes for quick and easy downloading, streaming, etc. (No word yet on whether Conrad will offer free wi-fi.)

>Rooms are decorated in a pale palette of blondes, beige and gold, with classy wood, leather, marble and chrome finishes, which keeps the rooms bright—a good thing since most windows in the low-slung (6 story) building look out to other buildings across alleyways and streets or into light wells.

>Bathrooms are big, modern and bright with separate tubs and showers. However, I was not a fan of the large, heavy, sliding doors separating the bathroom from the sleeping room. They seem awkwardly heavy, and not very soundproof, which can be important when more than one person is in the room.

>Its fresh-faced, young, and professional staff is energetic, highly trained– delays in opening the hotel meant more training time for employees.

A lovely, quiet parlour off the main lobby area. (Chris McGinnis)

A lovely, quiet parlour off the main lobby area. (Chris McGinnis)

>Since the hotel hopes to attract London’s political set, the lobby and common areas are all connected, and designed to see and be seen. For example, when you walk in to the chic limestone, sky-lit lobby, you can look through to Emmeline’s, an elegant tea and champagne bar, then through that to Blue Boar Smokehouse, the hotel restaurant and bar. (No word yet on if or how Conrad will change the restaurants.)

>Art and interior design are inspired by the hotel’s location. For example, carpet in the corridors sports an unusual fingerprint design (for the spooks in Scotland Yard next door). Most of the paintings and sculpture include characters from London’s rich political scene, past and present—for example, there are busts are Margaret Thatcher, Tony Blair and London’s blustery mayor, Boris Johnson.

>There’s a gym and fitness center in the basement.

Umm. Pulled pork on a silver platter at Blue Boar Restaurant & Bar. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Umm. Pulled pork on a silver platter at Blue Boar Restaurant & Bar. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

>It felt a bit odd for me, someone who grew up in the BBQ-sauce-soaked South, to dine on smoke ribs, pulled pork, baked beans and cole slaw in London. But I did, and loved it! In typical British style, the, the BBQ at the hotel’s Blue Boar Smokehouse is served on (get this…) a silver platter. And in another hat tip to British tastes, the restaurant offers pulled lamb. Kudos to the chef Jon Ingram, who served up sweet, smoky and moist pulled pork, and spare ribs charred and spread with just the right amount of sauce. To finish, a classy finger bowl is provided to rinse sticky fingers.

>The Blue Boar Bar, with green leather love seats, plaid loungers, wooden floors and a full bar looked like it would be great fun with a crowd. But when we were there, parliamentarians were on Christmas break, so it was quiet.

>Overall, The InterContinental Westminster is a very nice, new hotel in a quiet corner of London. It will be interesting to watch how it transforms into a Conrad.

>The neighborhood around the hotel is a hotspot for new hotels… nearby you’ll find the St Ermin’s hotel and 41 Hotel both opened within the last year and both worth a look-see!

–Chris McGinnis

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10 things about new Aloft hotels

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Over the last year, I’ve been hearing a lot about the new Aloft hotel brand from Starwood. Since I have not had the chance to sleep over in one yet, I asked for a tour of the Aloft San Francisco Airport, one of the three Aloft hotels in the Bay Area—all of which have opened in the last year. Currently there are no Aloft hotels in Atlanta… but one is slated to open downtown this winter.

With my camera and notepad I met up with hotel sales & marketing manager Janfred Agarao who showed me around the hotel located on Millbrae Ave just south of SFO.

(click here for my Google+ slideshow of the Aloft at SFO)

Here’s what I saw and learned.

>The Aloft brand is billed as “A Vision of W Hotels” and it’s clear that the W is from where the new chain’s quirky and colorful spirit comes. The SFO property was the 62nd Aloft hotel to open—Starwood expects to have 80 by the end of this year. The other Bay Area locations the Aloft Silicon Valley, located in Newark, which used to be the old W Silicon Valley, and the Aloft Cupertino, near the Apple campus.)

>Most Aloft hotels are built new-from-the-ground-up, but this building started out in the 60’s as the Thunderbird Hotel (which starred in the film, Bullitt), and most recently was a Clarion hotel. Starwood came in and took the building down to the studs and added brand new space, so the look and feel is brand spanking new.

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>The six story Aloft at SFO opened last September with 252 rooms. Its average rate is about $239 per night. Occupancy is healthy—the hotel regularly sells out on midweek on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, but struggles to fill up on weekends (which is when rates take a tumble to the $150 range).

(click here for my Google+ slideshow of the Aloft at SFO)

>Most Aloft hotels are located in suburbs, near airports or on the fringes of major downtown areas. For example, New York City locations are in Harlem and in Brooklyn.

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>The lobby of the Aloft at SFO is big, bright and lively—the hotel calls it the “remix area” and there’s room for small groups to gather, communal tables, an unusual blue pool table, free wi-fi, and electrical outlets all over the place. Stationary iPads are available for browsing or making reservations via OpenTable. There are also two desktop computers and a printer.

>Food service is “grab and go” with a wide variety of snacks, such as prepared salads and sandwiches Butterfingers, trail mix or Doritos, Ben & Jerry’s ice cream or It’s It bars are available for sale. Guests who want a full service meal can walk across the parking lot to the Westin hotel.

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>Agarao said that the busiest time in the lobby is morning and during happy hour, from 5-8 pm when there’s live acoustical music and discounts on snacks, beer and designer cocktails at the WXYZ bar– muddled watermelon martinis anyone?

(click here for my Google+ slideshow of the Aloft at SFO)

>While Starwood is clearly trying to cater to a younger crowd with the Aloft brand, Agarao said guests generally range from 20 to 50 years old.

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>Beds in nearly every room at the Aloft are placed opposite the window instead of lining up along side it as they do in most hotel rooms. Good feng shui? Who knows? But rooms appear modern, comfortable and well appointed with Bliss bath products, coffee makers and quirky touches like retro-clocks.

>Rooms located on the hotel’s 6th floor offer excellent views of planes taking off and landing on SFO runways…a hypnotizing sight…and only minimal rumbles from jet blasts.

(click here for my Google+ slideshow of the Aloft at SFO)

Have you stayed at an Aloft hotel yet? Let us know what you think! Please leave your comments below! 

—Chris McGinnis

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Do you trust hotel review sites? [Infographic]

Copenhagen's elegant Hotel D'Angleterre re-opens May 1 after a 2-year re-do (Chris McGinnis)

Copenhagen’s elegant Hotel D’Angleterre re-opens May 1 after a 2-year re-do (Chris McGinnis)

Nearly every traveler I know (including me) checks out hotels on TripAdvisor before making a booking. I’m sure you do, too. Right? The infographic below provides an interesting look at how travelers use the review sites and what makes them trustworthy. It also provides some tips on spotting “fake” reviews. (The infographic was prepared by Olery, an online reputation management company for hotels.)

How do YOU feel about hotel review sites? Do you use them? Trust them? Other than TripAdvisor, which sites do you find most helpful?

Please leave your comments below!

HotelReviews-olery-infograph-FULL

–Chris McGinnis

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14 Amazin' Asian hotel pool views

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Over the last year or so, I’ve been making the trip across the big green Pacific a lot… and have seen some stunning, sparkling hotel pools along the way. Here’s a slideshow of the nicest ones I’ve seen. (All photos: Chris McGinnis)

I’m hoping this might help you all dream of warm tropical places after a long cold winter….

Happy Spring!

Let me know what you think about occasional slideshows like this….I travel a lot… and take a lot of photos. I’d like to share them here, but don’t want to bore my readers. So please provide some feedback about our slideshows below. Thanks!

–Chris McGinnis

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Two exotic new hotels in Paris (Slideshow)

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Earlier this month in Paris, I had a chance to swing by two of the city’s newest hotels: The W Paris- Opera and the Shangri-La.

Wow! The city of lights hotel scene has got it going on.

The W hotel is so new that the cab driver from the Gare du Nord did not know what I was talking about when I said,  “S’il vous plaît me prendre à hotel W.” (Thank you, Triplingo!) I had to find the Google map on my mobile phone to show him the way.

This brand new 91-room hotel is located in the center of the city near the famous old Opera House. As in most W hotels, there’s always a scene in the lobby (spilling out onto the sidewalk in summer), with DJ’s, models, wannabe models and assorted poseurs. 

Rooms are small and unusually appointed… for example, there are stickers on the wall and pillows on beds with caricatures of famous French men and women. Throughout the hotel are walls of black enameled sheet metal punctured with holes through which lights sparkle— I was told this sparkle was supposed to represent the melding of New York and Paris.  In the less expensive rooms, bathrooms are separated from the room by a sink and mirror– not a wall or a door. This offers a bare minimum of privacy– the small, black-walled closet-like room for the toilet is separated from the rest of the room by only a sliding door. (See slideshow above) That’s no problem if you have the room to yourself… but not great if sharing with another.

On the upside, the hotel is brand new…and new is good in a popular city like Paris where much of the hotel stock is overused and outdated. Basic wi-fi is free. It has a super-convenient location in the center of the city with easy access to several metro lines. There’s a clean, bright fitness studio on the top floor. Speaking English is no problem, and the young, toned, well-coiffed  staff is eager to please— not a hint of French snootiness. High demand is keeping base rates this fall in the $500 per night range.

The chic new Shangri-La hotel opened in late 2010 and is giving established 5-star hotels like the Four Seasons Georges V or the Le Meurice the jitters. It took four years to restore this building– which was once the home of Napoleon’s grand nephew Roland Bonaparte– located in the Trocadero, a posh neighborhood of embassies and mansions between the Arc d’ Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower.

You’ll find a comfortable blend of Asian hospitality (hot tea delivered to rooms at check in, congee on the breakfast menu) and chic French design.  It’s not a huge hotel– only 81 rooms– about half of which offer dramatic views of the Eiffel Tower. Elegance like this does not come cheaply… room rates start at $900 per night. The Shangri-La suite in the penthouse fetches a cool $23,000 per night. (Flip through the slideshow above for a peek of this spectacular suite!)

And it’s not just the Shangri-La that is giving luxury hoteliers in Paris heartburn… a new Mandarin Oriental just opened near the Place Vendome this summer– just a few blocks away from the famous Paris Ritz hotel, which is closed for the next two years for a complete re-do.

What are your favorite Paris hotels? Please leave your comments below. 

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