The Suite Life

The Chicago Tribune recently reported that hotels in the Windy City are stepping up their high-tech amenities in an effort to make guests feel more at home. While the general consensus is that nothing is as important as impeccable service when it comes to a hotel experience, it can’t hurt to lavish guests with high-tech amenities to accompany the custom pillows and service. In a world where people are plugged in to some sort of device almost constantly, hotels are reaching out to high-tech lifestyles who live in a luxuriously gadgety world.

The Hard Rock Hotel Chicago is installing HDTV’s into every guest room, while The Peninsula is upgraded cell-phone coverage and many area hotels are succumbing to the almost now standard amenity of free wireless internet.

Many Chicago hotels are also offering video game consoles, more accessible outlets, and in-room laptop storage safes in addition to the giant plasma TV’s and entertainment systems.

When you mix luxury with high-tech you can lay in your turned-down, fluffy bed, watching your HDTV, while your ipod charges in the alarm dock next to you, all while a concierge happily arranges for the phone charge your forgot to be replaced and dropped at your hotel room door. It’s virtual hotel bliss.

Find luxury hotels in Chicago on Perfect Escapes

For many people these days, going on vacation doesn’t necessarily mean turning off all electronic connections. In fact, many people are inclined to choose luxury hotels that cater to their plugged-in lifestyle allowing them time to enjoy the high-tech toys that are often pushed aside for webnars and calendar syncing.

A recent MSNBC article plugged in to the some of the luxury hotels with the best tech amenities. What they found is that technology is quickly matching other amenities in terms of personalization and creativity. Leave the pillow bar behind; it’s time for WiFi and Hi-Def options.

At the Hotel Monaco in Seattle, guests can compete in Guitar Hero III tournaments during the evening wine hour every Friday night. Hotel 1000 also in Seattle boasts a variety of tech-amenities including: no dead zones, digital thermometers that can be set to specific degrees and which turn on when they recognize guest presence in the room. Electronic button indicators letting staff know when not to disturb guest and when room is unoccupied for cleaning, virtual golf programs, and a variety of HD TV and music choices are also available for techy travelers.

At Hotel Sax in Chicago, The Studio: An Experience by Microsoft, was launched to create the ultimate digital space for guests including Xbox, a laptop work area, music library and digital music players, and home theater-style entertainment.

Hotel Teatro in Denver give guests GPS systems with programmed local outdoor adventures so they can have their connectivity and activities too. While on the opposite end, Le Parker Meridien in NYC takes high-tech even higher with a Wii exercise room in its health club so guests can play reality tennis with virtual partners at any level.

Clearly, luxury hotels are adding high-tech haute couture amenities in an effort to reach luxury travelers who unwind by staying plugged-in, but on their own terms. Be it through internet connectivity, video games and entertainment, or by interactive room technology for personalizing stays and communicating with hotel staff, these luxury hotels are no longer just virtual reality.

Find Luxury Hotels in Seattle at Perfect Escapes.

Find Luxury Hotels in Chicago at Perfect Escapes.

Find Luxury Hotels in NYC at Perfect Escapes.

By Sarah Ziering for Perfect Escapes

As our favorite holiday destinations come out from winter hibernation, so does the fun and excitement of a spring city escape. This week on our User Reviews Suite Life Blog Segment, Perfect Escapes brings you comments from guests who stayed at The Sutton Place Hotel, Chicago.

Since our launch of the user reviews application, Perfect Escapes has been overwhelmed with responses from people around the world sharing their unique hotel experiences. In this special blog segment, we take the chance to share some of the particularly thoughtful reviews with you in the hope that it will aid you in deciding where to stay on your next trip, and spur you to share your memorable experiences with us as well.

See what people had to say about their experience at The Sutton Place Hotel Chicago …

“Everything at the hotel met or exceeded our expectations. The room was very clean, the bathroom was amazing, and the location was right in the heart of all the action in downtown Chicago. It was walking distance to all of the shops on Michigan Ave. and all of the restaurants and night clubs on Rush Street. We would stay here again.” – Jesse from Madison, U.S.

And…

“We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at the Sutton Place Hotel. A great Location!!! Very quiet and really quite romantic. We were pleasantly surprised. All of this at a fair price.” – Dave from Hastings, U.S.

Remember, user reviews are open to anyone who has stayed at a Perfect Escapes-listed hotel or resort, no matter where you booked your trip.

To read more user reviews on your favorite luxury hotels, visit Perfect Escapes. Search by destination or for the specific hotel of your choice and then click on the “user reviews” tab on the hotel’s page.

See all Luxury Chicago Hotels offered on Perfect Escapes.

By Sarah Ziering for Perfect Escapes

There has been a recent surge in company blogs. Whether it’s to announce company news, promote special offers, or generally get the online audience involved, blogs are everywhere. Now the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has launched their own unique blog allowing travelers to sound off on their gripes with airport security.

The T.S.A. blog aims to inform the public on news, reports, and general opinions (good and bad) about the organization’s policies and processes. The idea is that the more information that is out there and the more issues that the T.S.A. can explain or follow up on, the calmer people will be both online and in line at airport security checks.

While the blog initially saw an influx of angry “hate” posts, the conversation has since turned to legitimate discussions and concerns, which the T.S.A. chimes in on when appropriate, although they are not afraid to push back on particularly brash comments. The T.S.A. actually wants to push the conversation in hopes of educating the public and changing the notoriously unfavorable few of the administration.

So go ahead, complain about there not being a family line for those that have extra persons to de-shoe, or the fact that peanut butter is considered a liquid, the T.S.A. welcomes your compliments and your complaints, and is sure you have some to share.

Ready to make your escape? Find luxury hotel deals at Perfect Escapes in cities such as Chicago, New York City, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and more…

By Sarah Ziering for Perfect Escapes

Since our launch of the user reviews application, Perfect Escapes has been overwhelmed with responses from people around the world sharing their unique hotel experiences. In this special blog segment, we take the chance to share some of the particularly thoughtful reviews with you with the hope that it will aid you in deciding where to stay on your next trip, and spur you to share your memorable experiences with us as well.

This week’s User Reviews special blog segment finds us in Chicago, where there is a wide variety of luxury hotels to choose from. Among this oasis of city hotels, Hotel Sax stands out as the place to stay for the ultimate hip luxury experience.

See what guests had to say on the Perfect Escapes site about their stay at Hotel Sax Chicago…

“The hotel is in a perfect location, was very nice inside, and their concierge was fantastic.” – Michell Hasse, Schaumburg, USA

AND…

“This is THE hotel to stay at if you are attending a House of Blues Concert in Chicago. We enjoyed a concert at HOB (Buy an Opera Box at HOB to really enjoy the show). Then afterwards we walked over to Rock-it bar, then Howl at the Moon, then walked back to the hotel. Enjoyed a great night and didn’t have to pay for a single cab ride. _Very_ cool. Next day we walked to Michigan Ave. for shopping and ate at Giordano’s Pizza on Rush (best pizza in Chicago). You cannot beat the location - everything is right there!” – Joshua Craven, Chatham, USA

To read more user reviews on your favorite luxury hotels, visit Perfect Escapes. Search by destination or for the specific hotel of your choice and then click on the “user reviews” tab on the hotel’s page.

Remember, user reviews are open to anyone who has stayed at a Perfect Escapes-listed hotel or resort, no matter where you booked your trip.

See all of the user reviews for Hotel Sax Chicago from Perfect Escapes.

Find luxury hotels in Chicago on Perfect Escapes.

By Sarah Ziering for Perfect Escapes