McLean Robbins

We hope everyone is off to a very happy long weekend. Here is our recap of this week's best news, notes and trends in the hotel world.

Hotel Trends: Starwood Temporarily Relocates Headquarters to Dubai
As part of Starwood Hotels & Resort's globalization and cultural training efforts, the hotel group plans to relocate its senior leadership team for a month-long management event in 2012. The team will move from their current Stamford, Connecticut, headquarters to Dubai. We're curious to see if anything notable comes out of this move, other than the frustration of top execs who end up away from their families for a month.

Hotel News: Paramount Lends Name to Hotel Brand
Bloomberg reports that Paramount Pictures is lending its name to a new brand of luxury hotels that will be themed after Hollywood and California. "We will offer something unique," Paramount Hotels & Resorts chief executive officer Thomas Van Vliet said in an interview in the hotel-management company's Dubai headquarters. "In addition to luxury and services, our hotels will add Paramount entertainment and technology as well as elements of the California lifestyle." The hotels are tentatively slated for Brazil, the U.K., the Caribbean, Russia, Qatar, Oman, South Africa and Indonesia and may be part of tourist attractions or theme parks. Hotels will also have private screening areas so that guests can watch (shock) Paramount films. We'll keep you up to date on this as hotels and official plans are announced.

Coming Soon: Four Seasons Toronto and Shanghai
Four Seasons is continuing global expansion with a planned June opening for its new Pudong, Shanghai property (you'll recall Ritz-Carlton has two properties in the area already, beating them to Shanghai, although Four Seasons has had hotels in China since 2002) and an early October opening of its new Toronto property in the city where Four Seasons calls their corporate headquarters. The original Yorkville Road location closed in March, and we reported last week that many of its contents are now up for auction.

Discounts Galore for Servicemen and Women
If you're in the service, this is the weekend to pull out that military ID. We've had dozens of hotels write in with their special offerings – so many that the suggestion we're going to give you is "call and ask" instead of listing them all. One cool package we'd like to draw your attention to, however, is that at The Jefferson in Washington, D.C., available this weekend, July Fourth and Labor Day. They're offering a special tribute to service men and women. Book an overnight ($295) at the Relais Chateaux property and you'll get a flag that flew over the U.S. Capitol to take home. That's a parting gift to remember.

Social Media
Shoutout to Omni hotels: their #campomni family travel Twitter chat became a national trending topic yesterday afternoon.

[Flickr via Dannymac15_1999]

{To view a larger version of the Olympic Travel Infographic, click here}

Going to the 2012 Olympics? I'm sure it comes as no shock that you're far from alone in this travel wish. But who will be traveling with you? New data shows just where Olympic travelers are coming from.

Forward Data analyzed bookings and air traffic reservations, which we kindly synthesized, above.

I think I must be hormonal, because this story just made me tear up. The Ritz-Carlton hotel in Amelia Island, Florida, is getting some social buzz this week because of the video posted above, which details their quest to go above and beyond for exceptional customer service.

The story is simple: a family went on vacation and left behind their son's beloved stuffed animal, Joshie. Riley, the family's child was notably upset at the loss of his favorite toy giraffe. Luckily, the Ritz-Carlton notified the family that the giraffe had been found safely in the laundry and would be returned as soon as possible.

But here's where the magic happened: dad Chris Hurn, seen in the video above, asked if the hotel would help substantiate a little white lie that he'd told his son, namely that Joshie was taking a few extra days of vacation and that he hadn't been forgotten.

What arrived? In addition to Ritz-Carlton swag, Joshie came home with a storybook binder detailing his trip, including photos at the spa, the pool, with the resort's parrot and even in the loss prevention office (where he got an honorary security badge).

The work surrounding the story was substantial, and from what we've seen of Ritz-Carlton hotels, isn't out of the ordinary – one time we entered the Ritz-Carlton Georgetown to find a photo of us and our dog by the bedside table.

But it's certainly a heartwarming tale, and one we particularly love because it wasn't part of a PR stunt or media blitz. It's simply a great example of a luxury brand proving why people would want to pay extra to stay in a hotel of this class.

Kudos, Ritz-Carlton.

"US News & World Report" has this week released their annual "best" list of vacation spots for your upcoming summer travels. We're always game for a trip, and this magazine, known for its endless parade of lists, seems to consistently do one of the best jobs we've seen of matching trends with traditional data analysis.

"The summer vacation is an established American tradition," said Chad Smolinski, Vice President of Rankings and Reviews at U.S. News & World Report. "Taking into account over 300,000 user votes and thousands of travel expert opinions, the U.S. News vacation rankings provide travel recommendations you can trust."

For the category of "Best Summer Vacation," Nice, Mykonos and Maui round out the top three. Maui also makes the top three for two other categories, including "Best Beaches in the USA" and "Best Family Beach Vacations in the USA".

Budget cutting? Try Yellowstone, Santo Domingo or Lisbon, the top picks for "Cheap Summer Vacations" or perhaps Yosemite or the Grand Canyon, which, along with Yellowstone, make the list of "Affordable Family Vacation" spots.

Other expected destinations, including Orlando, Anaheim and Hawaii (Maui, the Big Island and Kauai) made the top three spots on the list.

[Flickr via sunsplash]

This second edition of "Hotel News We Noted" tracks the week's most interesting hotel stories and trends. In today's edition, you'll find why Mac users are fancier than their PC counterparts, learn how to buy a piece of the Four Seasons and explore Instagram turning into art, among other things.

Have a suggestion, question, or want to submit a piece of news? Just email or leave a comment below.

Travel Trends: Mac Users Book Fancier Hotels than PC Users
According to Orbitz, Mac users are 40 percent more likely than their PC counterparts to book a four- or five-star hotel. Orbitz CEO Barney Harford shared this information with USA Today and explained how the company personalizes search results based on data provided by the client – whether they are staying with children or without, age, and other demographic information.

Hotel Packages: Palomar Embraces Hipsters
A new package at Kimpton's Hotel Palomar San Diego (seen above in the photo), has us wishing we'd never heard of the term "hipster." Their new "Hip Hip Hipster" package ties in with something hipsters love – music and fashion – as well as overnight accommodations and special value-adds, including a pair of "chic sunglasses," a special discount at Goorin Bros. Hatmaker and two locally-brewed beers at Saltbox Lounge. Please direct any hipsters you know to this package, as they're probably too cool to read something as passe as a blog. The package is valid through July 31.

Coming Soon: Starwood to Open First Iraq Hotel in 20 Years
Starwood has signed an agreement to manage a new-build Sheraton hotel in Erbil, Iraq. Scheduled to open in 2015, the Sheraton Erbil Hotel will mark the re-entry of Starwood in the country after 20 years. Located in the new part of the city, the Sheraton Erbil Hotel will feature 221 guest rooms, on-site dining, a fitness center, spa, and indoor and outdoor pools. Located in northern Iraq, Erbil is emerging as the country's commercial hub. Starwood currently operates close to 50 hotels in the Middle East, which includes 16 Sheraton hotels.

Hotel News & Trends: W New York Turns Instagram Photos Into An Art Show
Hotels are one of the most interesting players in the social media game. While generally a bit behind the eight ball when it comes to technological innovation, they're quick to jump on any trend that might generate revenue, and social media is definitely one of those things. In this case, they are industry pioneers, hosting one of the first-ever Instagram art exhibitions. Check it out, if you're in New York now through May 21, and thanks to SocialTimes for the tip.

On the Auction Block: Buy a Piece of Four Seasons
The Four Seasons Hotel Toronto is relocating and, as a result, you can now own a piece of the original. From May 31 to June 2, IAAS Worldwide will sell off all 32 floors of the hotel's goods, an estimated $10 million value, which include grand pianos, crystal chandeliers, designer lamps and marble flooring. Notable items include Truffle's signature old-world iron gates, the Avenue Bar's famous 20-foot onyx bar as well as the Regency Ballroom's double-height doors, wood paneling, ornate mirrors and century-old chandeliers. Want to preview the goods? That takes place May 29 and 30.

Over the next two weeks, celebrities galore are flocking from Hollywood and New York to Cannes, where they'll be celebrating the industry's biggest film festival of the year. Don't have the money to anchor your mega yacht in the southern French waters? Don't worry, neither do we.

Instead, we've gotten the inside scoop from Hotels.com on where the celebs like to hang out in the states, so you can enjoy a little luxe pampering of your own – without the price tag of a transcontinental flight.

Chateau Marmont, Los Angeles
Built in 1927, generations of artists, novelists and screenwriters have produced work within the hotel's walls including: Hunter S. Thompson, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Tim Burton and Sofia Coppola. More recently, Emma Roberts, Justin Timberlake, Jessica Biel, and Kirsten Dunst have been spotted lounging on the overstuffed couches and sipping cocktails at Bar Marmont. It's even where Ashton Kutcher had his rumored affair.

Metropolitan Hotel, London
Contemporary, chic, and with stunning views of Hyde Park and the London skyline, the Metropolitan Hotel has hosted A-listers such as Madonna, Johnny Depp, Jude Law, Tom Hanks and Cameron Diaz. Enjoy dinner at the Japanese-Peruvian, Michelin-starred restaurant, Nobu, then retreat for post-dinner cocktails at the exclusive Met Bar, which is open to hotel guests and members only.

We're always looking for ways to avoid traffic, and Memorial Day is a particularly large headache for drivers looking to make it to their destinations without spending much of the long weekend stuck in traffic.

Waze, a free social traffic and navigation app for drivers, offered this traffic infograph to help you determine when best to hit the road for your weekend travels.

Who would have thought that rush hour is actually the best time to travel? (Personally, we'll be leaving early Saturday!)

Last week, Klout announced "Klout for iPhone," and this week, the influx of app-based perks begins. Their first partnership is one we'd actually enjoy – if we were traveling internationally from SFO. The company that pioneered social media influence measurement has partnered with Cathay Pacific Airways to allow anyone with a score of 40 or over to show their Klout score at the door to enter the airline's First and Business Class Lounge.

This applies to any visitor traveling through the "A" boarding area at SFO's international terminal, even if they aren't a Cathay Pacific passenger.

Inside the lounge, you'll get access to the airline's signature noodle bar, workstations and showers, as shown in the video above.

Have you used this perk? What did you think?

This quirky time lapse shows how Europe's borders have expanded, contracted, and expanded again. We're pretty sure the original intent was to help those studying for a World Geography test or the like, but it's a fun tool for travelers too – is the area you're visiting this summer a part of the original Hapsburg empire? Has the hotel you're staying in always been in France? Watch it. We're sure you'll enjoy.