John F. Kennedy stayed there. So did Bette Davis. The glitterati of the day, from celebrities to artists, even world leaders, crowded the lounges, bars and rooftop gardens of The Surrey, an iconic Upper East Side Manhattan residential hotel open since 1926. Located at the corner of Madison Avenue and East 76th street, it personified swank before they had a word for it.
Read MoreThere are few elements of a hotel that can elicit as good of a ’wow’ response as the bathroom, if done right. In fact, a well-designed, well-working bathroom is an essential part of the guest experience and one that can’t be overlooked, but, rather, focused on.
“Hotels that cater to the luxury market are designed to provide an intended stay experience to guests,” said Alexander Zilberman, founder and principal architect at Alexander Zilberman Architecture. “The bathroom must be a continuation of that experience—this is an essential element. The bathroom is part of the story the hotel operator is telling.”
Read MoreWhen future generations look back at the era of traditional workplace culture, they may look at it in the same way we now view factories at the onset of the Industrial Revolution: changed or obsolete.
Long, inflexible hours spent hunched over stationary desks, possibly in windowless cubicles. Commuting twice a day in code-mandated business attire. A single communal coffeepot. The accursed fluorescent lighting.
At the dawn of the remote work era, “co-working spaces,” such as those operated by WeWork, promised a different kind of office experience. But the fatal flaw of these shared-office models—one only exacerbated by the pandemic—was that, if given the opportunity to work anywhere, at any time, most would not choose another office space.
Read MoreIt’s been a busy summer for Bedrock. The city that the real estate firm wagered would finally boom after so many busts has finally come to pass. But not just any city: Detroit, long a symbol of decline, is among the hottest real estate markets in the nation. Industry is returning, investments are flowing and long-neglected historic properties, like Grand Central Station, are getting million-dollar makeovers.
Read MoreIt can be hard to disentangle Aspen, Colo., from its mythic, manufactured image as America’s winter playground. Ever since it transformed from frontier silver mine to international snow-sport destination, guests are often shoehorned into a one-size-fits all vacation experience like an uncomfortable boot.
Read MoreTo remember Zahn’s department store is to recall a different Racine, Wisc. First built in 1925, it wasn’t just the cornerstone of Monument Square, it was a hub for commerce and community across generations of this bustling industrial town on the shore of Lake Michigan.
Read MoreMuch has been made about Venice as a doomed city, destined for centuries to sink beneath the waves of rising tides. On the contrary, the “City of Bridges” is still alive and well, but that aura of suspense fits perfectly with a city known for the dramatic.
Read MoreThe one-of-a-kind hotel auteur and creative director of the Lore Group isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty when crafting the perfect guest experience.
Read MoreExtended-stay hotels—once the domain of road warriors, soon-to-be homeowners, job shifters and even divorcees— are in vogue for travelers and hotel developers, alike.
Read MoreW Hotels, the luxury Marriott International brand originally conceived by Barry Sternlicht in 1998 that helped usher in the lifestyle concept and proffered it to the masses, is going in for a tune-up.
The uber-hip brand has a loyal following—why change a good thing? In an industry of shifting standards and ever-raising stakes, an unshakeable reputation is hard to come by. Institutions stay venerable by knowing what guests want. But good hotels know when times change. Better ones know when the guests do.
Read More1 Hotel Hanalei Bay, which opened in the spring of 2023, evokes just that: an environmental experiment on a grand scale, seamlessly blending indigenous elements and artistry with luxury and wellness intertwined. Thanks to a $300-million-dollar renovation, the resort is now opened up to the natural ecosystem, enabling it to grow with the landscape until, at last, one will be indistinguishable from the other.
Read MoreTaking the best elements from luxury, boutique/lifestyle and select-service hotels, Schrager set out to create a brand defined by the unique experience it creates, rather than classification or price.
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