Luxury Hotels: San Diego, a cultural melting pot for the trendy and modern, makes a opulent vacation spot for the adventurous. The Hotel Solamar, a Kimpton Hotel, is located in the center of downtown San Diego's Gaslamp District.
Hotel Solamar San Diego is a chic luxury hotel retreat with vibrant décor and a prime location, in close proximity to fabulous daytime and nightlife activities.
The Solamar's guest rooms offer luxury amenities and first-class service. The rooms are tastefully decorated with contemporary details such as tan leather stitched walls and dark mahogany furniture as well as the oversized workspaces. Guests will also enjoy plush beds, backed by oversized woven abaca headboards and covered in fine white linens and down blankets. In addition to all this lavish comfort, the guest rooms provide modern facilities such as wireless high-speed Internet access and flat screen TVs. Several of the guest rooms open onto patios surrounding the pool deck.
The Solamar San Diego hotel is a perfect location for meetings or special events, offering over 13,000 square feet of flexible meeting space and banquet rooms. Whether for business or entertainment, this location is ideal for any type of gathering.
The Solamar Hotel recommends its unique Mind and Body Spa offering in-room spa services, and complimentary yoga accessories offered to visitors. Guests may also relax in the hotel's stunning pool and poolside-cabanas for extra privacy.
The hotel's convenient location in this exciting area places guests just steps away from San Diego's best shopping, dining, and entertainment options. Located one block from PETCO Park, home of the San Diego Padres, and three blocks from the San Diego Convention Centre, Hotel Solamar is a perfect choice for the business or leisure traveller.
The J6 Bar, located on the fourth floor rooftop deck of the hotel, is a tropical, urban oasis overlooking downtown and the beautiful bay. J6 offers seats surrounding the expansive pool, a perfect place for cocktails and light dishes. Adjacent to Hotel Solamar, J6 Restaurant is a bustling gathering place making this restaurant perfect for meeting friends for dinner, sharing a glass of wine and an appetizer, or delighting in a dinner for two.
The Solamar Hotel is a perfect luxury retreat for the business or leisure traveller.
Travel News: On one of our junkets to review West Coast hotels this summer, we bedded down at The Crescent, a boutique standard hotel that has become a quiet Beverly Hills address for creative types since its launch five years ago. The Crescent was the brainchild of Gregory Peck, a former investment banker whose clients included André Balazs and Schrager Hotel groups. The famously named Peck is now gaining attention as the developer-to-watch with a planned Crescent in San Francisco and the much-discussed Carlos Zapata-designed Cooper Square Hotel in New York's East Village. Peck sat down with JC Report to talk about his cookie cutter-free hotel concepts, the meaning of downtown luxury and the rash of developments in the coming months.
JC Report: What's occupying your days right now?
Gregory Peck: Our new project in San Francisco is at the top of the list. We just acquired a building that will become The Crescent San Francisco. It's 83 rooms, a very big space, with a restaurant and bar. We've been developing it for a few months.
JCR: Do you like staying in hotels as much as you like developing them?
GP: Absolutely. It's not how or why I got into this business though. I was attracted to the marriage of big business and creativity. I like to develop a complete concept, execute and manage it. I compare it to being a movie producer where you have to bring a writer, the actor and all the elements on board. It's about finding a project and figuring out the best concept.
JCR: What are the key ingredients for a successful hotel?
GP: Recognizing that hotels are not cookie cutter. They have site specific DNA and should be designed to reflect their surroundings. That seems to come naturally to boutique hotels that are essentially individual, unique hotels.
JCR: What does "downtown luxury"-the term you use to describe the Cooper Square Hotel-mean?
GP: Downtown luxury is grittier, younger, more fashion entertainment-centric. It carries the idea of great design in a well-conceived space, but infused with real Old World hospitality. Hotels are often long on the downtown part, but short on luxury. You can't forget about taking care of people.
JCR: The Cooper Square is highly buzzed-about, but does NYC really need another hotel?
GP: Look at the supply and demand. Occupancy at New York hotels is at 85%. There are too few hotels to meet demand.
JCR: You've been involved in so many of the cool hotel concepts over the last decade; give us a sense of where hotels stand right now?
GP: Hotels are at a critical point. Great design and great concept are what it's all about. Across the board people are sophisticated, but they don't necessarily want a cookie-cutter product. More and more you'll see people like me take advantage of the fact that within the quality of the hotel product there's room to innovate.
JCR: Was innovation the paramount motivation behind doing hotels on your own?
GP: I was able to see that the industry has relatively few players. The cost for entry is very high. The real estate is capital intensive. But I recognized an opportunity particularly where The Crescent BH was concerned. The Crescent was small enough so it was doable, but big enough beyond what others could do. Additionally I think that its important that there's a link through the developer, from a marketing perspective. Great design, great service, vibrant food and beverage at a decent price point are also key factors for our well-located urban properties.
JCR: After having been in Beverly Hills for several years you're now building in San Francisco-is this the beginning of a kind of ad hoc chain?
GP: Ad hoc chain is a good term for it.
JCR: Tell us about your group expansion plans.
GP: Our expansion plans are mostly domestic urban locations: Philadelphia, Boston, Houston, Dallas. New York City as well but it's hard to make deals in NYC right now.
JCR: Your past association to Ian Schrager makes it impossible to avoid comparisons. Any plans to emulate his empire?
GP: I have tremendous respect for [Schrager's] work. I was lucky enough to watch him build his business but I don't want to completely copy what he's done. I admire his ambition-he's achieved a tremendous amount. He always keeps working to a high quality level until it's right.
JCR: How do you maintain that in your own work?
GP: Timelessness is one of the key factors. In design, durability and so forth is key. You can renovate every five years but I don't fall into that camp.
Luxury Casinos: The city of Baden-Baden, Germany is best known for its soothing thermal waters. Here travelers discover the Casino Baden-Baden, named by Forbes as one of the World's Best Casinos.
The luxurious Casino Baden-Baden was first built in 1809 and has the honor of retaining its stature as one of the most beautiful in the world, an epithet used to describe it by the great actress Marlene Dietrich. Since opening, the casino has had a series of owners and was shut down during both World Wars.
The Casino is open nearly year round, with the exception of the following dates, in accordance with state law: Good Friday, All Saint's Day (1 Nov.), Day of Prayer and Repentance (3rd Wednesday in November), Remembrance Day (the last Sunday of the church year), Day of National Mourning (the last Sunday before the first Sunday of Advent), 24+ 25 December.
The rich history of the Casino Baden-Baden is found in all of the rooms of the casino: Private gaming salons are named for Madame Pompadour, Louis XV's mistress, as well as the Baccara Terrace.
At one point in the 200-year old history of the casino, real silver and gold chips were used on the roulette tables. The 32,289-square foot casino features 113 slots and 24 table games, for American roulette, Baccarat, French roulette, poker and roulite.
To help guests make the most of their visit, the Casino offers a variety of specials, including a special menu and tour offering,
In keeping with its elegant atmosphere, there is a slight dress code in effect for the Casino Baden-Baden, depending on the game being played.
The hotel has been redesigned many times and has newly renovated the restaurant with a Mediterranean flare, offering an elegant atmosphere to go with superb cuisine.
All in all, the Casino Baden-Baden continues to embrace its long and luxurious history, from interior design to gaming.
December 05, 2008 Luxury Hotels: Bvlgari Hotels are the crème de la crème of luxury hotels and resorts. The unsurpassed detail that is apparent in every portion of the experience is present from the moment guests check in to the moment they check out.
Tubs carved out of single blocks of stones, modern Italian furniture by renowned designer Citterio, and a plethora of extraordinary services all add to the luxury experience.
Services offered at the Bvlgari are unparalleled by any other hotel. Available services include: in-room check in, complimentary packing and unpacking of luggage, dining in-room service, walk-in closets, Plasma screen TV, multi-line phones with conference calls, high-speed internet access, 24 hour concierge and valet service, personal shopper/trainer, hair and makeup, image consultants, and luxury auto rentals (including Ferrari, Porsche, BMW, and Audi).
Bvlgari also offers a list of local attractions such as private gourmet food and wine tours of Northern Italy, rally-driving school in Monza, lago maggiore by helicopter, lago di como by Seaplone, in addition to golf and country clubs.
The Bvlgari Hotel is the perfect place for any private or corporate event as well. The restaurant, garden, and lounge all make a faultless setting for any event. A conference facility with an executive boardroom is available for all corporate engagements.
The Bvlgari Hotel Milan is nestled in the heart of the city, in one of the most luxurious sections, near the theaters and high-end shops.
On the grounds guests can be immersed in a 4,000sqm private garden and botanical garden, creating an exclusive tranquil atmosphere right in the center of the city. The inspiring design of the building itself, which dates back to the 18th century, combines the traditional looks of Milan with modern architecture. Part of the original façade can still be seen through the reconstruction of the hotel. Wonderfully soft modern colors are used throughout the hotel rooms. Citterio furniture is used in each room. Suites offered at the Bvlgari Milan offer an advantageous look of the private gardens. The luxurious living room merges seamlessly into the master room and soft travertine bathroom. On the top floor of hotel, sits the spectacular Bvlgari Suite. An unprecedented attention to detail is expressed in every aspect of the stunning suite. From the unbelievable views of historic Milan to the stone fireplace, this luxury suite is truly a one of a kind experience.
A fine dining restaurant featuring modern Italian cuisine in the Bvlgari Hotel offers guests a chance to relax and savory amazing culinary creations. Or simply unwind at the giant oval bar in the center of the restaurant. Then stroll across to the smoking room and enjoy an after dinner liqueur or fine cigar.
The Bvglari Hotel Bali blends Balinese and Italian aesthetics to create a unique experience. Posed at the top of a cliff, the beach can be accessed only by the resort's inclined elevator, but the precarious position allows for amazing views from all sides.
The architecture and décor reflect the materials of Bali, with Bvlgari's signature attention to detail.
The resort includes 59 luxury villas, as well as Bvulgari villa, 1,300 guest villa featuring 3 bedrooms with all the comforts of home and Bvlgari's special guest services. The property also includes a fine dining restaurant and bar as well as an amazing spa, and other delightful surprises.
The Bvlgari Hotel and Resort makes any stay, whether it is for business or pleasure, an amazing, luxurious, and relaxing event.
Luxury Casinos: Located in the heart of London's Mayfair District, in the elite area known as Berkeley Square, The Clermont Club has the distinction of being one of the country's best-known gaming establishments.
The carefully detailed architecture is modeled on the Great Hall at Holkham, including the S-scrolls found on the elaborate staircase of the luxury gaming facility. The elegant club has gained quite a reputation since being built and conceived in the latter part of the 17th century in one of London's premier areas by William Kent.
The Clermont not only has the distinction of being a historical monument, it has also been listed as one of Forbes' World's Best Casinos. In it's more recent history, the Clermont was once owned by Playboy Enterprises during the 1970's, entertaining the likes of Roger Moore and the late Princess Margaret.
The club features a variety of games, including Blackjack and Poker as well as six tables for Baccarat, blackjack, and English roulette, run by courteous and well-trained croupiers. Gaming can be had in both the Holland Room and in the more private Salle Prive, part of William Kent's original conception.
Membership is required to play at the Clermont, and includes such niceties as chauffeur service for members and their guests. Membership is required to gamble in London and must be done at least 24 hours in advance.
In addition to the finest games and personal service, the Clermont also offers the luxury of including a restaurant, perfect for romantic dining or a business dinner. You can also relax at the bar and club room, perfect for escaping the sounds of the city.
The well-appointed Clermont Club is an essential for those who appreciate luxury nuances in the gaming facility.
Luxury Hotels: London's famed Lanesborough Hotel has cemented its position as the city's most luxurious spot for brandy and cigars with the addition of a new walk-in humidor and the acquisition of a 240-year-old bottle of cognac. The five-star Regency-style St. Regis property on Hyde Park Corner in Knightsbridge is home to London's most expensive hotel room, the Royal Suite, which costs £8,000, or about $12,000, per night.
The new humidor, the first of its kind in a London hotel, houses 1,000 cigars and contains 25 private lockers for the best clients' personal collections. Meanwhile, the Lanesborough's plush, wood-paneled Library Bar, home to an amazing portfolio of rare spirits known as the "Liquid History" collection, just added a new crown jewel. It's the world's oldest known bottle of cognac, distilled in 1770, the year Beethoven was born and Marie Antoinette married Louis XVI. The ancient elixir is priced at £4,000, or about $6,000, per shot.
In addition to the Library Bar, presided over by Guiseppe Ruo, who will pair a fine cigar with the 1770 or other cognac of your choice, the Lanesborough features a luxe Garden Room designed specifically for those wishing to enjoy a Cuban or even pre-Castro smoke from the adjacent humidor.
Luxury Hotels: There are numerous hotels to stay at in Boston but only one remains the Grand Dame -- The Boston Park Plaza Hotel. With its 941 guestrooms and suites, the hotel sits prominently in Back Bay near the Boston Common, just outside of Copley Square and minutes from the Theater District. Its old-world charm offers luxuriously designed, well-appointed, and spacious guest rooms for families or business travelers alike.
Created in 1927 by the great hotelier E.M. Statler as a grand American hotel, it was called a "city within a city." Today it takes pride in serving Boston as a destination itself, housing under one roof some of Boston's most famous restaurants and lounges, including Todd English's Bonfire Steakhouse, McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurant, The Melting Pot fondue restaurant and Smith & Wollensky's Steakhouse located in The Castle at Park Plaza across the street, beauty salon/barber shop, business center, full-service concierge, fitness center, and even a shoe shine.
On a recent stay at the pet friendly property, we brought our bulldog for a visit and she was greeted and treated like a queen. From the treats upon arrival to the in-room pet bowls, even our dog had an enjoyable stay the property.
Once you enter the hotel's palatial Grand Lobby, you will immediately realize why this property is a popular wedding destination. The opulent Imperial Ballroom with sparkling crystal chandeliers, gilded balconies and proscenium arch stage or oak-paneled Hancock Room can accommodate from 50 to 2,000 guests.
The Boston Park Plaza Hotel recently announced its goal to become an environmentally sensitive hotel at every level. Through its green practices, the hotel wishes to reduce their overall carbon footprint on the planet, while maintaining its immaculate luxury and elite service. The hotel's primary concern is decreasing energy use and conserving a greater amount of resources in its day-to-day operations. Compact florescent bulbs are used in all 941 guest rooms and suites, and motion detectors have been installed in office and meeting space to conserve energy. The hotel employs a state of the art energy management system that detects when a room is vacant, which automatically turns off the heating and/or air conditioning. The system also detects when an occupied room is vacant and automatically sets the system back to room temperature.
The hotel is currently completing a $5 million room renovation while preserving the hotel's historic integrity. Rich in history, the hotel has attracted United States Presidents, international business leaders and celebrities for the past 81 years.
On-site restaurants include:
Todd English's Bonfire Steakhouse
Whiskey Park - Nightclub and Lounge
McCormick and Schmick's Seafood Restaurant
M.J. O'Connor's Authentic Irish Pub
Finale Desserterie
Swan's Café Lobby Bar & Restaurant
The Melting Pot -- A Fondue Restaurant
Destination Hotel: Historically rich Newport, RI, is known as America's first resort city and the sailing capital of the U.S. Located south of capital city Providence on the picturesque Aquidneck Island in Narragansett Bay, the prominent East Coast picture-perfect, pristine community of three beaches has been a luxury destination dating back to the late 19th century. Newport has one of the highest concentrations of colonial-style homes in the nation, as there are three National Historical Landmark districts in the city. Cliff Walk, a designated National Recreational Trail, is the area's most popular spot. It is a 3.5-mile public walkway that stretches from Bailey Beach to First Beach. The pathway runs directly behind the ostentatious grandiose Gild mansions, built during the Gilded Age of the country's Second Industrial Revolution in the late 1800s. Newport has served its country well in modern times as well, as it was the Summer Whitehouse for Presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy, respectively.
The Chanler at Cliff Walk just happens to be one of those spectacularly preserved yesteryear dwellings and a AAA Four Diamond Award hotel as well. Every inch of this intriguingly unique boutique hotel is exquisite. Each room is decorated distinctly, capturing the intricacies and nuances of 19th century lifestyle of the affluent. While many visitors to the area come to tour the heralded mansions, guests of the Chanler get to "live" in such a grandiose dwelling during their stay. Absorbing the luxury lifestyle of colonial times while simultaneously enjoying the finest of contemporary amenities, such as Jacuzzis, flat-screen televisions, and high-speed Internet, make it a dual-era luxuriating experience.
The décor of the four signature suites is breathtaking. Opulently stunning is an understatement in attempting to describe the furnishings, the flooring, the original oil paintings, the crystal chandeliers, and the sunken marble baths throughout. Every inch is rich with the bygone era's splendor, except there also are outdoor covered hot tubs, wet bars, and heated floors to keep it real -- luxurious. Being inside the Chanler is an incomparable sensorial sensation. There also are ocean and garden villas outside the mansion as well as estate and manor rooms.
The great outdoors of the Newport community also is an experience worth writing home about. This is a yachting community with available charters. The Newport National Golf Club is nearby for golfers in search of a challenging course with amazing views of Narragansett Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. There are fine restaurants and shopping venues on America's Cup Avenue. Noteworthy annual events include Newport International Boat Show, the Newport Jazz Festival, and the Newport International Film Festival. Additionally, the Tennis International Hall of Fame is in Newport. Keep in mind that only two-thirds of Cliff Walk is paved. So, wear appropriate shoes avoid stumbling or tumbling.
The Chanler at Cliff Walk is suitable for family vacations, romantic getaways, events, and conferences. The quintessential inn also offers fine dining at its finest at its onsite Spiced Pear Restaurant.
The Chanler at Cliff Walk accommodates all of its guests in a presidential manner.
Luxury Boutique Hotels: Seven4One is an extraordinary seaside boutique hotel located in Laguna Beach, Calif., that is a perfect fit for luxury-lifestyle purists. While it is smaller than many five-star-status lodgings with only 12 guest quarters, S4O proves that not good -- but great things really do come in small packages. This place is larger than life in creating an atmosphere of unparalleled extravagance for guests. Every inch of this chic inn extraordinaire is designed to evoke a sense of unconditional entitlement to guests throughout their visit morning, noon, and night.
Seven4One's Management prides itself in providing an atmosphere fit for a partying rock star. A quick look around and it's clear that this place could easily be part of any visitor's rock-and-roll fantasies. S4O is where refinement and decadence prevail pervasively in the artistically inspiring picturesque Laguna Beach, a seaside town with the aura that is reminiscent of the Mediterranean, with its hilly topography and the alluring blue waters of the Pacific Ocean.
It is all in the details for the staffers at S4O. Once a room is reserved, the hotel's info-gathering process begins with an incoming guest filling out an elaborate survey. By determining a visitor's needs and expectations in advance, such as favorite foods and leisure preferences for daytime and nighttime activities, a highly personalized experience is assured for all comers.
Each guestroom is assigned a personal GEM, a guest-experience manager, who is the sole all-purpose contact or accommodator. A GEM is the consummate personal servant with the best attributes of a concierge, a butler, and a personal assistant rolled into one dynamic lifestyle facilitator. This is a "gem" of an amenity in an area that is as rich with myriad sights, scenes and must-do activities.
Laguna Beach is a community of artisans and partisans of the good life. It is exclusively remote and surrounded by canyons, foothills, parklands, and wetlands. Nearby Huntington Beach has the longest recreational pier in California and hosts the annual U.S. Open of Surfing. Newport Beach, which is north of Laguna Beach, is among America's top yachting communities. Orange County also has sports franchises, including the NHL's Anaheim Ducks and MLB's Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, and family favorites such as Disneyland and Knott's Berry Farm. LB also offers great shopping venues and numerous dining options. The city also is a rich source for performing arts, art galleries, and a burgeoning community of established and emerging artists who work and reside in Laguna Beach.
Meanwhile back at the Seven4One, there is a Euro-styled lobby and lounge, a second-floor terrace, and a courtyard -- which is an outdoor pad of tranquility by day and an eclectically chic open-air lounge and bar that features signature martinis, jazz soundtracks and film clips projecting off the walls. The second-floor terrace also is a dual-purpose area. It is a sundeck by day and an intimate lounge by night. Small-plate gourmet and other sinfully delicious assorted foods are served up at Kitchen S4O. Yoga classes are available on the second-floor terrace and personal trainers are on hand to offer assistance, guidance, and encouragement as needed.
S4O has two ocean-view suites and 10 guestrooms. All rooms have 42-inch flat-screen TVs, media center with hookups for iPods, MP3s, and DVDs, and high-speed Internet service. The hotel is as ecological conscious as it is stylish with numerous green-related sustainability practices in place. Seven4One also is available to book as a private beach house for social affairs, business events, and other types of gatherings.
Luxury Hotels: The idyllically inspiring tropical haven of Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica, is enhanced immeasurably by the presence of the award-winning Gaia Hotel & Reserve on Quepos Beach. The lavish adults-only boutique hotel is in a setting that includes a private rainforest, a backdrop of volcanic mountains, and the Pacific Ocean. The exotic blending of a rainforest into a five-star luxury resort makes the Gaia H&R a venture of exotic pleasures and adventures for discerning vacationing adults.
Amenities and pleasantries are ever flowing, as guests are welcomed heartily with in-room food and drinks upon arriving. A personal concierge is assigned to each guestroom to ensure ultimate satisfaction. The personal concierge is a signature service of the Gaia that savvy visitors will utilize to their full advantage for citywide preferential treatment.
There is so much to do that a little help in coordinating and navigating comes in handy. A tour of the Manuel Antonio National Park is a must. It is the area's main attraction with sights and adventures to see and experience for days. Scuba diving, snorkeling, deep-sea fishing, sea kayaking, river rafting, surfing, and parasailing are some of the water-related activities available, while horseback riding along the beach, mountain biking or hiking through mountain-range trails are additional adventures to experience. For those inclined toward a somewhat slower activity level, there are canopy tours, dolphin tours, and sailboat charters too.
Welcome to the jungle! Formerly known as the Jardin Gaia, the hotel's vast private nature reserve was a refuge of extraordinary ecological proportions from 1989 to 2000. What began as a botanical garden transformed into a nature reserve set up to foster the continuance of the indigenous animal and plant life. Although the official project is closed, the garden remains hallowed grounds continuing to serve as a preservation station for the flora and fauna of Manuel Antonio. On the lighter side, the sighting of the local squirrel monkeys is a daily delight for guests from their terraces.
The resort's restaurant, La Luna, serves up a diverse continental menu with distinct local flavors and accents. The Terra Spa at the Gaia, which looks out into lush foliage of the garden, features an array of soothing body treatments for both couples and individuals. There also is a full gym with personal trainers and yoga classes. There are two large swimming pools on the premises-on different levels-that are connected by a waterfall. All that is Manuel Antonio, the volcanic mountains, the city, and the Pacific Ocean, can be seen from the pool area.
There are seven levels of guestrooms at the Gaia that range from two-bedroom villas with 2,000 square feet of living space to studio-level guestrooms of 350 square feet. The two-bedroom villas are palatial with a living and dining rooms, three flat-screen televisions, a Jacuzzi for four, two home entertainment centers, Internet access, two sofa beds, a mini bar, and natural wood and stone floors. There are two terraces, a bedroom terrace and a 500-square-foot rooftop terrace that looks out onto the reserve and the Pacific Ocean.
The Gaia Hotel & Reserve's pedigree is easily researchable. Manuel Antonio's only bona fide five-star accommodations is a member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World and listed in the prestigious Condé Nast Johansen hotel guide. The Gaia also is the 2007 and 2008 World Traveler Awards winner as the Leading Boutique Hotel in Costa Rica, and the 2008 winner of the Leading Green Hotel in Central America. CNN Headline News featured the Gaia as one of the newest hot spots for A-list celebrities and jetsetters.
The white sands of Quespos Beach and the blue waters of the Pacific Ocean make Manuel Antonio a destination extraordinaire. The accommodations at the Gaia Hotel & Reserve make it all even better.
Luxury Hotels: This September the W San Diego unveiled its new look courtesy of the W design team and Queer Eye for the Straight Guys' Thom Filicia. The ever-swanky W Hotel has been appropriately redesigned with a SURF. SAND. CHIC. motif. Said to be inspired by "San Diego's luxurious laid-back lifestyle," the focus of the W's new style is reflected through a vintage surf look that seamlessly merges sophistication and comfort to create spaces in which guests may relax, indulge and mingle.
Guests staying at the W, San Diego are greeted by The Living Room as they enter the hotel lobby. Adorned with vintage surfboard fins, comfortable lounges and indoor cabanas, The Living Room offers patrons a social atmosphere in which to sip cocktails, converse with other guests and entertain friends. Here, the W offers complementary wireless Internet and a variety of good reading. In the evenings The Living Room takes on a whole new feel as a DJ begins to spin high above the lounge. Classic San Diego surf footage plays on several LCD monitors throughout the space and behind the front desk.
Above The Living Room, the art of John Van Hamersveld lines the walls of the second floor further promoting the SURF. SAND. CHIC. aesthetic. Noted for his highly recognizable pop art of the 60s and 70s, Van Hamersveld is known among surfers as none other than the man who created the original Endless Summer poster. Also on the second floor, guests are invited to relax and enjoy the famed San Diego weather from the comfort of the Veranda Bar or a poolside lounge chair at WET. An interior space, the Veranda Bar opens directly out into the WET pool area creating a fluid indoor-outdoor setting. Stylish furniture, coral chandeliers and a giant wave positioned as if crashing into the pool creates a truly beach-inspired atmosphere.
Continuing the redesign, The Beach, a rooftop lounge already known as a nightlife destination on the W property will soon also boast a new look. Maintaining the SURF. SAND. CHIC. atmosphere, the lounge will soon be expanded and unveiled in 2009. Award-winning designer Thom Filicia along with W's design team will collaborate once again to merge his "personal aesthetic that is driven by a unique and innovative vision of classic simplicity" with the stylish W attitude. Looking ahead to the 2009 unveiling, The Beach promises to be a fun, sophisticated and intriguing venue.
Well known for a unique atmosphere and a playful, yet classy aesthetic, San Diego's W Hotel has unveiled a fresh design that complements the property and caters well to its clientele. Thom Filicia stated, "Since the W San Diego opened it has represented the height of cool, hip and sophistication...I am very excited about this renovation and the chance to bring new life to the hotel's unique public spaces. My vision is a complete transformation created by the incorporation of balanced layers of inviting, modern and evocative design with organic touches." Mission accomplished.
Luxury Hotels: The Burnham Hotel in Chicago is located in the heart of the city's famed Loop district. A landmark property, the Burnham brings to mind an era of days long past. Guests enjoy being at the pulse of the city center, yet are tucked away in splendid grandeur.
Guest rooms are handsomely decorated with a writing desk made of mahogany, a chaise lounge of ribbed cotton on which to relax after a whirlwind day of shopping or sightseeing and a large gentlemen's chest to unpack belongings.
Luxuriate in plush robes provided in all guest accommodations while conducting business using the high speed Internet access. Also at hand are private voicemail and speaker phones with two lines along with computer data ports. When the dealing is done, unwind with the Yoga Channel, the Burnham's in-room yoga program while soft music plays on the CD stereo system.
The Atwood Café is the ideal spot to escape the hustle and bustle of downtown Chicago. Intimate and elegant surroundings greet guests beneath towering 18-foot ceilings. With floor to ceiling windows, guests can quietly watch the whirlwind activity outside while dining graciously on all American food exquisitely prepared by a master chef.
Across from the Burnham Hotel, a complex like no other the Windy City has seen will house private residences, entertainment opportunities and retail venues including Chicago's CBS2 broadcast studios, Gibson's Steakhouse, the Banana Republic and Lucky Strikes Lanes are just a few that aim to call the new complex home. North State Street is getting ready to become the dazzling centerpiece of Chicago.
Chicago is chockfull of dining pleasures, shopping opportunities and a wonderful place to do some sightseeing. The Burnham Hotel is the ideal place from which to get out and explore what this thriving metropolis has to offer. Climb to the top of Sears Tower and from the Skydeck look out upon the vast city scene below, visit the Museum of Contemporary Art and walk among the masterpieces within, take a cruise and explore the shoreline of Lake Michigan or simply walk along the streets and soak in the local color and ambiance.
The Burnham Hotel in Chicago is a signature boutique accommodation. Classic architecture, impeccable service and amenities sure to please even the most discriminating traveler are what guests will find here. Whether traveling for business or for pleasure, the Burnham Hotel will meet and exceed the demand of her guests with luxury and unmatched style and sophistication.
Luxury Hotels: San Diego, a cultural melting pot for the trendy and modern, makes a opulent vacation spot for the adventurous. The Hotel Solamar, a Kimpton Hotel, is located in the center of downtown San Diego's Gaslamp District.
Travel News: On one of our junkets to review West Coast hotels this summer, we bedded down at The Crescent, a boutique standard hotel that has become a quiet Beverly Hills address for creative types since its launch five years ago. The Crescent was the brainchild of Gregory Peck, a former investment banker whose clients included André Balazs and Schrager Hotel groups. The famously named Peck is now gaining attention as the developer-to-watch with a planned Crescent in San Francisco and the much-discussed Carlos Zapata-designed Cooper Square Hotel in New York's East Village. Peck sat down with JC Report to talk about his cookie cutter-free hotel concepts, the meaning of downtown luxury and the rash of developments in the coming months.
Luxury Casinos: The city of Baden-Baden, Germany is best known for its soothing thermal waters. Here travelers discover the Casino Baden-Baden, named by Forbes as one of the World's Best Casinos.
Luxury Casinos: Located in the heart of London's Mayfair District, in the elite area known as Berkeley Square, The Clermont Club has the distinction of being one of the country's best-known gaming establishments.
Luxury Hotels: London's famed Lanesborough Hotel has cemented its position as the city's most luxurious spot for brandy and cigars with the addition of a new walk-in humidor and the acquisition of a 240-year-old bottle of cognac. The five-star Regency-style St. Regis property on Hyde Park Corner in Knightsbridge is home to London's most expensive hotel room, the Royal Suite, which costs £8,000, or about $12,000, per night.
Luxury Hotels: There are numerous hotels to stay at in Boston but only one remains the Grand Dame -- The Boston Park Plaza Hotel. With its 941 guestrooms and suites, the hotel sits prominently in Back Bay near the Boston Common, just outside of Copley Square and minutes from the Theater District. Its old-world charm offers luxuriously designed, well-appointed, and spacious guest rooms for families or business travelers alike. 
Destination Hotel: Historically rich Newport, RI, is known as America's first resort city and the sailing capital of the U.S. Located south of capital city Providence on the picturesque Aquidneck Island in Narragansett Bay, the prominent East Coast picture-perfect, pristine community of three beaches has been a luxury destination dating back to the late 19th century. Newport has one of the highest concentrations of colonial-style homes in the nation, as there are three National Historical Landmark districts in the city. Cliff Walk, a designated National Recreational Trail, is the area's most popular spot. It is a 3.5-mile public walkway that stretches from Bailey Beach to First Beach. The pathway runs directly behind the ostentatious grandiose Gild mansions, built during the Gilded Age of the country's Second Industrial Revolution in the late 1800s. Newport has served its country well in modern times as well, as it was the Summer Whitehouse for Presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy, respectively.
Luxury Boutique Hotels: Seven4One is an extraordinary seaside boutique hotel located in Laguna Beach, Calif., that is a perfect fit for luxury-lifestyle purists. While it is smaller than many five-star-status lodgings with only 12 guest quarters, S4O proves that not good -- but great things really do come in small packages. This place is larger than life in creating an atmosphere of unparalleled extravagance for guests. Every inch of this chic inn extraordinaire is designed to evoke a sense of unconditional entitlement to guests throughout their visit morning, noon, and night.
Luxury Hotels: The idyllically inspiring tropical haven of Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica, is enhanced immeasurably by the presence of the award-winning Gaia Hotel & Reserve on Quepos Beach. The lavish adults-only boutique hotel is in a setting that includes a private rainforest, a backdrop of volcanic mountains, and the Pacific Ocean. The exotic blending of a rainforest into a five-star luxury resort makes the Gaia H&R a venture of exotic pleasures and adventures for discerning vacationing adults.
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