The hotel's entrance pre-makeover...
...and after. Don't you love the bold address?
OMG, you guys! Just as we were about to start writing our recap of last night’s insane episode of Hotel Impossible, we were informed that the Anthony Melchiorri — aka the intrepid host of Hotel Impossible — was in our very own conference room. [Ed note: We couldn't help but be a little starstruck, come on now. Our business is hotels!] Anyway, as we were saying, last night was truly epic. Let’s just say Anthony, designer Blanche Garcia, and the many helpers involved turned a sh*thole into a 3-pearl hotel that could easily attract hoards of Spring Breakers and beachcombers along the Gulf during its peak season. And with Corpus Christi attracting over 6 million tourists per year, it was critical that the Hotel Corpus Christi Bayfront make some improvements, Anthony style obvi. Find out our favorite moments from last night after the jump!
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Tagged as:
Corpus Christi,
Television and Travel,
Travel Channel,
Value Hotels
Credit from left to right: Tony DiMaio/startraksphoto.com; Sarah De Boer/startraksphoto.com; Erik Jordan/startraksphoto.com; Kyle Rover/startraksphoto.com
Celeb gossip is always buzzing — whether it be for a make-up, a break-up, a scandal, or a surprise, stars are making the headlines daily. And often their breaking news is in some ways linked to a hotel. That’s where we come in. Not only does Oyster have all the celeb news fit for print (and some that’s technically not — we’re a blog, after all!), but we have all the deets on where everything went down. Check out the lastest celeb and hotel gossip after the jump.
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Tagged as:
Celebrity Travel,
insider scoop,
Los Angeles,
New York City
Teresa Giudice, Credit: Kelly Jordan/startraksphoto.com; NeNe Leakes, Credit: Amanda Schwab/startraksphoto.com; Ramona Singer, Credit: Kelly Jordan/startraksphoto.com; Tamra Barney, Credit: Amanda Schwab/startraksphoto.com
If you’re anything like us, you’re glued to the tube almost every night of the week to catch the latest episode of the Real Housewives. From Beverly Hills to Atlanta, from Orange County to New Jersey, Bravo follows America’s favorite train wrecks that we love to hate love, capturing all of the madness that goes down. Who needs to watch WWE [Ed note: One of our staffers sure does!] when any given night of the Real Housewives yields a 50% chance of a wig pull or a black eye? And more importantly, where have some of the classic moments gone down? Lucky for us, at some choice hotels — read all about ‘em after the jump!
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Tagged as:
Atlantic City,
Bravo,
Las Vegas,
Los Cabos,
Luxury Hotels,
New Jersey,
New York City,
Television and Travel
Oceanfront Deluxe Room #1 Post Renovation -- we <3 the yellow and gray combo!
Last night’s episode of Hotel Impossible took us to the sunny shores of Fort Lauderdale, where resort owner Frank called for host Anthony Melchiorri’s help to revive his fledgling property, the Ocean Manor. We really loved this one — it scratched our OCD cleaning bug when Melchiorri found dust pretty much everywhere — and especially dug the soft palette designer Blanche Garcia implemented in the renovated rooms. (And the fact that she saved the hotel nearly a million dollars in upcoming construction, too!) Besides these typical but awesome tune-ups, we picked apart our favorite moments from Melchiorri’s stay at the Ocean Manor.
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Tagged as:
Fort Lauderdale,
Television and Travel,
Travel Channel
Host Anthony Melchiorri. Credit: Courtesy of the Travel Channel
When you’re driving up to sprawling vistas in the heart of California’s Wine Country, you’d expect a gorgeous log cabin‘s rooms and amenities to be first-rate, right? That’s what Anthony Melchiorri thought of the Purple Orchid Inn Resort & Spa, which is a 9,000 square-foot property overlooking 23 private acres of olive fields. The views, to say the least, were pretty epic. But the Purple Orchid was in dire need of some tune-ups to turn around its disgraced image now that it had been taken over by new owners Derek and Rhiannon. Who better than to give the team a lesson than Anthony Melchiorri, our favorite, fearless host of Hotel Impossible and an awesome advice giver. Check out what we learned this week after the jump!
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Tagged as:
Napa Valley,
San Francisco,
Sonoma County,
Television and Travel,
Travel Channel
The Eiffel Suite at the Hotel Plaza Athenee -- maybe its where Mariah likes to stay when in the City of Light?
1. FACT OR FAKEOUT: Mariah Carey and husband Nick Cannon had a loud, dramatic fight in front of a bunch of paparazzi at the Hotel Plaza Athenee in Paris.
2. FACT OR FAKEOUT: The InterContinental San Francisco has just launched a new loyalty program, which includes having a suite named after the hotel’s most favorite returning guests.
3. FACT OR FAKEOUT: The Wilshire Grand Hotel is reopening only for a massive furniture giveaway in preparation for its total demolition this summer.
4. FACT OR FAKEOUT: The family Kimpton Hotels in Seattle now boasts a “cruise concierge,” who will help those cruising to Alaska out of the city make the most out of the few hours they have in Seattle.
5. FACT OR FAKEOUT: The Days Inn in Niagara Falls was recently the victim of a three-dozen-cast-iron-tub theft.
Check out the answers after the jump!
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Tagged as:
Niagara Falls,
Paris,
San Francisco,
Seattle
The New Yorker Motel's Patio Pre-Renovation
The New Yorker's Patio Post-Renovation
On Episode 3 of Hotel Impossible, host Anthony Melchiorri took on his toughest challenge yet: the run-down New Yorker Motel of Miami. Calling itself a motel itself was inherently a problem: Did you know that people will pay up to three times more per night just to stay at a hotel over its poor cousin, the motel? However, the moniker was only the beginning of this Miami boutique’s problems. Poop in the toilet (seriously), a poorly designed billing system and a plethora of competition plagued the owners of the New Yorker — who better to whip a motel into a sleek Miami boutique hotel than the boss himself?! Check out the best moments from last night’s episode after the jump!
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Tagged as:
Miami,
Television and Travel,
Travel Channel
by Jane on April 24, 2012
Spa at the One & Only Palmilla Resort -- Los Cabos
Just a couple of weeks ago, we spotlighted the luxurious Palmilla Resort in sunny Los Cabos. Well, reality star Bethenny Frankel, of Skinny Girl fame, must have been inspired by our post, because on last night’s episode of Bethenny Ever After she jetted away to the resort with her family and entourage (“glammy” included) to celebrate her 41st birthday. Anyone see her 40th birthday go down? Yea, that was pretty uncomfortable to watch. And while this birthday celebration was riddled by some rough patches — including bickering with her husband, Jason – it was much better than the last; fewer awkward tears, no restored mannequin (don’t ask). Check out Bethenny’s digs during her 11-day stay at the resort after the jump, and see where all the drama went down!
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Tagged as:
Los Cabos,
Luxury Hotels
by Jane on April 18, 2012
Photo Credit: Nicolas Briquet/ABACA/startraksphoto.com
OH MY GOD, we never thought it would happen! After all, Brad has pledged numerous times that he and Angelina would not marry until all Americans could legally tie the knot. But sometimes, love just can’t wait. So its official –the couple is engaged and Brangelina will become Mr. and Mrs. Smith, er, Pitt, presumably sometime this summer. For the past seven years, they’ve been a Hollywood dream couple that we just knew would stay together forever. [Ed. note: Before them, it was Brad and Jen, but that's neither here nor there...] And whenever there’s a momentous occasion in Hollywood such as this, we like to take a look back at the moments that made it all happen…and of course, the hotels where all of those moments went down. Check out the hotels that led Brad and Angelina to the altar — or at least to their engagement — after the jump!
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Tagged as:
Las Vegas,
Los Angeles,
New York City,
U.S. Virgin Islands,
Washington D.C.
Revelers at the Paris Las Vegas clearly need whatever hangover medicine is being offered...or is it?
1. FACT OR FAKEOUT: An anesthesiologist is now offering cures for hangovers aboard a bus that cruises the Strip in Las Vegas on weekends.
2. FACT OF FAKEOUT: The W New York’s Whiskey Blue Bar is now offering cocktail-flavored meatless burgers.
3. FACT OR FAKEOUT: The Algonquin is New York’s oldest continually operating hotel.
4. FACT OR FAKEOUT: Hilton Hotels has joined in celebrating gay pride season by offering free Wi-Fi to LGBT guests.
5. FACT OR FAKEOUT: Lindsay Lohan has been banned from The Standard Hollywood for doing drugs in the hotel’s nightclub.
Tagged as:
Las Vegas,
Los Angeles,
New York
