Hey, remember how Aloft and Element opened up together in Lexington, MA and we went on and on about Aloft but then Element kind of went under our radar (comparatively, at least)? We hadn't been hearing too much out of Element division of the Starwood over-the-top marketing department lately, so we got to wondering what was going on with the Element Lexington, the new chain's first-born.
Natch, we dropped in to TripAdvisor to see what guests were saying.
Now, there is a certain image we get in our heads when we think of eco-hotels: grainy materials, a bit more rustic-looking, green and brown colors -- and we've gotta admit that we're a bit more apt to head toward the aesthetic of the super-sleek and shiny vibe we get from Aloft's marketing efforts, you know?
There's tons of hotel news flying around this week and we don't have time to give each and every story the love and attention it may deserve, so you will have to settle for some news briefs.
· The World's Best 1-Room Hotels: Tee-hee! UK's Times Online has an entertaining list of the world's best hotels that only have one room. We'll go ahead and pitch a tent or a pop-up hotel room, thank you. [TimesOnline]
· Rejoice! Element is Coming to Omaha!: Yes, friends: Starwood takes its first timid step into the bustling city of Omaha and will open an Element in 2010. [Hotel News Resource]
· WhiskeyFest at San Francisco Marriott: On October 10, WhiskyFest, a tasting of more than 200 bottlings, will go down at the Marriott in San Fran. Yum. [SF Gatee]
· Palin Made the NYC Hotel Rounds Yesterday: Not only did Sarah Palin hit up the Millenium Broadway and the InterContinental in NYC, but it looks like she made it over to the Millenium UN Plaza, too. [Yahoo! News]
There's tons of hotel news flying around this week and we don't have time to give each and every story the love and attention it may deserve, so you will have to settle for some news briefs.
· Ultimate Meth Hotel Hell: A woman in Pensacola, Florida had a black backpack fall from the ceiling of her hotel room. Inside it? A portable meth lab. Oy. [AP News]
Beijing Hotels Still Empty: While swimming and NBC Olympics ratings probably had their best Olympics ever, Beijing hotels still are suffering. [BusinessWeek]
· Excalibur Goes Electronic: While the outside of the Excalibur Hotel & Casino still looks like bad interpretation of medieval fantasy, inside the poker rooms are going electronic! [Fox Business]
· Hotel Dorms Get Student Desks: Colorado State University has a shortage of housing for its frosh class so it's putting a few of them in hotels and giving them student desks. [Pueblo Chieftain]
· Element Heads to (Outside of) LA: An Element hotel will open in Palmdale, Calif. Yeah, we'll never go there either. [Green Meeting]
While we were busy blogging about Starwood's Aloft, we almost missed the hotel chain's other swiftly replicating twin, element. This time it's their location in Irving, Texas, officially opening on November 1st.
Decidely blah in style next to its clubby sibling (case in point their Lexington, MA location) we'll be watching to see if they administer a bit of color-correcting to what has proven to be some dreary, minimalist decor. Lively up yourself!
Why Irving? It's a smart real estate decision, sandwiched between the sister cities of Dallas and Forth Worth. It's a mecca for sports junkies... and museums. There are three alone dedicated to the history of aviation, go figyuh. It has the The Kimball Art Museum, and The Sid Richardson Collection of Western Art (home to many Remingtons).
As every hotel watcher should know, this summer Starwood Hotels launched two new hotel brands, Aloft Hotels and Element Hotels. While we've seen picture after picture and review after review of the Aloft brand, very little has been said about the Element brand.
Maybe Element having only 1 location in Lexington Mass vs Aloft's 15 or so locations throughout the US (and.. Canada) plays a small part in that, but nonetheless -
There's tons of hotel news flying around this week and we don't have time to give each and every story the love and attention it may deserve, so you will have to settle for some news briefs.
· Criss Angel's Hotel Implosion Trick: Don't forget! The premiere of Criss Angel's MindFreak show is on A&E tonight and in it, Angel will do some stunt involving a hotel implosion in Florida.
· Element Hotels Go Overseas to Abu Dhabi: Starwood Hotels announces the first Element Hotel for Abu Dhabi - the first to be introduced in the Europe, Africa and Middle East division. It will open in 2011 in the Capital Centre development. [Marketwatch]
· Biltmore to Get Renovation: Arizona's Biltmore Hote, part of the Waldorf-Astoria Collection, will get a $300 million renovation. [Phoenix Biz Journal]
· Bye, Bye, Phonebooks: In the Obvious or Duh News department, hotels have decided that no one uses phonebooks anymore so they are getting rid of them as a way to save the environment. [USA Today]
And then another Aloft popped up in Rancho Cucamonga, and we were all, "whatever, Lexington, we're not waiting around for you."
Then we scored some pics of the first-ever Element, which was set to open in Lexington, and we were excited all over again -- especially since it looked a lot more spacious and comfy than the Aloft we visited in the meantime.
And today, July 1st, marks the birth of both the Aloft Lexington and Element Lexington properties, bringing Starwood just that much closer to world domination.
Thanks to a generous insider we have a ton of pics from inside the first ever Element Hotel in Lexington, Mass. which we hear is going to open next week (not July 15.)
Element Hotels is the extended-stay brand for Starwood Hotels and is a spin-off brand of Westin Hotels. Much like Aloft (a spin-off of the W Hotels brand) is good for one night near the airport, Element is for business travelers who are put several days on a project in random places like Lexington.
Thus each room is very spacious complete with a souped-up work area and a kitchen. Essentially, it's the antithesis of Aloft.
Also, each hotel will aim to be LEED-certified, all rooms will feature the Westin Heavenly bed and spa-like bathrooms; a state-of-the-art fitness center on-site, complimentary breakfast and organic "pantry" options, and complimentary bikes for guests to tool around on.
But why do we need to write any more? Just take a look at the pics! (There's six in total.)
0 Comments - Add Yours
by Jenna
There's tons of hotel news flying around this week and we don't have time to give each and every story the love and attention it may deserve, so you will have to settle for some news briefs.
