The Suite Life

Construction has begun on the $86-million, 304-room Hotel Palomar-Atlanta at 866 West Peachtree. The 21-story, 390,000-sq. ft. hotel will include a restaurant and 10,000 sq. ft. of meeting space. It is expected to be completed by May 2009. The hotel will be managed by San Francisco-based Kimpton Hotels & Restaurant Group.

Kim King Associates president Beau King tells GlobeSt.com that boutique nature of the hotel is unique for Atlanta. “Atlanta doesn’t have anything like this,” he says.

King adds that the hotel is located in the center of Midtown near the entrance to Georgia Tech and will attract both business and leisure travelers. “Midtown has seen a tremendous amount of activity recently, but hasn’t seen any hotel activity,” he says.

The development partnership includes Ross-Patterson, a locally based hospitality consulting firm controlled by Butch Ross, of Barry Hotel Partners, and Chip Morgan Patterson, owner of Ameripark. Ross-Patterson helped to secure Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants as the operating partner as well as structure the transaction.

“With all the retail, residential and office development in the area, the timing was right to introduce this product,” Ross says. “This is a unique development opportunity for Atlanta. The boutique hotel industry is prevalent in New York, California and Boston, but not in Atlanta.”

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Oh, why are the companies trying to make it harder for us to travel? Is it the fault of government’s economic policies, regular inflation, increasing costs, or hotels desire for profits? Whatever the pure reason (and I’m sure it is a combination of all of them), looks like we should be prepared for hotel rates to continue to increase just as they have in the first part of 2007. I mentioned it before in an earlier article, but at Perfect Escapes, we are always keeping our eyes open on the worldwide industry. And from this vantage point, looks like prices are continuing to go up.

From the original article at BTOnline:

Several key European cities are raising hotel prices, including Barcelona, which recorded an 18 percent increase, and Berlin, which recorded a 17 percent increase, according to HRG UK’s hotel survey for the first half of 2007, released today. In fact, average rates were up in every major European market except for Geneva, where rates dropped 3 percent.

Average daily rates in New York were up 4 percent to about $361.29, with only Moscow showing a higher average rate of about $473.05, according to the survey. Only one U.S. city, Houston, was among the top 10 cities for rate increases, with an increase of 8 percent.

Boosted by increased traffic through Mumbai’s international airport, the city’s average daily rates rose by 30 percent in the first six months of 2007, compared with the same period last year. For the full year of 2006, Mumbai rates increased by 49 percent compared with the previous year. That trend will continue in Asia as well as the Middle East, according to HRG.

“As these two particular markets have yet to reach full maturity, we expect to see the trends continue over the foreseeable future,” Margaret Bowler, HRG’s director of global hotel relations, said in a prepared statement. “Indeed, as economic investment in each local economy increases, we may even see a significant increase in the pace of growth.”

We are big fans of Hotel Gansevoort in New York so can’t help but get a little excited when we hear that another one is in the works.

Click here to read the rest of the <a href=”http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/22/realestate/commercial/22hotel.html?_r=1&oref=slogin” target=”_blank”>New York Times article:

“To understand how the meatpacking district in downtown Manhattan was transformed from an obscure collection of a few bistros and boutiques scattered among beef-filled warehouses to a hot residential, commercial and entertainment destination, consider Michael Achenbaum’s explanation.

A developer is betting that his Gansevoort Park hotel, above, can replicate the success of his Hotel Gansevoort in Manhattan.

One crucial event, he said, was the debut of the Hotel Gansevoort in March 2004 at West 13th Street and Ninth Avenue. After that, he said, the neighborhood suddenly seemed to have a lot more electricity. Mr. Achenbaum is not entirely objective, of course; he was the hotel’s developer. But the opening of his 13-story 187-room glass-and-steel property, which cost $70 million to build, was a relatively early signal to other investors about the area’s potential.

In addition, the building’s distinctive rooftop bar and pool, open to nonguests, were almost instantly trendy and heightened the buzz about the neighborhood.

Now Mr. Achenbaum, a principal of WSA Management, based in Garden City on Long Island, hopes to copy that neighborhood-fostering success with a new hotel, Gansevoort Park, at the southwestern corner of Park Avenue South and East 29th Street. It is to be developed with Centurion Realty, whose portfolio includes four million square feet of residential and commercial properties, including 12 other New York buildings.

The hurdles, though, might be more daunting, since the area — squeezed between Murray Hill and the Flatiron District, with an unremarkable hodgepodge of phone stores, pharmacies and 16-story offices — does not have a catchy name, or much cachet.

Still, Mr. Achenbaum is thinking splashy, and big: a 19-story glass-and-limestone building with 225 rooms, which will cost $200 million. (The financing is being provided by HSH Nordbank, a German commercial bank, and was locked in before the current credit crisis, he said.) < ahref=”http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/22/realestate/commercial/22hotel.html?_r=1&oref=slogin” target=”_blank”>More…

For all you Fairmont lovers out there, keep these new properties on your radar. We might have just helped you figure out your travel plans through 2010.

Fairmont Hotels & Resorts will continue to develop their brand presence worldwide with project plans for new hotels and mixed-use developments located in places such as Vancouver, South Africa and Asia.

The Plaza Hotel, managed by Fairmont, will be reopening in October 2007 after undergoing an extensive $350 million renovation for the past two years.

The new Plaza Hotel will feature over 282 elegant and luxurious suites and also contains a wide range of high-end retail stores as well as restored public areas including the Palm Court, Grand Ballroom and Oak Bar.

Another Fairmont-managed property will be located on the Crescent of the Palm Jumeirah, the Fairmont Kingdom of Sheba. The property is scheduled for opening in 2010 and will include over 510 hotel rooms as well as facilities for conferences, a private beach, sports club and spa.

Future developments include a Fairmont Abu Dhabi Resort & Villas, situated within the new Marina City Development and scheduled to open in 2009 as well as The Fairmont Tamarack, an all year-open mountain destination located in Idaho. Fairmont will also be managing a new property, located along the Indian Ocean’s Omani shoreline. With plans for opening in 2010, the resort will include a golf course, restaurant and meeting facilities.

Viceroy All-Inclusive – Viceroy Palm Springs

Make your escape to the Viceroy Palm Springs with an unbeatable summer special: Viceroy All-Inclusive offers more than $700 in daily resort credits — all the great amenities you really want are included: Spa treatments, cocktails, dining, movies, and more!

Enjoy three delectable meals — with complimentary libations — at the resort’s highly acclaimed Citron Restaurant and Bar, plus poolside snacks and thirst-quenching beverages. Two Estrella Spa treatments round out the package: Choose from a vast menu of 60-minute rejuvenation experiences including massages, facials and more. Retreat to your stylish accommodations to chill out and enjoy a complimentary DVD.

This fabulous Viceroy All-Inclusive offer provides:
* Two or more nights in your choice of accommodations
* Daily breakfast, lunch, and 3-course dinner with wine and beer
* Poolside snacks for two daily
* Complimentary cocktail account: Up to 12 drinks per room per night, including premium and specialty drinks, and choice wines
* Two 60-minute Estrella Spa treatments, and 20% off any additional spa treatments
* Complimentary DVD movie rentals

Plus, as a special perk for Perfect Escapes guests, you’ll also receive:

* Complimentary resort fee — a $24 daily value — covering parking, Internet access and more
* Early check-in and late check-out, when available

But hurry: This amazing offer is valid for Sunday- through Thursday-night stays through September 13, 2007 only, and availability is limited. Check Perfect Escapes for availability today.