Virginia Oceanfront Hotels|"Hotel, Park & Housing Planned For State Farm Project"

Source              : dallasnews.com
Category        :  Virginia Oceanfront Hotels
By                  :   KAREN ROBINSON
Posted By     :  Hotels in Virginia Beach South Courtyard

Virginia Oceanfront Hotels

Dallas-based developer KDC announced plans Thursday to add a hotel, housing, a medical facility and a park to the mammoth development that will house a regional office for State Farm Insurance in Richardson. The project, to be called CityLine, will be on roughly 36 acres near the Bush Turnpike and Central Expressway. “CityLine will be an instant city with a true urban environment,” said Walt Mountford, KDC’s executive vice president. “It’s adjacent to DART’s existing light-rail station and is also surrounded by key highways and two major thoroughfares.” The $600 million, 2.3 million-square-foot initial phase of CityLine is slated for completion in early 2015. The project will include more than 92,000 square feet of retail, restaurant and entertainment space; a contemporary 150-room select service hotel; and 520 apartments. Mountford said he expects to announce the operator of the hotel within 60 days and anchor tenant of the “eatertainment” area in the first quarter of 2014. Shops and restaurants will begin opening in late 2014, he said.Phase one also will include an 18,000-square-foot wellness and fitness facility; a 41,000-square-foot medical office building; and a 3.5-acre park with trails. “I can’t think of another development that, upon opening, will completely integrate over 1.5 million square feet of office with retail, restaurant, entertainment, multifamily, medical, fitness and hospitality uses into an exciting experience for all who live in D-FW,” said Steve Van Amburgh, KDC’s chief executive.

A focal point of the initial phase will be CityLinePlaza, a centrally located plaza designed by Office of James Burnett, the landscape architect of Dallas’ Klyde Warren Park. KDC has selected Dallas-based Retail Street Advisors to start pre-leasing and marketing.The plaza and project streets “are oriented and scaled specifically for pedestrians to encourage sidewalk and patio activity and to promote community interaction and gathering throughout the day,” said Aaron Stephenson of Retail Street Advisors. The restaurant, retail and entertainment spaces will be integrated into the base of the office towers, the multifamily residential and the hotel.The master plan also includes 7,700 parking spaces in CityLine garages. In July, KDC broke ground on the project and announced that State Farm would lease 1.5 million square feet in a 13-story tower, a 15-story tower and a 21-story tower. Each rests on a five-level parking structure along with ground-floor retail space. KDC acquired the land for the project in December. The $600 million price includes the cost of the land. The project, adjacent to Dallas Area Rapid Transit’s Bush Turnpike Station on its Red Line, will be a transit-oriented development on the east and west sides of Plano Road. The east side includes 147.5 acres on the north side of Renner Road between Plano Road and Wyndham Lane. The west side includes 38.5 acres south of the Bush Turnpike between Plano Road and the DART light-rail tracks.

Dallas-based developer KDC announced plans Thursday to add a hotel, housing, a medical facility and a park to the mammoth development that will house a regional office for State Farm Insurance in Richardson. The project, to be called CityLine, will be on roughly 36 acres near the Bush Turnpike and Central Expressway. “CityLine will be an instant city with a true urban environment,” said Walt Mountford, KDC’s executive vice president. “It’s adjacent to DART’s existing light-rail station and is also surrounded by key highways and two major thoroughfares.” The $600 million, 2.3 million-square-foot initial phase of CityLine is slated for completion in early 2015. The project will include more than 92,000 square feet of retail, restaurant and entertainment space; a contemporary 150-room select service hotel; and 520 apartments. Mountford said he expects to announce the operator of the hotel within 60 days and anchor tenant of the “eatertainment” area in the first quarter of 2014. Shops and restaurants will begin opening in late 2014, he said.Phase one also will include an 18,000-square-foot wellness and fitness facility; a 41,000-square-foot medical office building; and a 3.5-acre park with trails. “I can’t think of another development that, upon opening, will completely integrate over 1.5 million square feet of office with retail, restaurant, entertainment, multifamily, medical, fitness and hospitality uses into an exciting experience for all who live in D-FW,” said Steve Van Amburgh, KDC’s chief executive. A focal point of the initial phase will be CityLinePlaza, a centrally located plaza designed by Office of James Burnett, the landscape architect of Dallas’ Klyde Warren Park.

KDC has selected Dallas-based Retail Street Advisors to start pre-leasing and marketing.The plaza and project streets “are oriented and scaled specifically for pedestrians to encourage sidewalk and patio activity and to promote community interaction and gathering throughout the day,” said Aaron Stephenson of Retail Street Advisors. The restaurant, retail and entertainment spaces will be integrated into the base of the office towers, the multifamily residential and the hotel.The master plan also includes 7,700 parking spaces in CityLine garages. In July, KDC broke ground on the project and announced that State Farm would lease 1.5 million square feet in a 13-story tower, a 15-story tower and a 21-story tower. Each rests on a five-level parking structure along with ground-floor retail space. KDC acquired the land for the project in December. The $600 million price includes the cost of the land. The project, adjacent to Dallas Area Rapid Transit’s Bush Turnpike Station on its Red Line, will be a transit-oriented development on the east and west sides of Plano Road. The east side includes 147.5 acres on the north side of Renner Road between Plano Road and Wyndham Lane. The west side includes 38.5 acres south of the Bush Turnpike between Plano Road and the DART light-rail tracks.

Source:dallasnews.com/business/commercial-real-estate/headlines/20131024-hotel-park-housing-planned-for-state-farm-project-in-richardson.ece

Virginia Oceanfront Hotels|"Touring Koreatown's Refreshed & Reopened Hotel Normandie"

Source              : la.curbed.com
Category        :  Virginia Oceanfront Hotels
By                  :   Adrian Glick Kudler
Posted By     :  Hotels in Virginia Beach South Courtyard

Virginia Oceanfront Hotels

Koreatown, with is prime location, great restaurant scene, and crucial transit access, is on the cusp of a big-time boom. The Vermont towers are on their way up, trendy hotel The Line is moving toward an opening, but nothing says "rebirth" like a boutiquey historic hotel saved from a trashy, stucco-y fate. In 2010, the 1928 Hotel Normandie at Sixth and Normandie was set to become a weed-friendly "pot-tel," which sounds fun but also stupid. Instead, the hotel was bought by a group of architects who peeled away years of insensitive updates (that lovely fireplace was totally obscured!) and rehabbed the property into what you see above. BroughtonHOTELS is now managing the 94-room hotel and several restaurants will be moving in on the ground floor soon (so far only Cassell's, a Ktown burger institution formerly down the street, has been announced). The Hotel Normandie was designed by Walker & Eisen, the same guys behind Downtown's United Artists Theatre building, aka the forthcoming Ace Hotel, and the new owners kept as many original details as possible--the neon sign and brick facade; the tile floors, fountain, and fireplace in the lobby; tile, tubs, and toilets in many of the hotel room bathrooms; and hardwood floors throughout.Koreatown, with is prime location, great restaurant scene, and crucial transit access, is on the cusp of a big-time boom. The Vermont towers are on their way up, trendy hotel The Line is moving toward an opening, but nothing says "rebirth" like a boutiquey historic hotel saved from a trashy, stucco-y fate. In 2010, the 1928 Hotel Normandie at Sixth and Normandie was set to become a weed-friendly "pot-tel," which sounds fun but also stupid. Instead, the hotel was bought by a group of architects who peeled away years of insensitive updates (that lovely fireplace was totally obscured!) and rehabbed the property into what you see above. BroughtonHOTELS is now managing the 94-room hotel and several restaurants will be moving in on the ground floor soon (so far only Cassell's, a Ktown burger institution formerly down the street, has been announced). The Hotel Normandie was designed by Walker & Eisen, the same guys behind Downtown's United Artists Theatre building, aka the forthcoming Ace Hotel, and the new owners kept as many original details as possible--the neon sign and brick facade; the tile floors, fountain, and fireplace in the lobby; tile, tubs, and toilets in many of the hotel room bathrooms; and hardwood floors throughout.

Source:la.curbed.com/archives/2013/10/touring_koreatowns_refreshed_and_reopened_hotel_normandie_1.php

Top Hotels In South Virginia|"Haunted Hotels Of America"

Source              : weather.com
Category        :  Top Hotels In South Virginia
By                  :   Lorraine Boissoneault
Posted By     :  Hotels in Virginia Beach South Courtyard

Top Hotels In South Virginia

With Halloween quickly approaching, it's the perfect time of year to explore some of the local creepy offerings around the country. Every city and town has its notorious graveyards, its urban legends of murderers and ghosts that cling to the physical world to haunt us. If you're on the road this Halloween, or even looking for a unique night out in your city, check out some of the scariest hotels in America. Constructed by coal broker Joseph Stickney from 1900 to 1902, the Mount Washington Hotel is one of the last grand hotels in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. The luxurious hotel lured wealthy guests away from the country's historic cities, like Boston, Philadelphia and New York. It also hosted delegates from 44 different countries in 1944 who established the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and set the gold standard, says the Mount Washington Hotel website. With such a storied history, it's no surprise the hotel is rumored to have a few guests who have lingered even beyond their deaths. The most famous ghost story is that of Carolyn Stickney, the widowed wife of the hotel's founder. Known as "the Princess," the ghostly figure of a Victorian woman is rumored to be seen in Room 314, according to Departures Magazine. 

If you're hoping to catch a glimpse of the elegant ghost of Carolyn Stickney, check out the availability at the Omni Mount Washington Resort, with rooms starting from $305. Of all the famous guests to visit Colorado-based Stanley hotel -- from Theodore Roosevelt to the emperor and empress of Japan -- writer Stephen King has done the most to cement its reputation as a site of paranormal activity. King was inspired to write the novel "The Shining" during his stay at the Stanley Hotel. According to the hotel's website, guests have reported seeing items move from place to place, hearing the sound of children laughing on the fourth floor, and hearing music and revelers in the Music Room. The hotel even hosted Travel Channel's team of paranormal investigators for an episode of Ghost Adventures, who said they detected voices and the presence of ghosts. The hotel's website, however, assures guests that all the spirits are friendly because the hotel is such a happy place. Whether you visit the hotel to have prime access to the surrounding ski slopes, or to check out what kind of ghosts are lurking around the corridors and closets of the building, the Stanley Hotel can provide an experience to please everyone. Check out their website for more information and to learn about the upcoming Murder Mystery Dinner and Masquerade Ball in honor of Halloween. 

Source : weather.com/travel/8-haunted-hotels-america-20131017?pageno=3

Virginia Oceanfront Hotels|"Orbitz Launches Rewards Program To Push Hotels"

Source              : mashable.com
Category        :  Virginia Oceanfront Hotels
By                  :   DENNIS SCHAAL
Posted By     :  Hotels in Virginia Beach South Courtyard

Virginia Oceanfront Hotels

Orbitz.com launched a rewards program geared at reducing its reliance on air bookings by providing incentives to book hotels, especially through its mobile apps. Under the new Orbitz Rewards program, which launched Monday, users earn Orbucks in the following amounts: 5% when booking a hotel through Orbitz’s mobile apps for iPhone, iPad and Android; 3% when purchasing a hotel stay through other channels, including the desktop; and 1% on standalone flights and vacation packages. Users who register for free for Orbitz Rewards earn these Orbucks almost immediately after booking, and can “burn them and earn them” on subsequent hotel bookings. In other words, they can redeem Orbucks when booking their next hotel room, and they will earn more Orbucks for that booking.

Chris Orton, president of Orbitz.com, tells Skift that the vast majority of bookings on Orbitz.com are for flights, and Orbitz Rewards is geared to boost hotel bookings, which is more lucrative. Rather than accruing points over an extended period of time, Orbitz Rewards members can use the Orbucks they earn on their next booking.But, will earning just three Orbucks on a $300 flight booked on Orbitz convince users to return to the site or Orbitz’s apps to book a hotel? “The velocity tradeoff is profound,” Orton says, adding that saving a few bucks does alter consumer purchase patterns. Orbitz piloted the rewards program, a form of which originated with its HotelClub business, for six months, and found that users would make a new booking after 29 days, which was a big improvement.

The company has high hopes of getting some traction with the new program, which comes with lots of visual clues, including showing on search results pages how much a booking would cost an individual user if he or she redeemed Orbucks. Orbitz Rewards is also slated to be part of Google Wallet, which will enable users to readily keep track of their Orbucks amounts.

Source : mashable.com/2013/10/21/orbitz-rewards-program/

Virginia Oceanfront Hotels|"Manhunt Continues After Children Snatched From Hanley Hotel"

Source              : thisisstaffordshire.co.uk
Category        :  Virginia Oceanfront Hotels
By                  :   HANNAH HULME
Posted By     :  Hotels in Virginia Beach South Courtyard

Virginia Oceanfront Hotels

TWO missing toddlers at the centre of a major police search were snatched by their dad from one of Stoke-on-Trent's biggest hotels. Wanted Saleem Tahir is thought to have waited for his ex-partner to go out shopping before 'barging' his way into their room at the Quality Hotel, in Hanley, and grabbing his two children.It is understood two-year-old Na'llah Khan and her 10-month-old brother Sulailman Khan were being looked after by their maternal grandmother at the time. Now Staffordshire Police are examining CCTV and forensic evidence from the hotel to help find 40-year-old Mr Tahir, pictured top right, and the children. Officers took their final statements from hotel staff yesterday. Quality Hotel general manager, Patrick Fitzgerald, told The Sentinel: "The police were called in and took forensic evidence and downloaded the CCTV images from the time that the mother, father and children were present in the hotel.

"The police have taken statements from the staff, including the receptionist who was on duty at the time. "They are going through the CCTV images, which are very clear. "They have now taken their final statements and will use this information in their search for the father. "This is a terrible thing to have taken place." It is understood the children and their mother, who has not been named, had been in hiding in Stoke-on-Trent when they were snatched at 5pm on Friday. Mr Tahir and the children, who are originally from Nottingham, are believed to be with his 67-year-old mother Denise Smith-Sellers. They were last seen in Birmingham at about 8pm on Friday. In 2003, Mr Tahir was jailed for 10 years for torturing his wife and mistress. Police are increasingly concerned for the welfare of the children. Chief Inspector Jane Hewitt said: "Our priority is the safe return of the children. At the time, the children were in a room with an elderly relative. We are continuing to pursue a number of lines of inquiry, including CCTV and talking to witnesses."

Source:thisisstaffordshire.co.uk/DAD-SNATCHES-KIDS-HOTEL/story-19963632-detail/story.html#axzz2iKn8rC8F

Top Hotels In South Virginia|"One Third Of Chinese Travellers Admit Stealing Hotel Furniture"

Source              : scmp.com
Category        :  Top Hotels In South Virginia
By                  :   Anna Healy Fenton
Posted By     :  Hotels in Virginia Beach South Courtyard

Top Hotels In South Virginia

A hefty 35 per cent of global travellers admit to pocketing hotel property when they check out. Most popular pilfered items are towels; linen, books and magazines, but mainland Chinese guests take it a step further, often removing furniture, such as lamps, clocks and even the pictures off the walls, according to a survey by hotel booking site hotels.com.So, own up. Do you remove things from hotel rooms?  It seems not just slippers and toiletries are fair game – they can’t be given to the next guest once used anyway – but it seems almost anything not nailed down frequently walks out with guests, even furniture and art work. So what, precisely, is included in the room price and what remains hotel property? Perception of this varies according to nationality. Last year, while involved with a Tsim Sha Tsui hotel catering chiefly to mainland visitors, I realised guest attitudes to hotel property is a moveable feast. We had some who literally stripped the room and removed everything that wasn’t nailed down. When challenged, they claimed that they had rented and “owned” the room for the night, so everything inside belonged to them. There was a similar problem with breakages – some took the view that if they cracked the TV screen, the hotel should pay to fix it, not them.Invariably these arguments ended in the police being called and much unpleasantness. Most hotels deal with this by making guests sign a disclaimer regarding damage and payment for items removed from rooms when they check in.  Read the small print, it’s usually there.

But hotels in China and some in Hong Kong now go one step further, and have a price list displayed on the back of the guestroom door. This itemises everything from a towel to a pillow case. That way there is no doubt: remove the hairdryer or bathrobe and your credit card will be charged. Nevertheless, the hotels.com survey found that Hong Kong, Taiwanese and Singaporeans were among the least light-fingered hotel guests. Hong Kong travellers top Asia Pacific as the most honest, sharing fourth place globally with Brazil and Quebec in Canada. Only 19 per cent of surveyed guests from these three countries admitted nicking stuff from hotels and in the case of Hong Kong guests, they fessed up to pinching linen and towels, as did the Canadians. Brazilians preferred books and magazines.

Taiwanese guests came ninth for global hotel honesty with 78 per cent saying they have never pilfered anything, and Singaporeans joint eleventh with Argentinians and the Irish, at 75 per cent. When they did nick hotel property, it was books and magazines. Most honest were the Danes – with 88 per cent claiming never to have pocketed hotel property. Second place came the Dutch: 85 per cent, and third the Norwegians, 84 per cent.  Worst of all, in 29th place, were the Colombians, with only 43 per cent claiming to check out empty handed, though they only seemed to remove books and magazines.In fact most guests globally who admitted to removing things only took linen and towels or books and magazines, except the mainland Chinese. They are in a category of their own, with 34 per cent, a third, departing with furniture, such as chunky items like lamps, clocks and artwork. Americans shared 23rd place for global hotel honesty with the Chinese, but Americans opted to remove linen and towels, rather than the furniture.    

Mexicans come second from bottom. In their case, 60 per cent claim to leave hotel rooms intact, which means 40 per cent are removing stuff – but they only go for  magazines and books, not the furniture. Surprisingly, after Danes and Norwegians scored so highly, (88 and 84 per cent), only 65 per cent of Swedes said they never nick hotel stuff.“While we all love that holiday feeling, it seems travellers in some countries are taking this a bit too far by removing a whole variety of items from their hotel room to take home with them as a memento of their stay,” said a hotel.com spokesman. I’m surprised that anyone can check out of a hotel with a lamp or a clock in their bag. Staff always inspect and sign off on a room before guests check out. They are quick enough to notice mini-bar items, so it takes a pretty dozy housekeeper not to spot that pictures are missing from the walls.  

Source:scmp.com/comment/blogs/article/1333515/one-third-chinese-travellers-admit-stealing-hotel-furniture

Virginia Beach Oceanfront Hotels|"UAE Hotels Anticipate High Occupancy Levels"

Source              : gulfnews.com
Category        :  Virginia Beach Oceanfront Hotels
By                  :   Sarah Algethami
Posted By     :  Hotels in Virginia Beach South Courtyard

Virginia Beach Oceanfront Hotels

Hotels in the Emirates are gearing up for one of the busiest Eid holidays, thanks to a large number of events and exhibitions that fall in October. The first day of Eid Al Adha is expected to fall on October 15. “Our hotels in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Al Ain are looking to achieve from 95 to 100 per cent occupancy during this coming Eid,” said Olivier Hick, vice president of operations for the Gulf and Levant countries at Accor. The French hotel operator features Novotel, Pullman and Sofitel in its portfolio. According to Christopher Hewett, senior consultant at TRI Hospitality Consulting, hotels in Abu Dhabi are expected to record an occupancy rate in excess of 80 per cent, while in Dubai, they could record well over the 90 per cent mark. Hotels that are close to shopping malls will benefit from their location, as they are likely to achieve an occupancy rate close to 100 per cent. Hick said guests at hotels located near malls stay up to five nights. Mohamad Abdo, director of sales — MICE and corporate at The Rezidor Hotel Group, said occupancy for its Dubai properties will be between “90 per cent to 100 per cent”, while in Abu Dhabi, it expects to record occupancy rates “in the high 80s.” The group operates the brands Radisson Blu Hotels and Resorts and Park Inn by Radisson, among others.Hotels expect to post higher room rates this coming Eid. Hewett expects rates to be between “five and ten per cent” higher than the average rate last year, which stood at $347.

For Accor’s mid-market brand Ibis, room rates will start from Dh400, and for Pullman, from Dh900, according to Hick. Hotels in the country expect to achieve higher revenues during the week of Eid, too. “As per our forecast, we shall achieve an increase in revenue by 8 to 10 per cent compared to last year,” Hick said. Also, The Rezidor Hotel Group will see “an increase on revenue of 30 per cent,” Abdo said.A large number of visitors from the GCC countries, especially those from Saudi Arabia, are expected to visit the UAE during Eid, according to industry experts. This will be driven by events and shopping. “This October, with Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment’s increased emphasis on family-focused events to celebrate “Eid in Dubai – Eid Al Adha” across Dubai, we believe there is even more on offer for families visiting Dubai over this Eid holiday from nearby GCC countries,” said Ahmad Belhoul, CEO of strategy and tourism sector development at Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) in an emailed statement.

Also, the 48-hour shopping offered by seven major malls in Dubai, including Dubai Mall and Mall of the Emirates, is likely to reel in Saudi visitors, according to Hewett. “This experience was extremely popular with Saudi visitors and it will likely help with attracting in excess of a million visitors this year,” he said. Chiheb Ben Mahmoud, head of hotel advisory for the Middle East and Africa at Jones Lang LaSalle, said he expects that Saudi guests “would not be far from off the 100,000 hotel guests mark [this coming Eid].” Exhibitions, such as Gitex Shopper and Cityscape are expected to play a role in attracting more visitors, according to Ben Mahmoud. He expects that this year, Eid “will establish a new record.” “Eid will fall this year between high-profile trade events and exhibitions and, therefore, hotels will be under pressure and could be expected to manage their revenue and optimise their rates to the fullest,” he said. The GCC contributed over 42,000 travellers toward the total number of visitors over the Eid Al Fitr period, according to data by DTCM. In addition, Saudi hotel guests reached 1.13 million last year.

Source:gulfnews.com/business/tourism/uae-hotels-anticipate-high-occupancy-levels-for-eid-1.1240809