Husband and wife team Kit and Tim Kemp of Firmdale Hotels reopen their first hotel on June 18, in time for the Olympics.

Back in 1985 the Kemp’s acquired their first hotel, the Dorset Square Hotel, which was going to be the start of their succesful Firmdale chain, which now has seven hotels in London and one ‘across the pond’ in New York City. All are members of marketing consortium Design Hotels™  In 2002 the Kemp’s sold the Dorset Square Hotel only to acquire it back again last year.

“Always in their heart” the hotel since then has gotten an overhaul by Kit, famous for her signature style which includes bold, contrasting, colours and textures and being filled with bespoke and one-off pieces and

original art collected from around the globe. The property itself is a beautiful Regency townhouse with 38 bedrooms, many of which look onto the leafy private garden square which was originally the site of Thomas Lord’s first cricket ground. Each bedroom is being individually designed to feature WiFi, flat widescreen TVs and iPod docks while bathrooms are of marble and oak, have freestanding showers and luxurious Miller Harris bath products. There will also feature a sumptuous guest drawing room with a fireplace and a fun all-day bar and restaurant.

The Dorset Square Hotel is situated in the north of Marylebone, just doorsteps away from the Regent’s Park and Marylebone Station. Marylebone is an affluent inner-city area of central London. The neighborhood has recently become one of London’s most urbane and exciting residential areas, with fashionable shops, cafés and restaurants lined up as well as world-class galleries, all within easy reach of London’s theatre-land and financial district.

Located in the heart of Manhattan’s Chelsea neighbourhood alongside New York’s High Line Park, Hotel Americano is Grupo Habita’s first property outside its native Mexico.

Z New York Hotel, a 100-room lifestyle hotel with uniquely New York design located across the East River from Manhattan in the borough of Queens opened this month.

In the reception area an original installation by Serett Metalworks on the main wall depicts the train station departure board of a dedicated traveler’s dreams, with points familiar (France, Germany, Spain) and exotic (Israel and Iceland) wilkomming arrivals. A custom check-in desk repurposes vintage luggage, behind which is a one-of-a-kind mural depicting the gloriously ornate City Hall subway station.

In the rooms rather than wallpaper, there are three bespoke murals of iconic New York experiences — Billie Holiday singing, the Rockettes kicking and a taxi cab cruising.

The hotel is located in Long Island City, the westernmost neighborhood of the borough of Queens and is just one subway stop away from Manhattan. The rooftop bar has unencumbered views of the island.

Vikram Chatwal Hotels has taken the wraps off its Dream Downtown hotel in a restored 1960s-era Albert C. Ledner building in New York.

The newly opened 190,000-sq.-ft. property underwent a $270 million-dollar renovation overseen by architecture firm Handel Architects and lead design partner Frank Fusaro.

The hotel, at 355 W. 16^th St., has 316 guestrooms and suites, a lobby restaurant and VIP penthouse lounge (both operated by TAO/Strategic Group), a soon-to-open restaurant by Dr./Chef Miguel Sanchez Romera, an expansive pool deck, a contemporary beach club and fitness facilities with spa services.

Fusaro and the team at Handel Architects preserved the Ledner building’s distinct character, including its portal windows. The design of the hotel’s loft-inspired guest rooms was influenced by Andy Warhol’s Factory, and feature contemporary furniture pieces and custom Etro bathroom amenities.

“We hope guests and visitors agree that the hotel marks a bold new direction for the Dream brand, with eclectic design elements and art pieces hand-picked from all over the world,” said hotelier Vikram Chatwal, founder of Vikram Chatwal Hotels, a subsidiary company of operating parent corporation Hampshire Hotels & Resorts.

Dream Downtown marks Chatwal’s fifth hotel opening in New York, with existing properties The Time, Night, Dream New York and stay. all with Uptown locations in Manhattan’s theater district.

Hotelier Sant Singh Chatwal is partnering with Starwood Hotels & Resorts to help market his most ambitious New York City property, The Chatwal, which opened last year on West 44th Street.

The posh hotel—room rates run upwards of $500 per night—announced last tuesday that it is now part of the Starwood Luxury Collection, giving it access to Starwood’s vast reservation system. There are more than 75 Luxury Collection hotels in 30 countries, but none had been in New York until The Chatwal.

“Our feeling is that Starwood will make a huge difference in boosting reservations and it will help us get a better room rate,” Mr. Chatwal said.

Mr. Chatwal is chairman and chief executive of Hampshire Hotels & Resorts, which owns about half a dozen budget hotels in New York City, as well as properties in Florida, England and India. His son, Vikram Chatwal, runs boutique hotels including Dream, Night and Time in New York, which are also owned by Hampshire Hotel & Resorts. Several weeks ago, Wyndham Worldwide inked a deal for the exclusive rights to franchise the three boutique hotels.

The Chatwal is the family’s priciest property to date. The 83-room hotel opened last September and boasts a spa and the Lambs Club restaurant, run by celebrity chef Geoffrey Zakarian. The landmark building was originally designed by noted architect Stanford White. Mr. Chatwal commissioned Thierry Despont to redesign the Art Deco interior, a renovation that took several years to complete.

A spokesman for Mr. Chatwal said the Starwood partnership is meant to boost the hotel’s visibility. It had been part of The Leading Hotels of the World, an organization that markets independently owned luxury properties.

Amsterdam Hospitality Group has tapped Goodman Charlton LLC to execute a complete redesign of The Moderne Hotel in Manhattan.

The lavish restoration, slated to be completed this month, will consist of a revamp of the hotel’s interiors, including the 34 guestrooms, communal lounge space and business center, creating an aesthetic that is reflective of the neighborhood where high art meets the daily hustle of commerce.

The renovation of The Moderne will combine the essence of an intimate Europe hotel with the glamour and style of a chic New York City townhouse. Goodman Charlton’s redesign will combine some of the hotel’s existing small units to create six loft-like suites with exposed brick walls and high ceilings.

Guestrooms will feature oversized tufted white leather beds, polished stainless steel desks and a Charles Eames-inspired black and white woven carpet. In addition to donning bold original abstract artwork, each guestroom reflects the whimsical spirit of the 1950s Color Field art movement. Refurbished bathrooms boast stainless steel tiles and an oversized backlit mirror. Bath amenities are custom-formulated, based on the essence of spearmint.

The redesign will also give life to a large communal living room and lounge space on the second floor that will feature silver leather sofas and a cozy brick fireplace, as well as numerous iPad docks. In addition, guests can enjoy a wet bar to relax, lounge and socialize.

“We want to deliver a true boutique hotel experience to our guests in the heart of a bustling area of Manhattan,” says T. Blake Danner, executive vice president of the hotels division of Amsterdam Hospitality. “With only five rooms on each floor, the redesign of The Moderne will allow guests to enjoy secluded solace and a truly intimate experience.”

Original plans called for an opening this month, but like many new hotel builds in NYC the opening of the Dream Downtown has been pushed back to the summer.

Already nicknamed the “cheesegrater” the Dream Downtown is right next to The Maritime Hotel, which sports a similar window-porthole design. If you can’t wait for the summer opening The Maritime will be a good alternative.

The website does not give much information and neither does the facebook page. However we know the Dream Downtown will have 316 “loft-inspired” bedrooms and a heated pool with translucent bottom visible from the ceiling of the lobby lounge. We have seen this already at the Axel Hotel in Buenos Aires! And though 316 rooms is not exactly boutique as the Dream Hotels’ website promises, we for sure think the Dream Downtown will be as sexy as its siblings uptown at Times Square, in Bangkok, Cochin (India) and the soon-to-open Dream South Beach in Miami (which partly operates as The Palmer House now).

Dream Hotels, owned by Vikram Chatwal (a well-known hotelier) and Wyndham Worldwide, one of the world’s largest hotel chains announced a joint-venture early this year to expand the Dream brand into other locations worldwide.

Gansevoort Hotel Group announces the official opening of its latest venture, Gansevoort Park Avenue NYC, at Park Avenue South and 29th Street.

In the Gansevoort tradition, the property sets a new standard for both hotel living and destination gathering, with 249 sleekly appointed rooms and suites averaging 462 square feet; a jaw-dropping three-story lobby; a tri-level rooftop complex with a spectacular indoor/outdoor pool and connected nightlife spaces; and the recently opened Ristorante Asellina, a 10,000 square-foot Italian trattoria, operated by The ONE Group and featuring a James Beard Award-winning chef.

“We are thrilled to unveil Gansevoort Park Avenue as the city’s most comprehensive urban resort,” said Michael Achenbaum, President of Gansevoort Hotel Group. “Through groundbreaking partnerships with leading brands in the restaurant, beauty, and fashion industries, the hotel provides a one-of-a-kind experience for hotel guests and an exciting new addition to Manhattan’s culinary and nightlife scene.”

Those partnerships are central to the Gansevoort Park Avenue conception of a complete resort experience. Exhale spa provides a full menu of spa therapies and a daily schedule of its highly acclaimed Core Fusion® yoga classes. A Lacoste boutique offers co-branded merchandise and limited-edition items created in partnership with well-known designers. Cutler serves as the in-house salon and is the exclusive provider of hotel bath and hair products. And a unique arrangement with Porsche means that Gansevoort Park Avenue NYC guests can enjoy complimentary in-town car service in the 2011 Porsche Panamera 4S.

Gansevoort Park Avenue’s design combines classic American inspirations with the Gansevoort Hotel Group’s signature uninhibited spirit. The showpiece lobby, guest rooms, presidential suite, and pool area were all designed by architect Stephen B. Jacobs and interior designer Andi Pepper, the team responsible for Gansevoort Meatpacking NYC. Manhattan-based firm ICRAVE created the restaurant, Asellina. And noted photographer Deborah Anderson’s artwork is integrated throughout the hotel – on walls, in guestrooms, and on the rooftop.

“Gansevoort Park Avenue was conceived throughout as a self-contained world,” says Achenbaum. “You can swim, shop, work out, enjoy a complete spa experience, and see and be seen at one of several city hot spots – all without ever leaving the resort. Of course, if you do, you’re right in the middle of Manhattan, and you’ve got a wonderfully stylish and relaxing home to return to.”

Gansevoort Park Rooftop
The Gansevoort Park Rooftop is a 20,000 sq. foot tri-level complex that consists of an Ultra Lounge with attached outdoor balconies, an indoor/outdoor pool deck connected to multiple bar areas, and a distinct outdoor rooftop level with stunning 360-degree city views. This one-of-a-kind entertainment property in New York has been built to accommodate large-scale events, while operating seven days a week with a welcoming entry policy that stays true to the local Park Avenue vibe.

Satsky & Gefter Corp., the proprietors of various luxury nightlife venues in New York, has partnered with The ONE Group and Gansevoort Hotel Group to create an enhanced nightlife experience at the Gansevoort Park Rooftop. These intertwined relationships assemble a multi-talented group whose first priority is guest experience. Another Satsky & Gefter Corp. property and concept located on the ground level of Gansevoort Park will open in Spring 2011.

Ristorante Asellina
From industry leader The ONE Group-creator of STK and The Collective-comes Asellina, an Italian trattoria led by Executive Chef Marco Porceddu. The menu offers rustic dishes such as Wild Mushroom Agnolotti with Fresh Sage and Parmigiano and Stuffed Beef Tenderloin with Chanterelle, Ubriaco Cheese, and Red Wine. Porceddu, the James Beard Award-winning chef, also oversees the menus for the Gansevoort Park Rooftop, private events and hotel room service.

exhale spa
Exhale presents a full menu of signature spa therapies as well as its highly acclaimed proprietary Core Fusion® classes (including Core Fusion®, Core Fusion Sport®, and Core Fusion Cardio®) and yoga classes (including Music Yoga Flow and Core Fusion Yoga®). A wellness lounge features a mind-body studio where yoga and Core classes are hosted, four spa therapy rooms, a manicure/pedicure lounge, a rejuvenating infrared detox chamber, a wellbeing boutique, changing rooms, and a mind-body gym. The extensive spa menu can also be enjoyed in-room or poolside.

Cutler Salon
Located on the second floor of Gansevoort Park Avenue’s soaring lobby, Cutler salon offers of-the-moment styles and treatments by forward-thinkers in the industry. All guest rooms feature complimentary in-room hair and bath products from Cutler.

Porsche
Porsche Cars North America, Inc. and Gansevoort Hotel Group are redefining luxury travel through an exclusive new transportation partnership. Guests at Gansevoort Park Avenue NYC and Gansevoort Meatpacking NYC enjoy complimentary in-town car service in “the sports car for four,” the 2011 Porsche Panamera 4S.

Lacoste
As part of a new partnership, Gansevoort Hotel Group and Lacoste have opened a distinctive Lacoste boutique at Gansevoort Park Avenue, featuring co-branded merchandise, Limited Edition and Collector’s Series items created in partnership with well-known designers, and select items from the brand’s classic polo lines. Gansevoort Hotel Group is also the first hotel brand worldwide to partner with Lacoste on staff wardrobes.

RLJ Development has acquired the 755-key Doubletree Metropolitan Hotel in Midtown Manhattan for US$335 million, or US$444,000 per key.

RLJ, controlled by Black Entertainment Television network founder Robert L. Johnson, purchased the property last month from the former ownership group that includes Highgate Holdings, Whitehall Real Estate Funds and Rockwood Capital LLC. That group acquired the hotel in 2003 for US$110.5 million and spent US$35 million renovating it, The Wall Street Journal reports.

“These assets are compliant with our investment strategy to buy high-caliber real estate,” RLJ Development President Thomas J. Baltimore Jr. tells the Journal. “In New York, we have significant demand growth and high barriers to entry.”

Bethesda, Maryland-based RLJ is paying US$135 million in cash and putting US$200 million of new debt on the property, while US$250 million in existing debt is being paid off as part of the acquisition.

The 50-year-old hotel was designed by famed architect Morris Lapidus and is noted for its undulated glass façade. The property will continue to be managed by Highgate.

source: Newsweek