New Ivy Hotel Adds to Chicago's Boutique Scene

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By Kristine Hansen

Chicago's boutique-hotel boom continues on the heels of PUBLIC Chicago, Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel, and Hotel Lincoln with The Ivy Hotel, which just opened this month. (Rates from $225/night.)

Tucked into Chicago's tony Near North neighborhood, The Ivy Hotel caters to the urban eco-chic crowd who yearn to be close to designer shops on Michigan Avenue (the hotel is a block east) but that also have a passion for practicing environmental conservation. Guests are shuttled around, at no cost, in the hotel's two Lexus hybrid cars (will be available after the fall) and paperless check-in is done on iPads. Inside the shell of a vacant building for close to a decade, and most recently an office building, the revamped décor is largely neutral tones and guests enter the lobby under a soft, orange-red, white, or blue (depending on the time of day) glow.

A rooftop lounge on the 16th floor serving cocktails and tapas will properly usher in summer weather at the sleek hotel. And in the lobby lounge a four-course lunch or dinner can be arranged, folding in organic produce from two local purveyors.

On each floor, guests will find just four or five rooms (for a total of 63), which helps cultivate a quiet haven after a day of sightseeing. In fact, each suite has a soaking tub complete with lavender sea salts to coax away stress. Also in the rooms are 19-inch LED television built into the bathroom mirrors; bamboo flooring; rugs spun from spisal; linens (bed sheets, towels, and robes) created from Fair Trade, organic cotton; and amenity bottles featuring post-consumer recycled content. Non-toxic cleaning products, eco-friendly water and energy conservation, and recycling programs are also in place.

For up-to-the-minute hotel and restaurant recommendations, as well as the best planning advice, check out our Chicago Travel Guide.

Photo credits: Courtesy of the Ivy Hotel

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Sticker Shock: Some of the Most Expensive Hotel Suites

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The Penthouse Suite at The Joule -- Dallas

When even the prices of the standard rooms at some of our favorite luxury hotels shock us, you can only imagine our heart palpitations when we see the nightly rates of these hotels’ top-of-the-line suites. But if we were going to splurge on anything in life, it’d probably be a stay at one of these suites. After all, they’re priced high for a reason; they are some of the most beautiful spaces we’ve ever seen, with stylized decor, all of the high-tech amenities anyone could want, and extra services for the lucky guests who can afford to book one of these spots. So would you prefer a brand-new car or a one-night stay at the most expensive suite at The New York Palace? Our photos after the jump may make you think twice »

The Penthouse Suite at The Joule -- Dallas

The Price: $7,400/night

Our Favorite Feature: The Joule is one of the coolest — and most luxurious — hotels in Downtown Dallas and it has a penthouse to match. This multi-level suite, with two bedrooms, features over-the-top amenities such as a fireplace, a martini station, and gorgeous photography by artist Bram Tihany. But we gotta say, the bathroom takes the cake; we love the black-and-white floor mosaic, the open vibe, and the staggering views of downtown from the deep soaking tub.

See more photos of the penthouse suite at The Joule »

The Royal Suite at The New York Palace

The Price: $22,000/night

Our Favorite Feature: One of New York’s most visually stunning hotels, the New York Palace has a gilded, grandiose style, huge rooms, a luxe spa, and a fantastic gym. Its Royal Suite is among the most opulent — and expensive — suites in the City, with lavish Louis XV decor. The suite’s highlight is that it includes butler service.

See more photos of Royal Suite at The New York Palace »

The Penthouse Suite at the Mandarin Oriental, Barcelona

The Price: $7,800/night

Our Favorite Feature: The 98-room Mandarin Oriental is one of the most luxurious hotels in Barcelona, and certainly has one of the most recognizable hotel brand names in the city. The gorgeous penthouse features two bedrooms, three bathrooms, a kitchen, and a cool, sleek design. But our favorite features are the massive double balconies, overlooking Passeig de Gràcia.

See more photos of the penthouse at the Mandarin Oriental, Barcelona »

The Royal Suite at the Four Seasons Washington D.C.

The Price: $15,000/night

Our Favorite Feature: Located in the historic neighborhood of Georgetown, the Four Seasons hits the high notes with luxuriously appointed rooms, a Michael Mina restaurant, a massive tri-level fitness center, and exceptional service from a devoted staff. It’s Royal Suite, with wood paneling, a gas fireplace, and an enormous outdoor terrace, showcases why the Four Seasons is the top luxury option in Georgetown and one of the best in the city. The best part? The suite even has its own small gym with two cardio machines with personal TVs, so no more having to work out with the rest of the 1% in the hotel’s fitness center.

See more photos of the Royal Suite at the Four Seasons Washington D.C. »

The Presidential Suite at the Montage Beverly Hills

The Price: $9,000/night

Our Favorite Feature: This 201-room luxury hotel located in the heart of upscale Beverly Hills is elegant in every way, from the Spanish Colonial-inspired architecture to the perfectly manicured courtyard to the presidential suite. The spacious marble bathroom is a highlight but the real cherry on top is that guests of the suite are given a Mercedes-Benz to drive during their stay.

See more photos of the presidential suite at the Montage Beverly Hills »

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Tagged as: Barcelona, Beverly Hills, Dallas, Luxury Hotels, New York City, Presidential Suites, Washington D.C.

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What We “Loved” About Episode 6 of Hotel Impossible: Hotel Corpus Christi Bayfront, Texas

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The hotel's entrance pre-makeover...

...and after. Don't you love the bold address?

OMG, you guys! Just as we were about to start writing our recap of last night’s insane episode of Hotel Impossible, we were informed that the Anthony Melchiorri — aka the intrepid host of Hotel Impossible — was in our very own conference room. [Ed note: We couldn't help but be a little starstruck, come on now. Our business is hotels!] Anyway, as we were saying, last night was truly epic. Let’s just say Anthony, designer Blanche Garcia, and the many helpers involved turned a sh*thole into a 3-pearl hotel that could easily attract hoards of Spring Breakers and beachcombers along the Gulf during its peak season. And with Corpus Christi attracting over 6 million tourists per year, it was critical that the Hotel Corpus Christi Bayfront make some improvements, Anthony style obvi. Find out our favorite moments from last night after the jump!

Even as an editor who rarely touches the word “business,” I’m pretty sure about one thing: Consistent branding is critical to success. And the first thing Anthony noticed when he drove up to the hotel was that it had two completely different names on two different signs. That’s not to mention that the signs were so tiny that hardly anyone would be able to figure out what the structure (errr…hotel) was. I mean, there were Post-Its covering up the lobby window. To this day we’re not sure exactly why, but they clearly had to go. Sidenote — WTF was up with that scaffolding above the entrance? Ugly, purposeless, and downright dangerous.

Granted, this editor is a bit of a germophobe (I did used to pen a cleaning column), but we have never seen dirt built up like it was on the tree pretty much anyone in our lives. And yes, we were collegiate students once, too. Thankfully, Melchiorri has an incredibly keen eye for detail and noticed the unacceptable filth right of the bat. Although, that’s not to say it was the only dirt…

We can’t remember what it’s called, but that little device (Melchiorri chalked finding it up to one of his producers) used to measure the bacteria was mind-blowing. Or rather, we should say, the amount of grime on that phone was mind-blowing. If a swabbed area scores above an 80, that means the item/surface is technically unsanitary. Remember that the room phone read 3447?!?! That’s practically enough to breed an entire army of bacteria. That thought is almost as repulsive as the room’s collection of about 20 or so cockroaches. Freaking nasty, right?

Hoteliers, this one’s for you. According to Melchiorri, just simply offering room service can help add up to a 10% value increase on the price of a stay per night. And that’s not even including the revenue earned off the food itself. But with a diner across the street, we wonder why no one ever thought of that. Oh wait, now we remember. Because Frank, the owner, just never really cared about the hotel the way Didi, the new GM, clearly does.

Um, it’s pretty ingenious to use bedding that has the look of a coverlet blanket without actually having one. Not only does this save the hotel money on purchasing actual bed coverlets, but it provides a clean look and a seamless way to clean all the bedding at once. Blanche, this may have been our favorite makeover yet!

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Tagged as: Corpus Christi, Television and Travel, Travel Channel, Value Hotels

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USA Is Potential For Hotel Hospitality Jobs

USA is potential for everything, for everyone. It is one of the most grown countries in the world and it is also an epicenter for employment and new job opportunities. US cities carry great value for great scope in every field we have for jobs. Daily there are more than 50-100 small to mid-sized companies open new recruitments for various posts. You can find Las Vegas jobs, a city that is well known for its casinos and glamour world. You can equally enjoy the nightlife.
If you want to enjoy a 'city that never sleeps', there are many New York NY jobs that can get your great opportunities in finance, media and tourism. Such NY jobs one can get through newspapers and websites that offer jobs. New York jobs have handsome salaries however, depending upon the post you apply for.
It does not matter which field you belong to or what qualification you carry, USA is ready to offer you your dream job. There is an abundance of job opportunities waiting to be snapped up throughout the country. You can get Nevada jobs, California jobs, San Fransisco jobs in various fields such as hospitality, marketing and many more fields. If you are looking to get settled somewhere in Los Angeles, Los Angeles jobs can be grabbed in classifieds and on the internet. All you need to do is find an appropriate job that suits to your caliber. Likewise, you can also get Nevada Jobs, Nevada Las Vegas Jobs, LA jobs having lots of opportunities in the field of IT-information technologies, medical and even in entertainment industries.
There are various opportunities that even government can offer you. If you are keen to work for public service, you can get that too. Nowadays, you get great opportunities if you are medical or semi-medical person. Nurses, for instance, are in great demand for California Sanfransisco jobs, California Jobs, California Los angeles jobs. However, in these cities, you also get great opportunities in management field, accounts, information technologies, technicians, lab assistance and many more.
The days are no more where one used to get the job only if he or she was highly qualified, along with the globalization, being most grown country, US also upgrades its job opportunities and now it has open doors for anyone for whom the work is nothing but a dedication. Let him or her be a PhD scholar with bunch of theses in hand or just a labor worker willing to work in some warehouse.
The US witnesses millions of people a year as visitors and travelers and hence, there are many opportunities in hospitality industry and tourism such as spa, hotels, resorts, museums, parks and at many places that are far-famed for sightseeing. US is good in paying great wedges and it houses all kinds of people who are skill workers in one or the other way. However, working in US needs employee to meet certain criteria and also need to pay tax as per the government's rules and regulations as described in constitution.
Website:
[http://www.hospitalityresourcenetwork.com]
Email:
info@hospitalityresourcenetwork.com
[http://www.hospitalityresourcenetwork.com]

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Yangshuo Hotel Promotes Ecotourism In China

In a country where the economy has been growing at an average of 9% a year for the past 3 years, and one that receives more than 70% of its power through burning coal the words Eco and China are not often associated with each other.
However, one pioneering entrepreneur who has lived and worked in China for over 17 years has made his sustainable business vision come true in Yangshuo. Chris Barclay built the Yangshuo Mountain Retreat (YSMR) in 2001 on the banks of the pristine Yu Long River 8km from Yangshuo Town. The hotel was built on Chris's firm beliefs in sustainable tourism, both in terms of the environment and local cultures that come from the area. The hotel has a policy of only employing local people apart from the foreign coaches that come to give continuous training to the staff in English and hospitality.
The location of the Mountain Retreat is one of its most compelling pull factors, built on what was once fallow rice fields Chris and staff planted over 400 trees and shrubs creating lush grounds where guests can eat, relax and simply enjoy the views. Huge karst formations surround the hotel jutting out of the ground like rows of dragon's teeth and the Yu Long River flows gently by making it a perfect place for a swim in this sub-tropical region of China. With emerald rice fields interspersed with ancient Ming dynasty villages across from the hotel, this is a favourite place for many an expatriate and lucky traveller that happens to find this hidden gem.
The Yangshuo hotel practices ecotourism through a variety of ways including water conservation techniques, reducing their carbon footprint through supplementing coal briquettes for the water boiler with agri-waste (sawdust/shredded newspaper/straw) which is made on premises by the staff and continuously training the staff allowing them to manage and run the hotel and share the profits. They also have a charity shop that sells handicrafts and antiques from local villages and other parts of China which is scheduled soon to go online.
The hotel donates 5% of its annual profits to the Chinese U.S. Medical Foundation (CUMF) also founded by Chris Barclay. CUMF is a non-profit organisation aimed at helping and supporting children with OI (Osteogenesis Imperfecta) or brittle bone disease in China. The charity was founded as a direct result of Chris's experience with Zhao Chun Li or Angel as she is commonly known with guests of the Mountain retreat. Angel suffers from a very severe form of the disease and is unable to walk or use her limbs freely. Chris met Angel in 1999 in a village nearby Yangshuo and helped educate and train her to work at the hotel. She now works as the front desk supervisor, bookkeeper and is a source of inspiration for anyone who meets her.
China is changing rapidly and figures from both The World Tourism Organisation and
The China National Tourism Administration (CNTA) indicates huge growths in the tourism sector. CNTA for example, estimates that China's tourism industry will pull in a record $128.6 billion USD of revenues in 2007, an increase of 10% over 2006. However, this kind of growth comes at a cost and the inherent paradox of the tourism industry is inevitably revealing itself across China.
Increasing accessibility to beautiful locations such as Yangshuo should not mean progressive destruction through unsustainable practices to meet the fresh demand in the tourism sector. Hotels and institutions like the Yangshuo Mountain Retreat across the world help to combat the negative impacts of tourism. This small Yangshuo hotel is making inroads into changing peoples perspectives and simply by doing what they are doing, help promote Ecotourism in China. They have received international recognition for its efforts in keeping its business practices sustainable. In 2007 they reached the finals for the Virgin Holidays Sustainable Tourism Awards and in 2008 have been nominated for the Conde Nast World Saver Awards (results will be decided in September).
They are a model example for the large corporations in the tourism industry but the question is will the big players take heed and listen before it's too late?
My name is Ben Hodgson and I work in the tourism industry in China. I wrote this article to let people know about the efforts of this beautiful Yangshuo Hotel and to hopefully make a few more people aware that sustainable holidays are possible even in China!
Go to the following link for more information on the China U.S. Medical Foundation;
[http://www.china-usmedical.org]

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