The Waldorf heads West
New hotel opens in Beverly Hills
The U.S hotel industry reported positive year-over-year results in three key areas during the last week of July.
Occupancy rates were up 0.3% to 77.4%. The average daily rate reached $132.21, an increase of 1.2% over the same week last year. And revenue per available room was up 1.5% to $102.39. That’s all based on the latest data from research firm STR for the week of July 23 to July 29.
Hoteliers moved into August feeling optimistic, with a slate of new openings and updates.
A NEW WALDORF ASTORIA
The iconic Waldorf Astoria New York may be closed for renovations for the next few years, but the luxury brand has moved to the West Coast.
Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Hilton’s luxury brand, opened the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills at the famed intersection of Wilshire and Santa Monica boulevards.
The 12-story hotel is next to The Beverly Hilton, a popular spot for celebrities. It’s the first new build on the West Coast for the brand and only its second California property. The Waldorf Astoria now has 26 hotels and resorts.
Each guest has a personal concierge and access to a private Rolls Royce house car with free drop-off service within a 2-mile radius. A rooftop pool available only to guests has private cabanas. The design of the building is meant to evoke the Hollywood style of the 1940s.
FIRST HYATT HOUSE IN NYC
The Hyatt House New York/ Chelsea, a 150-room extendedstay hotel, has opened in Chelsea’s historic Flower District. The 30-story new-build is the first Hyatt House in New York City.
The property has floor-to-ceiling windows, loft-like guest rooms, apartment-style kitchen suites, outdoor space and views of the city’s skyline.
Designed by Nobutaka Ashihara Architect PC, the rooms range from 270 square feet to 510 square feet. There are communal washers and dryers. For families and groups, there are 60 connecting units. The property’s 18 onebedroom suites feature their own in-room washer/dryer units and pull-out sofa beds.
A 30th floor open-air rooftop recreational area has views of such landmarks as the Empire State Building and One World Trade Center.
For dining, there is the secondfloor H BAR, where a complimentary breakfast is served. The space turns into a bar in the evening.
HILTON PUSHES DIGITAL KEYS
Hilton reached a milestone in its push to introduce digital key capability globally. With the introduction of the feature at the Hampton Inn & Suites Washington D.C.-Navy Yard, the hotel chain now has rooms accessible by smartphone available at 2,000 of its hotels worldwide.
Digital key is available on the Hilton Honors app. From their smartphones, guests can book a room, check in, choose their desired room from a digital floor plan set against Google Maps and request additional items to be waiting for them.
So far, Hilton Honors members have had 30 million digital checkins, 3 million room key downloads and more than 13.6 million doors opened.
NEW LOOK AT RITZ CHICAGO
Chicago has a newly renovated luxury hotel.
The $100 million renovation was spearheaded by San Francisco-based design firm BAMO. The new modern look was inspired by Chicago’s architecture, showcasing skyline news.
The focal point of the 12th floor lobby entrance is the Flying Wave, a floating sculpture made from four types of hand-blown glass meant to evoke Lake Michigan.
The property has an art collection inspired by the neighboring Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago. It includes Roy Lichtenstein’s Wallpaper with Blue Floor Interior in the groundfloor lobby.
NEW KIMPTON IN DENVER
The Kimpton
Hotel Born Denver has opened in Denver’s revitalized Union Station neighborhood. The 200-room hotel is at the end of the Union Station platform.
Designed by Denver-based Semple Brown in collaboration with Ellen Bruss of Ellen Bruss Design, Hotel Born uses natural and handcrafted materials that match the pine-filled mountains visible from the hotel’s windows. The hotel also has 700 original works by local artists.
A new restaurant, Citizen Rail, is on site.