Unique luxury hotels, fashionable travel and much more

As airlines tighten up on luggage excess and begin to charge per bag, guests are really appreciative of the new service at Westin luxury hotels and resorts. They have begun a rental service of New Balance sneakers and workout clothing to save guests having to pack bulky items. Sneakers are provided with brand new sports socks and replacement inner soles, and sports shirts are washed between workouts.
Fairmont Hotels are also addressing the idea and offer Adidas gear free to elite members of its loyalty program, or $10 per stay for all other guests.

The idea of guests carrying less luggage seems to have snowballed, as the Four Seasons Chicago is one of several luxury hotels to provide a storage service for repeat guests, charging only for laundering and pressing. This new service is certainly one way to guarantee customer loyalty from returning guests.

The Trump SoHo in New York also appreciates the need to assist with guest’s wardrobe dilemmas and uses the valet company Garde Robe to store guest’s garments between visits. All these services are sure to eliminate the difficulty of traveling with bulky suitcases, as well as saving on excess luggage fees.

The Hampton Inn and Suites at Wesley Chapel, Florida also sympathises with guests getting hit with excess baggage charges. They have installed a luggage scale in the lobby and provide postal boxes for shipping excess items home to minimise airport charges. It seems that travelling light is the new way to go.

by Gillian

Affinia boutique hotels in New York, Washington and Chicago have just launched a new program for Affinia VIPs. Their new Tender Loving Comfort (TLC) program is based on offering deep customer service based on learning what guests need by reading their body language. Staff at Affinia recently underwent training with a body language expert to learn how to respond to certain body language cues.

Part of the new TLC program is offering a Comfort Hour when hotel managers mingle with guests while offering sample snacks, testing new products such as pillows and getting feedback from guests on what makes them comfortable at a particular hotel.

Affinia guests now get a truly customized experience with a six-choice pillow menu and a signature Affinia bed with down comforter and triple sheeting. Each room also has a welcome drink and an Experience Kit to help guests gain maximum benefit from their stay.

Special offers for Affinia TLC VIPs from now until December 31, 2011 include a VIP room upgrade when available, welcome cupcake, complimentary bottle of red wine and late checkout, subject to availability.

by Gillian

Luxury Hotel group Hilton has been using the latest 21st century phenomena, flash mobs, to attract publicity as part of its Hilton HHonors Great Getaway. The hotel chain recently orchestrated an entertaining flash-mob beach party on the sizzling streets of New York City as it experiences a summer heat wave.

The 40-or-so members of the group discarded their business attire to reveal bikinis and swimwear, to the amusement of commuters making their way more slowly than usual through Penn Station.

The group moved on to Times Square, Grand Central Station, the Rockefeller Center and Bryant Park tossing beach balls, dancing and generally having a good time. Hilton also orchestrated a similar event in London recently which attracted city workers along with Ben Cohen, a former rugby international player. However, I doubt that the weather was quite warm enough in London for beachwear.

The message however was clear. If you want to be part of what’s happening at Hilton hotels, best sign up for Hilton Honors to be included in the next fun event.

by Gillian

Always seeking a new experience, two luxury hotels in New York have come up with a new summer attraction – sleeping outdoors. The AKA Central Park started the trend this month by offering guests staying in the penthouse the option to have the bed moved out onto the terrace. The 17th floor terrace with its built-in wood burning fireplace could recreate a sort of camp-fire sleep over.

The $3,000 per night suite does include a bottle of champagne, chocolate covered strawberries, flashlights, an e-reader and a telescope for checking out the night sky.

The obvious downside is the fact that the 17th floor in Manhattan is not the tallest building around and the al fresco guests can be looked down on from all sides. Sirens, rattling air conditioners, honking horns and the general drone of traffic do not abate after midnight in “the city that never sleeps” so getting any undisturbed sleep could be a problem, unlike “real” camping in the backwoods. Still there is a luxury bathroom handy and an excellent breakfast in bed.

The Affinia Gardens on the Upper East Side even includes tents for those wanting to sleep beneath the stars from one of the four ground floor suites. Tents are pitched in a fenced-in area on the rear patio and you have to bring your own sleeping bag. Suites cost from $309 per night, tents are an extra $35. Alternatively, park benches I believe are free!

by Gillian at Luxique Luxury Hotels

Not content with an airline, music and entertainment, mobile phones and a hundred and one other interests, the Virgin Group’s billionaire owner, Sir Richard Branson, is moving into the luxury hotel market.

He’s currently seeking properties in the United States in order to launch a contemporary four-star chain under the Virgin brand. He’s initially looking at New York City, San Francisco, Miami, Los Angeles, Boston and Washington DC, although there are plans to expand globally in the long-term.

The group aims to acquire the management contract or ownership of $500 million (£316 million) worth of 150-400 bedroom properties in ‘appealing neighbourhoods’ over the next three years. The luxury hotels will be aimed at what the company terms ‘high income, well educated, metropolitan, creative class customers’.

Sir Richard said (modestly): “I’ve had great fun turning quite a lot of different industries on their heads and making sure those industries would never be the same because Virgin took them on.”

The entrepreneur has already dipped his toe into the waters of the luxury travel business with Virgin Limited Edition, a collection of exclusive vacation retreats around the world. They include Necker, a small island in the British Virgin [!] Islands owned by Sir Richard and available to hire for up to 26 guests.

by Andy Moreton

A new luxury hotel in New York has opened close to the Ground Zero site, dividing opinion on whether it’s too soon for such a venture at a sensitive location.

Some of the rooms in the 169-room World Center Hotel have floor to ceiling windows that overlook the Trade Center site or the former Deutsche Bank building, which was irreparably damaged when the twin towers were destroyed and is being dismantled.

There’s a great deal of rebuilding going on in the area, including the construction of the new One World Trade Center (‘Freedom Tower’), which is expected to be completed in 2013, as well as a museum and memorial.

Cheryl Palmer, an executive from the luxury hotel, says the property “offers an accessible view of the new World Trade Center for those individuals who want to experience the rebuilding up close.” One guest said that being able to see this rebuilding was ‘phenomenal’.

However, the influential news and blog website, the Huffington Post, described the opening as shocking. “Not yet ten years since 9/11 and we have a hotel overlooking the spot where thousands lost their lives. To its credit, the hotel is steps from Wall Street and the headquarters of many companies, but who would want to stay there?”

The hotel describes itself, on its website, as ‘groundbreaking, stylish and modern.’

by Andy Moreton

If you’re thinking about a vacation or just a long weekend in the Big Apple, Luxique can help you find the best of the luxury hotels in New York City.

Any newspaper or hotel booking search will offer plenty of boutique hotels in New York City, but if you fancy somewhere a little different, somewhere chic and off the beaten track for a romantic weekend break, where do you begin?

Inn at Irving Place
Gramercy Park is a private park tucked away between East 20 Street and East 21st Street in the Union Square district of the city. Tucked behind an unassuming front door is this New York boutique Hotel jewel offering great charm in each of the individually furnished rooms. The two 1834 townhouses perfectly capture a bygone era in the furnishings, service and genteel atmosphere of this secluded hideaway. Take afternoon tea in Lady Medl’s Tearooms on the ground floor, where antiques and china set the scene beautifully.

The Library Hotel
The very name conjures up a log fire, big armchairs, a favorite over-sized sweater and a good book. Conveniently located between the Morgan Library and the New York Public Library, this boutique hotel is a great escape for bibliophiles. Devoted to a discerning clientele, each level of the Library Hotel has a different theme such as poetry, mystery or eroticism, giving a hint of what hand-picked delights are just waiting to be revealed. The furniture, pictures and accents all reflect the theme, along with a selection of well-chosen books in every room. The perfect choice for readers and writers alike.

Carlyle Hotel
Continuing to thrive on its reputation as the luxury hotel in New York where JF Kennedy had a tryst with Marilyn Monroe, this classy uptown hotel is still painfully discreet. With antique furnishings and Audubon prints it exudes the ambience of a luxury town home, belying the fact that it actually has 190 guest rooms offering the ultimate in comfort. Mini larders replace the usual minibar and together with its luxury spa, pet-friendly policy and in-house shops, it is hard to find a reason to leave.

Dylan Hotel
The best of the best is the Dylan’s trademark. Located in Midtown Manhattan within walking distance of Grand Central Station, Times Square, Central Park and some of the best restaurants, this beautiful boutique hotel in New York is situated in a fabulous 1903 Beaux-Arts structure. Beneath the 11 foot ceilings, interior designer Jeffrey Beers has redefined opulence with his timeless décor. Carrara marble bathrooms and American walnut furnishings turn these understated rooms into something truly classy for the perfect romantic weekend break.

The Wales
Located at the better end of town, the Wales is a well-kept secret in the Upper East side of the city. Quiet walks in Central Park are just a block from this charming boutique hotel in New York, while the Guggenheim and Metropolitan Museum of Art are close by, on what has been dubbed ‘Museum Mile’. Enjoy views of the city skyline from the delightful garden or relax in sumptuous comfort amidst goose down comforters, fresh flowers and rich mahogany furniture.

By Luxique Luxury Hotels

“These streets will make you feel brand new,
the lights will inspire you,
Let’s hear it for New York, New York, New York”.

So sings Alicia Keys on Jay-Z’s Empire State of Mind. And with that hit preceded by Paloma Faith’s wonderful song New York, it seems the city is currently ultra-hip.

The Big Apple’s certainly had a relatively good year as far as tourism is concerned. With 45.2 million American and foreign visitors in 2009, New York City was the leading tourist destination in the US.

That figure represents a decline of 3.9 per cent from 2008, but the fall had been forecast to be 10 per cent.

And NYC also remains the most popular American city for overseas travellers – 8.6 million last year, twice as many as its nearest rival, Los Angeles.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg said:

“Over the past eight years, our efforts to make New York City an even more exciting place to visit have helped produce a record number of tourists and create thousands of jobs.”

“Last year, while tourism declined significantly in cities across the country, we fared far better than most. In fact, for the first time in 20 years, we were the most popular tourism destination in the country, surpassing Orlando.”

by Andy Moreton

See what all the fuss is about – let Luxique help you book a luxury New York City hotel.

I’ve just spent a week in New York City and I was interested to see that alongside the familiar tourist attractions, there’s also a scramble to visit the locations where TV shows are filmed.

Whether it’s the exterior of Carrie Bradshaw’s Greenwich Village apartment in Sex and the City or the Bada Bing club made famous in The Sopranos, TV location tours are big business in the Big Apple.

More than 15,000 people from 40 countries have taken The Sopranos tour since it was launched in 2001, and at least a thousand people a week board buses to see the locations featured in Sex and the City. Younger fans are also heading in numbers for the trendy Upper East Side where the popular TV series Gossip Girl is set.

“We keep our eyes on shows that feature New York City prominently,” said Meagan Hess, Online Marketing Manager for On Location Tours. “For Sex and the City, people considered New York to be the fifth character,” she added.

As many as 70 per cent of the tours are made up of international tourists who know the shows and their characters well, according to Ms Hess. “I think people like the escapism nature. We do some celebrity spotting on the tours. It feels as if they have some connection with the celebrity and the lifestyle.”

by Andy Moreton, with acknowledgements to MSNBC

If you’re thinking about a vacation or just a long weekend in the Big Apple, Luxique can help you find the best of the luxury hotels in New York City.

Here’s a cautionary tale for those travellers who choose not to pre-book their onward transport from the airport.

Five French tourists, arriving at New York’s JFK, were led by a man into a vehicle that wasn’t licensed as a taxi service.

Plain-clothes police recognised the man as a serial hustler but, as an officer reached inside to take the keys, the driver sped off with the tourists, knocking down the officer in the process.

What followed was a scary high-speed police chase through residential streets, with the French visitors alternately ‘screaming and praying’. After about seven miles through two boroughs, the van crashed into a gate at a US Postal Service building in Brooklyn. One of the tourists was slightly injured as she tried to jump from the van.

The police chased two men on foot and arrested them. They currently face charges of second-degree assault and unlawful solicitation of ground transportation services, among other related charges.

For their troubles, the French guests received a bag of NYC goodies, including transit fare cards, passes to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and tickets to see the musical Chicago on Broadway.

by Andy Moreton

The Big Apple can be exciting in so many ways! Book a luxury New York hotel through Luxique … and be sure to use a licensed cab service to take you to the door.