Hotel Chandler Announces Renovation Completion

Hotel Chandler, a boutique hotel in New York City’s Flatiron neighborhood, is proud to announce the completion of their world-class hotel renovations!

Interior designer, Jane Capellini, redesigned all 138 guestrooms, the lobby, cocktail and wine bar, library and the Chandler Lounge. According to the hotel, which is owned by Triumph Hotels, the newly renovated spaces will “act as a threshold between the bustling hustle of New York City and the relaxing nature of home.”

Early next year, an advanced meeting space and a private dining room are set to complete the revamp. Juni, the high-end, organically focused, onsite restaurant, is also set to open in early 2013. Executive chef Shaun Hergatt’s seasonally inspired menu will offer locally-sourced organic ingredients.

Check our more information on Hotel Chandler’s renovation today!

“The storytelling of New York City begins at Hotel Chandler, beginning from a guest’s first step into the lobby and radiating outward to the plush guestrooms and functional public spaces of the hotel.”

St. Regis New York Unveils Its Newest Luxury Brand-Themed Suite—The Bentley Suite

Just when we thought they couldn’t do it, the St. Regis New York has once again upped its luxury offerings. This week, the hotel announced that the Bentley Suite has joined the hotel’s collection of luxury brand-themed suites.

The new 1,700 square foot suite was designed as a collaboration between St. Regis Hotels and Resorts, part of Starwood Hotels & Resorts, and Bentley Motors, “providing their guests with the luxury, craftsmanship and style associated with both renowned international brands.”

According to Bentley Motors’ official press release, “The Bentley Suite features an entryway foyer, one bedroom, one and a half baths, an expansive dining room and living room complete with floor-to-ceiling windows on the 15th floor.”

According to Daniele Ceccomori, senior Bentley designer, “…many of the fittings reflect jewelry features in our cars, and the use of the leather and colors convey the special cocooning that drivers and passengers feel when they experience the interior of a Bentley.”

But that’s not all! Guests will receive St. Regis butler service and an in-suite champagne bar. And while the hotel already offers complimentary Bentley chauffeur service to its suite guests around the world, guests staying in the Bentley Suite will have exclusive, complimentary access to a Bentley Mulsanne within a 10-block radius of the hotel. The St. Regis New York will have the first 2013 Bentley Mulsanne in the United States, which has been customized for the hotel.

As aforementioned, this isn’t the first time the St. Regis New York has partnered with a luxury brand. The Bentley Suite is joining The Tiffany Suite and The Dior Suite as part of the hotel’s exclusive collection of Designer Suites.

Paul H. F. Nash general manager of the St. Regis, believes that Bentley Motors’ “impeccable attention to detail and dedication to artisanship makes it the ideal collaborator” for the hotel.

Check out more information on the Bentley Suite today!

McConnell Clients Make Top Hotel Restaurant List

We are proud to announce that two of our clients’ restaurants, Adour at the St. Regis New York and CityZen at Mandarin Oriental, Washington, D.C., have made The Daily Meal’s first annual “101 Best Hotel Restaurants Around the World.”

According to The Daily Meal, the list “pays homage to the world’s most exemplary hotel feasts. This is our comprehensive look at hotel restaurants that have consistently set the benchmark by which other hotel restaurants are measured.”

The list was carefully curated by consulting the Michelin Guide and other trusted sources, who have traveled and dined extensively around the world.

And because there are an abundance of hotel restaurants around the world, The Daily Meal had to set some guidelines for consideration. The hotel had to have at least 15 rooms, and the restaurant had to be in the hotel (all hotel-adjacent restaurants were automatically excluded). Other than those set guidelines, “We did not discriminate on location; no island, nation or province was off the table,” said The Daily Meal.

The final list spans six continents, more than 40 countries and nations and more than 80 cities! Some of the restaurants include: Joël Robuchon Restaurant at MGM Grand Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, La Marocain at La Mamounia in Marrakech and Blue by Eric Ripert at The Ritz-Carlton in Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands! Check out the full list today!

And we would like to congratulate the St. Regis New York and Mandarin Oriental, Washington, D.C., one more time for a job well done!

Land Was So Five Minutes Ago—Stay on a Ferry Hotel!

What once carried a countless number of immigrants to Ellis Island in the 1900s is now a refurbished five-bedroom boutique hotel on the Hudson River.

At 105 years old, the ferry is docked near Hoboken, New Jersey’s Sinatra Drive on the Hudson River. The ship’s new owners, Victoria and Richard MacKenzie-Childs, have decorated their new floating hotel in a bohemian fashion—with plenty of colorful art, 16 bunks, an on-deck chicken coop, a dining room and even an Apple computer. And let’s not forget to mention that the hotel comes adorned with beautiful views of the Manhattan skyline.

Prior to becoming the boutique hotel it is today, Boston.com says “…this ship patrolled Boston Harbor during WWI, brought immigrants to Ellis Island and brought passengers to Governors and Liberty Islands.”

Does the idea of a ferry hotel float your boat?

Ikea Hotels to Open in Europe

Ikea is a company known for its affordable put-it-together-yourself furniture. Now, the Swedish home furnishing company is getting into the hotel business!

Ikea announced this week that they plan to open 100 hotels across Europe for the cost-conscious traveler—the first hotel is expected to open in Germany. According to the Daily Mail, the hotel chain will offer “a boutique feel at affordable prices.” The hotels will not have the Ikea or Inter Ikea (the company that owns Ikea) name, but instead collaborate with an established hotelier.

This isn’t Ikea’s first venture in the hospitality market. In 2007, Ikea Norway offered their customers overnight accommodations to those who wanted to extend their shopping hours. Also, this year, Ikea set up a temporary lounge in the Roissy-Charles de Gaulle airport (Paris) where travelers could rest in between flights.

And we all know your main concern with Ikea’s new hotel project. Luckily, the Huffington Post had the answer: “No word on whether the Swedish meatballs will be available in the hotel restaurant.”