One of Chicago’s historic landmark buildings, the Old Dearborn Bank, is about to be turned into a four star luxury hotel in Chicago’s downtown area. Virgin Hotels, which was launched in the USA a year ago, plans to make the Art Deco building one of their chain of gateway city hotels across the U.S.
The 27-story landmark building was designed as a bank in 1928 by C.W. and George L. Rapp Architects and until recently was used as office space. Virgin stated that the property “has significant historic and architectural features that will be restored and recreated,” to enhance the proposed Virgin Hotel Chicago.
The Virgin brand offers luxury hotel accommodation to compete with other upscale brands such as W Hotels and InterContinental’s Hotel Indigo. Spokesperson for Virgin Hotels saw the project as “a first step towards our goal of building a portfolio of hotels that anticipate and respond to the needs of today’s travelers and set a new standard for the industry“. The hotel will have 250 rooms, meeting spaces, lounges and restaurants aimed at business and leisure travelers whose loyalty has been captured by Virgin Atlantic and Virgin America over the last 25 years.
by Gillian
There are more than 40 luxury hotels in London and many of them are involved in multi-million dollar refurbishments with no sign of concession to the current economic downturn. Marriott is opening two new brands in London – a Bvulgari in Knightsbridge and an Edition hotel on the site of the former Berners Hotel. Shangri-La is also opening a new luxury hotel at London Bridge.
The classic Four Seasons luxury hotel on Park Lane is reaping the benefits of a £125 million refurb that gave the rooms and restaurants a totally new look. Most daring of all, a whole new floor was added to accommodate the fabulous spa.
The glitzy modern W hotel in Leicester Square, the heart of London’s theaterland, has recently had a 192 room extension. It is making the most of its stunning new features, such as the huge glitterball in the bar, to host BAFTA awards parties making it the central hub for events in the heart of London.
The newly opened Corinthia Hotel in a former government building cost £300 million to develop. It blends high-class English traditions with some contemporary touches – such as the innovative décor in the Bassoon Bar.
Last but not least, the former railway hotel, now the Renaissance St Pancras, reopened after 76 years at a cost of £200 million. Its Gothic architecture, talked-about restaurants and convenient location to the Eurostar at the adjoining St Pancras Station make this a certain success.
by Gillian
If you fancy starting 2012 off in decadent style, consider booking a room or suite at the newly completed Octavius Tower at Caesar’s Palace. This will be the sixth tower at the luxury hotel complex and marks the completion of a $860 million expansion. Octavius Tower will satisfy the need for a resort-within-a-resort experience which is a growing trend in Las Vegas luxury hotels.
Octavius Tower will open its doors for the first time to guests on January 2nd, 2012 and will cater exclusively to the high-end market. It has a private entrance, separate lobby and direct access to the gardens and pool area, known as the Garden of the Gods.
Just six months ago Caesar’s Palace opened the sister Augustus Tower which, according to Gary Selesner, regional president of Caesar’s Palace, is already an unqualified success with very high occupancy levels.
Octavius Tower will have luxurious rooms starting at 550 square feet with modern luxurious décor and superior levels of service. iPod docking stations and iPad touch devices will relegate in-room telephones to history with direct communication with room service, housekeeping and front desk services via the neat touchscreen tablets.
by Gillian
European travelers will already appreciate the benefits offered by the stylish Radisson Blu boutique hotel chain and are no doubt eagerly looking forward to the opening of the first US offering later this year. Chicago is hardly short of high-end hotels, but the Radisson Blu boutique hotel will give the neighboring Fairmont and the Park Hyatt on Chicago’s Magnificent Mile a run for their money.
The differences at Radisson Blu are impressive, starting with the price. As the brand begins to establish itself in the U.S., room prices will be around $250 per night compared with similar ranking hotel rates of $425.
Radisson Blu hotels typically include resort-like amenities such as a jogging trail, billiards table, extra-large fitness room and half basketball court. Many basic rooms have a balcony with great views at no surcharge, and WiFi is included in the room rate. Even the public restrooms are out-of-the ordinary with mirrorball tiling and vessel sinks.
Guests can choose a room style to suit their mood and taste. Both designs are very hip and trendy, but “Mansion House” style is rather more “W” with sparkly black granite counters and black lacquer minibars to tone down the electric blue carpet. For a more understated elegance, opt for a “Naturally Cool” room style and enjoy Scandinavian light wood flooring, muted wall colors and white leather seating beside a minimalist block wood table.
If your curiosity is piqued, keep an eye open for the unveiling of the second Radisson Blu boutique hotel, currently under construction at the Mall of America in Minneapolis.
by Gillian
Those planning to attend the London 2012 Olympics would be well advised to book early if they want to stay in a luxury hotel in London. Currently the city only has 120,000 hotel rooms, according to Gadling, and is expecting around 5.5 million visitors. To meet the deficit, the London Olympics organizers are planning to dock cruise ships on the River Thames to act as temporary hotels.
There are suitable docks at Stratford, just three miles from the Olympic Park. Further floating rooms are also planned to cope with the high demand for hotel rooms by leasing berths to private luxury yacht owners. So far there are no estimates on the “floatel” cabin prices, but they are likely to be steep. They city of London is quoting prices of around £150,000 (US$243,000) to lease the docking berths for the three-week period.
London hotels are not cheap at any time, but the UK’s Daily Mail newspaper estimates that hotel room prices may be hiked tenfold during the Olympics. Pity the poor business traveler or regular visitor wanting to see London’s sights during that period.
by Gillian
When Richard Branson says he is developing Virgin hotels, you somehow know that it will be a concept like no other. Although the first Virgin luxury hotel in London is still two years from opening, at a recent hotel conference Branson let slip that he wants his Virgin hotels to be based on the same concept as his Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse lounge at London’s Heathrow Airport.
If you have ever had the pleasure of spending time in the high-class VA lounge, you will know it is like no other airport lounge anywhere in the world. Set out on two levels, small areas are separated by chest-high dividers providing cozy corners for working, small bistro tables for dining or comfortable home-from-home armchairs for enjoying the vast array of magazines and newspapers. There’s even a full-size billiards table provided.
All the latest facilities are available for those wanting to check their emails, but that’s pretty standard these days. What’s different in Branson’s Clubhouse lounge is that there are freebies at every turn, from notepads to shoeshine. Giant jars of candy invite you to dip in and even gourmet meals are served without charge from breakfast through dinner at the deli or a la carte restaurant. Waiters are on hand to bring you a drink from the full-service bar.
The stylishly modern and spacious lounge is a virtual playground with hanging chairs to swing in, phones on hand, office supplies, showers and even a Bumble and Bumble hairdresser standing by for a quick trim or blow-dry. However you feel when you arrive at the Clubhouse Lounge, you will leave feeling refreshed and invigorated. I guess it’s the only place in Heathrow where passengers are reluctant to leave.
No doubt that is exactly how Branson intends his Virgin hotel guests to feel after a stay, and whatever the price, you can be sure there will be plenty of inclusive benefits thrown in. We’ll keep you posted.
by Gillian at Luxique Luxury Hotels
The earth from the air is always a fascinating way to view places from a totally different perspective, but those flying over Huainan, in East China’s Anhui province, will soon be doing a double-take. Plans have been unveiled for the latest luxury hotel in China, which will be shaped to pay homage to the country’s most popular national sport, ping-pong.
The luxury hotel will be shaped like an upended table tennis bat, and each round window becomes a pimple on the face of the “bat”. The hotel building is topped with a tower – the handle of the paddle – which has an observation deck.
This idea is the latest novelty-shaped building within the newly developed $45.8 million sports complex. It is in excellent company with the main stadium being shaped like an American football, and other stadiums and facilities shaped to look like a volleyball, a soccer ball and a basketball.
The hotel will stand almost 500 feet tall (150 m) and will be a real talking point in the 165-acre sports complex. This clever idea is not a first, however, as France created a giant rugby-ball shaped hotel in 2007 to celebrate hosting the Rugby World Cup. The hotel was created in Paris and during the event guests paid up to $10,000 per night for the privilege of staying there. However it was not a permanent structure. The giant inflatable rugby ball cost just $4 million, and proved to be a real winner.
by Gillian at Luxique Luxury Hotels
When describing the newly opened Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Hong Kong, you are likely to run out of superlatives, for not only is it the tallest hotel in the world, it is also one of the most innovative. It has the first ever Chocolate Library, the highest bar in the world and one of the largest ballrooms in Hong Kong. Other bold moves are the floor-to-ceiling mirrors – in the shower – and the fitness room equipment which reads your weight settings and preferred routines onto each piece of high-tech equipment from your personal USB drive.
Above the infinity-edge swimming pool the LED screens on the ceiling change from moods to scenes. They feature everything from calming seas to the beauty of the seasons and from modern art to the night sky. Every visit will be a new experience.
In a country known for its tea, this exceptional luxury hotel in Hong Kong has a tearoom with a bedazzling choice of dozens of teas, all stored in special tea caddies in the floor-to-ceiling cubbyholes. Not to be outdone, the wine wall wraps around the walls of the restaurant and displays over 6,000 bottles to choose from.
Non-residents can pop in and take the express elevators to the Ozone, which has unrivalled views over the city from the 118th floor windows. If you want a clearer view, all the guest rooms come with a telescope on a tripod, not for looking up at the stars, but for looking down at the world in miniature below!
by Gillian at Luxique Luxury Hotels
London’s River Thames is lined with some grand old buildings, including the grand Ministry of Defense building which was once the hub of espionage during World War II. Built in 1885 at the height of Queen Victoria’s empire, this landmark edifice has fly-on-the-wall views of Britain’s ever-changing capital city. Now defunct, their cover blown, the undercover agents have moved on, giving Corinthia Hotels the opportunity to create a new flagship luxury hotel in London’s epicenter. Situated on Whitehall Place, SW1 it is within strolling distance of most London attractions including Trafalgar Square and the London Eye.
The Spirit of Corinthia Hotels has gradually crept across the former enemy territory opening luxury hotels in St Petersburg, Tripoli, Khartoum and other colorful cities of culture, finally reaching London, which will be its flagship luxury hotel.
Corinthia Hotels work hard to bring an atmosphere of boutique to their opulent hotels, and their aim is to become the world’s premier luxury hotel group. Think gold-standard luxury and Mediterranean hospitality in exquisite, individually designed hotels. Due to open in April, the first guests to this grand hotel will be part of history-in-the-making, although it’s soft opening to host a pre- BAFTA awards breakfast allowed Colin Firth (Academy award winner for the King’s Speech) to be among the first to approve the historic venue.
by Gillian at Luxique Luxury Hotels
The countdown has started to the opening of the world’s tallest hotel, but this time it is not in Dubai, but in Hong Kong. Necessity spawned high-rises in this most densely populated area of Kowloon and technological advances just kept the buildings going higher and higher.
The Ritz-Carlton is opening its doors on floors 102 to118 of the International Commerce Center after a three year absence in the city and at that height every room will have a stunning bird’s eye view of the city. However, they reserved the top floor for the swimming pool – an infinity-edge pool at that.
How happy would you be to relax with a book on one of the floating beds, drifting along the edge of a vertiginous drop at a height of almost 1,600 feet above the street? Even with the glass windows it will be a pretty unnerving experience for some. What’s more the glass windows go beneath the water level, so there’s no escaping vertigo by swimming underwater.
The new Ritz-Carlton Hotel will officially open on March 29 and is already is great demand as a top luxury hotel geared at business travelers and tourists alike. The introductory package rate starts at US$497 and the rack rate starts at $640. If the pool views don’t take your breath away, the prices certainly may.
by Gillian at Luxique Luxury Hotels
