Hotel News We Noted: June 8, 2012

Each week, we explore the newest news and notes from the hotel and resort world. Feel free to write us and submit a tip, or just get your fix below in this edition of “Hotel News We Noted.”

Hotel Openings: Hot in Miami with SLS South Beach Opening

Big news in the hotel world this week as SLS Hotel South Beach finally opens the SLS brand’s first hotel property on the East Coast in a historic Art Deco building on Collins Avenue. The location features luxe penthouses designed through a collaboration between some of the hotel world’s buzziest names – designer Philippe Starck, restaurant mogul Jose Andrés, nightlife empresario Sam Nazarian and celebrity Lenny Kravitz. The property has 130 rooms and 10 special villas, all using Starck’s signature whites with vibrant pink accents to “reflect the sophistication of old French aristocracy.” The restaurant, Andrés The Bazaar, offers a mixture of Latin and Spanish flavors, along side sushi hotspot Katsuya from famed sushi chef Katsuya Uechi. The property also features Hyde Beach, the fourth location of a club from renowned nightlife team sbe Entertainment Group, which includes oceanfront access, indoor and outdoor spaces, two pools and Miami’s signature cabana culture. Of course, guest rooms include the latest in technology as well, with in-room iPads that deliver room service and reservations with a single touch, and a special connectivity that allows you to stream your own iPhone or iPad direct to the TV. The “Start Living Sexy” opening package includes 15 percent off the best available rate, a complimentary room upgrade and a complimentary food and beverage experience at Hyde Beach. The introductory package is subject to availability and blackout dates do apply. Rates start about $350.

Family Travel: Preferred Hotels’ New Family Travel Website

Just in time for the summer travel season, Preferred Hotels has launched a new family-focused travel website, preferredfamily.com. Search by destination, find highlighted family blogs and take advantage of one of our favorite features, “Three Days In,” which offers up a three-day itinerary in cities like New York, Paris and more.

Promo We Love: National Lobster Day at the Boston Marriott

June 15 is National Lobster Day and the Boston Marriott Long Wharf Hotel is celebrating with a great promotion. To celebrate, 15 parties who arrive the weekend of June 15 will receive special New England treats with the “Lucky Lobster” promotion. As an ode to this local delicacy, anyone who finds a Lucky Lobster in their guestroom will receive a voucher for free lobster rolls and a free flight of local beer at the hotel’s Waterline restaurant. If you’re in Boston and planning a getaway – for Father’s Day, perhaps – this might be worth checking out.

Summer Savings: Thailand to Telluride

Want to take a summer vacay? We’re loving these great deals.

  • The all-suite Bangkok hotel featured in last summer’s “The Hangover Part II,” lebua at State Tower, is offering 30 percent off best rates through September 30. Rates start at just $112 per night and include breakfast, Wi-Fi and access to lebua’s SkyBar, a Bangkok hotspot and the world’s tallest outdoor bar.
  • London’s hip hangout, The MayFair Hotel – which still has availability during this summer’s Olympic Games – offers guests 20 percent savings when they book 10 days in advance.
  • Mountain Lodge Telluride is offering 30 percent off lodging and golf starting from $135 per round. The Telluride Golf Course is surrounded by the highest concentration of 14,000-foot mountains in the United States.
  • The Grand Hotel Maine, which overlooks Kennebunkport, has a package valid through July 15 that includes a two-night stay with complimentary cocktail and late checkout for $399.
  • The Regent Berlin, a celebrity favorite in Mitte, has an extravagant auto package that includes access to a limited-edition Mercedes SLS AMG Roadster for two days, a picnic basket stocked with Champagne for road trips, two nights in a Premier Suite and a six-course dinner at the two-Michelin star restaurant Fischers Fritz. Rates start at 2995 EUR, and the Mercedes is available through October 31.