Affordable Hotels In Carolina Beach|"First 'Instagram Hotel' Gives Free Stays For Popularity"

Source             :    travel.cnn.com
Category        :    Affordable Hotels In Carolina Beach
By                  :    Michael Stoneman
Posted By     :    Hotels Carolina Beach NC

Affordable Hotels In Carolina Beach

If you’re going to bill your hotel as the world’s first "Instagram hotel," it helps if you can provide guests with some photogenic surroundings to get snap-happy in. Sydney’s new 1888 Hotel -- the first in the world inspired by the popular photo-sharing app -- certainly isn’t lacking in that department. The 90-room boutique hotel in the city’s waterside Pyrmont suburb occupies a heritage-listed building originally used as a wool store built in, as the name says, 1888.Over the last two years, it's undergone a meticulous AU$30 million ($28 million) restoration, creating a unique space that successfully blends original features, including reclaimed ironbark beams, period windows and exposed brick walls, with colorful furniture and vibrant artwork. “The style of the building and its heritage was very important,” says Paul Fischmann, CEO of 8 Hotels, which owns 1888. 

“We walked in here and you could see all the elements that would make it a cool hotel.”From a light-filled, five-story atrium -- complete with an indoor tree -- to freestanding bathtubs and recycled timber desks in rooms, nearly every angle of the 1888 provides a photo opp for Instagrammers. Taking inspiration from the year 1888 -- when Kodak patented its first box and roll cameras -- the hotel has embraced the popularity of the photo-sharing app, with two screens in reception displaying a constantly updated feed of images guests have uploaded to Instagram using the #1888hotel hashtag. The hotel features a dedicated "selfie space," where guests can pose for photos behind a gilt-edged frame. Insta-walk maps are available from reception, taking guests to Instagrammable sights such as the Pyrmont Bridge, Darling Harbour and Chinese Gardens. Instagram users with more than 10,000 followers are rewarded with a free night’s stay, while each month the guest who has snapped the best Instagram picture during their visit also gets a free night’s accommodation.“So many people are on Instagram and so many people love taking photos and sharing them,” says Fischmann. “People are taking images wherever they go and sharing them with their friends, so we thought we’d play on that a little bit with things like the ‘selfie space’ and the monthly competitions. “What’s been fun is following the people who have started following us. There are actually a lot of people with a lot more than 10,000 followers – we had a guy here who had 650,000 followers, and he took a photo in the selfie space and had 35,000 likes. It’s amazing to think about the reach of it and it’s fun to watch."After a full day of Instagramming, guests can connect smartphones to in-room media hubs to review images on a 40-inch LED TV, before uploading their snaps via the hotel’s Wi-Fi.Each of the 90 rooms features an iPad, which guests can use to order room service, control air conditioning or view staff recommendations for nearby bars and restaurants.

Share plates and charcuterie boards are available at the 1888 Eatery & Bar.The 1888’s rooms range from compact, 15-square-meter "Shoeboxes," which feature queen beds and rain showers, to a 35-square-meter Junior Suite, which has a king bed, lounge area and city views. The rooftop penthouse has a huge outdoor terrace overlooking the city. “People have really embraced it," says Fischmann.  "Photography-based social media is something we can build on. We had all sorts of ideas, such as having photo booths in the lobby and things like that, so there are definitely ways we can continue it on.” A free stay should be motivation for those seeking to gain a few thousand more Instagram followers.

Source : travel.cnn.com/worlds-first-instagram-hotel-1888-sydney-908516

Affordable Hotels In Carolina Beach|"Hotels Swell In Manhattan"

Source             :     online.wsj.com
Category        :    Affordable Hotels In Carolina Beach
By                  :     CRAIG KARMIN
Posted By     :    Hotels Carolina Beach NC

Affordable Hotels In Carolina Beach

New York is experiencing its biggest hotel expansion in a generation, attracting a host of new brands and developers betting that the good times will continue. But the race to build or convert dusty properties into modern lodgings already has sparked a debate about whether the additional rooms can be absorbed without putting downward pressure on hotel-room rates by next year.The number of hotel rooms in Manhattan is expected to rise about 10% to more than 90,000 by the end of 2014, says Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels, which tracks hotel projects planned and under way. Manhattan's expected lodging growth tops the U.S. by a wide stretch and is more than double the rate of the next fastest-growing major markets, Miami and Washington, according to forecasts from Lodging Econometrics.

The surge in new Manhattan properties—ranging from luxury names such as the SLS Hotel New York to limited-service brands like Best Western—is part of a broad revival in the hospitality industry. It also reflects New York's pull as a global business center and tourism mecca that is recovering from the economic downturn faster than most cities. While many luxury retail companies are willing to pay among the world's highest rents for a prime spot on Fifth Avenue, hotel companies view landing a Manhattan showpiece as important for promoting themselves, lodging analysts say. Hyatt Hotels Corp. H -0.84% and a partner, for example, are spending about $375 million for New York's first Park Hyatt, the company's top-of-the-line brand. It is slated to open in 2014 in the lower 20 floors of a luxury Midtown condominium across the street from Carnegie Hall. "That location will help grow the Park Hyatt brand and enable the company to get more hotel management contracts over the next 20 years," says Ryan Meliker, a hotel analyst for MLV & Co.

New York attracted more than 52 million visitors last year, and the city's tourism office is projecting an increase to 55 million by 2015. The average hotel occupancy rate this year through August was around 84%, which is above precrisis peak levels, according to Smith Travel Research. Daily room rates also continued to rebound, averaging $238 in the eight-month period, a 4% rise from the same period last year. Richard Born, principal of BD Hotels, which owns and operates 25 hotels in New York, says he likes the city's long-term prospects but worries that the wave of new supply could put a damper on the market. He sees occupancy falling beginning next year because hotel supply is expanding 6% to 8% a year, while city tourism is rising at a slower rate of around 4% to 5%.

"That could put downward pressure on daily rates or cause new hotel construction to slow," he says. Others are more optimistic. Mr. Meliker says that a better gauge for hospitality is the city's employment growth, which continues to look positive and will drive more business travel, he says. That means room rates can continue to climb even if occupancy stays the same, Mr. Meliker adds. A number of projects are joining the Park Hyatt on or around Manhattan's 57th Street, creating a burgeoning hotel row within sight of Central Park. The area, which sprouted hotels 50 years ago ahead of the city's 1964 World's Fair exhibition, is witnessing its biggest replenishment in decades. Barry Sternlicht, who created the boutique W Hotel brand for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, HOT -0.08% is developing two new hotel brands near 57th Street for his real-estate investment firm Starwood Capital: the five-star hotel and luxury condo Baccarat Hotel & Residences and 1 Hotel, which he says is a more energy-efficient hotel.

The 1929 Buckingham Hotel has been completely made over as a 208-room luxury hotel called the Quin. Developed by Alan Kanders, a former Lehman Brothers managing director in the hotel group, the Quin opens next month with a rotating program featuring contemporary artists. In an unusual move, the 240-room Viceroy New York changed hands last month only weeks before its opening this Wednesday. A real-estate investment trust agreed to pay $148.5 million to ARK Partners for the hotel. "We wanted to be on 57th Street," says Nicholas Schorsch, chief executive of American Realty Capital, ARCP -0.41% which sponsored the REIT that bought the hotel. Despite the attention on new luxury projects, much of Manhattan's hotel growth is coming from more-modest, limited-service hotels that have been popping up in the city after years of skewing to the suburbs. Brands include Hilton Garden Inn and Courtyard by Marriott. "We haven't seen this much supply of select-service hotels in the past," says Jeffrey Davis, a hotel broker for Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels.

Source : online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304441404579121911381744056.html

Affordable Hotels In Carolina Beach|"Killarney Hotels Ltd Sinks Into The Red"

Source             :     independent.ie
Category        :    Affordable Hotels In Carolina Beach
By                  :    Gordon Deegan
Posted By     :    Hotels Carolina Beach NC

Affordable Hotels In Carolina Beach

A hotel group that operates two five-star hotels in Co Kerry plunged deeper into the red last year to record pre-tax losses of €36.97m.Killarney Hotels Ltd operates the award-winning, five-star The Europe Hotel & Resort and the five-star, 102-bedroom Dunloe Castle Hotel, along with the four-star Hotel Ard na Sidhe. Now, accounts recently filed by the Swiss-owned firm to the Companies Office show that the firm recorded the loss after writing down its property by €28m. The latest loss is more than three times the pre-tax loss of €11m in 2011. And it comes despite revenues at the company increasing by 26pc to €10.69m in the 12 months to the end of December last.

However, costs also increased by 8pc, from €15.3m to €16.6m. According to the directors' report, they "consider the performance of the company to be unsatisfactory, although in line with expectation". The figures show that the company recorded an operating loss in 2012 of €5.9m and this followed an operating loss of €6.9m in 2011. The accounts include a depreciation charge of €8m.The average numbers employed by the group increased from 121 to 125 with wage costs increasing from €4.87m to €5.6m. In their directors' report, they state that "though the Irish tourism sector is experiencing a revival, there continues to be challenges in the hotel industry in Ireland. "Although the company made a loss for year of €35.7m, the directors have continued to prepare the statements on a going concern basis as they have received assurances from the company's parent, Liebherr Hotels AG, that it will provide the company with funds as and when required to enable it to continue trading for the foreseeable future," the report said.

The company's fixed assets are valued at €63.8m and in a note attached to the accounts, it states that "while there is little specific evidence to support property values at present, the directors have considered a number of factors in order to confirm and approve the carrying value of properties at December 31, 2012". The directors state that they believe The Hotel Europe and Resort has long-term value, reinforced by a recent refurbishment. The hotel was winner of the Best Resort Hotel in 2012. The figures show that the group generated €10.1m of its revenues through its hotels and €585,882 through the operation of a 200-acre farm. The accounts show that the company's parent, Liebherr Hotels AG, loaned the firm an additional €9m during the year to bring to €44m owed by the firm to Liebherr Hotels.

Source:independent.ie/business/irish/killarney-hotels-ltd-sinks-into-the-red-with-3697m-pretax-loss-29641542.html

Affordable Hotels In Carolina Beach|"Hotel Recovery That Has Hugged Coasts"

Source             :    nytimes.com
Category        :    Affordable Hotels In Carolina Beach
By                  :     KRISTINA SHEVORY
Posted By     :    Hotels Carolina Beach NC

Affordable Hotels In Carolina Beach

Skittish developers have delayed new hotels across much of the country until the economy returns to health, and financing does, too. But in Austin, developers aren’t that wary. A $300 million JW Marriott hotel, the biggest JW Marriott in the country and the city’s biggest hotel at 1.2 million square feet, is under construction on a full block near the Capitol. Developers broke ground on a Westin over the summer and a $350 million Fairmont will be going up a few blocks away. Eight hotels containing almost 4,000 rooms are scheduled to open across Austin within the next three years, making the Texas capital one of the most active markets in the country for new hotel construction. White Lodging, a private hotel developer and manager responsible for about a third of those rooms, is betting big on Austin. Although the Indiana firm has put up and managed mostly midmarket hotels near the airport or in the Austin suburbs for the last two decades and currently owns or manages 23, White Lodging is gambling its two new downtown hotels, the JW Marriott and Westin, will be worth its more than $400 million investment.

“We’re big believers in Austin,” said Deno Yiankes, president and chief executive of White Lodging’s investments and development division in Indianapolis. “Austin’s employment growth is second to none and you can’t say that about the coastal markets. This is not a blip; it’s one of our strongest markets.” Austin’s booming tech industry, from start-ups to offices for Dell, Samsung and Apple; universities; and its location as the world headquarters for Whole Foods help make White Lodging’s gamble seem sound. Much of the new hotel construction nationwide, aside from Austin, has been on the coasts and in large cities like New York. Few new hotels are going up elsewhere because construction financing has been tight and developers have been leery to invest. There were 2,744 hotel projects in construction or planning around the country in August, the same as last year, according to STR, a hotel market research firm. “Austin is the anomaly of anomalies. What new construction is in the pipeline is no-frills operations,” said Scott D. Berman, principal and industry leader, hospitality and leisure, at PricewaterhouseCoopers in Miami.

While the recession crimped demand and hotel operators’ appetite for erecting new buildings, more business and leisure travelers are returning to the road, leading to increased occupancy levels and higher rates. Analysts expect rates to further increase when group travel rebounds. Occupancy climbed to 69.2 percent in August, about two percentage points higher than last year. The average revenue per room rose nearly 7 percent, to $77.59 this year, according to STR. “As goes the economy, so goes lodging demand,” said Art Adler, Americas chief executive of the hotels and hospitality group of Jones Lang LaSalle, the commercial real estate brokerage firm. “Because the stock market is doing well, 401(k)’s are perking up and people feel wealthier and they’re traveling.” With rising demand and restricted supply, the market bodes well for investors — if they have the nerve to build on their own. White Lodging in Indianapolis is one such steely investor. The company says it has invested more than $800 million in nine hotels under construction around the country — the largest development pipeline in its nearly 30-year history.

“We have owners willing to take risks. If you are, you get rewarded for it,” said Mr. Yiankes of White Lodging. The pickup in travel has caught the eyes of real estate investors this year. Through August, domestic hotel sales climbed 51 percent to $13.38 billion over 2012, according to Jones Lang LaSalle. Although two large portfolio deals increased numbers, the brokerage firm expects sales to finish the year 10 percent higher than last year, at $17.5 billion. Stimulated by low interest rates and investor hunger, hotel prices are also climbing. In the first half of the year, the average selling price per room hit $130,119, a 15 percent increase over the end of 2012, according to Lodging Econometrics, a lodging industry consultancy in Portsmouth, N.H. Despite the uptick in prices, Loews Hotels and Resorts is moving apace to expand beyond its 21-hotel portfolio. The New York hotelier has two hotels under construction, and it has bought three in Los Angeles, Boston and Washington in the last 18 months. By the end of 2015, the company expects to have 30 to 33 hotels open worldwide. “We plan to continue to be active in this cycle,” said Paul Whetsell, the president and chief executive of Loews Hotels and Resorts. “When you consider supply fundamentals, they look pretty darn good. We have the wind at our back and will continue to acquire and hold.”

The Blackstone Group, the largest owner of hotel rooms in the country, has been on a buying spree of late. In May, the buyout giant was involved in one of the biggest deals this year when it bought Apple REIT Six, a real estate investment trust with 66 hotels nationwide, for $1.2 billion. Blackstone was also responsible for one of last year’s big hotel deals when it paid $1.9 billion for the Motel 6 chain. Initial public offerings, another sign of investor interest, have also emerged this year, with 14 in exploration during the first half of 2013. Last month, Blackstone filed for a $1.25 billion initial public offering for Hilton Worldwide Holdings and in July, it filed for an I.P.O. for Extended Stay America. The firm is also investigating a sale or I.P.O. of its La Quinta hotel chain. “With no cranes and little capital being allocated, we’ll continue to have multiple years of improving fundamentals,” said A.J. Agarwal, senior managing director of Blackstone Real Estate Partners. “We were able to buy rooms at discounts. Whenever you can buy an asset at less cost to build, that’s a good deal.” The Rockpoint Group, a private equity firm in Boston, has also been busy, picking up some of the most expensive hotels in the last year. As it is for many private equity firms, Rockpoint’s strategy is to buy hotels, fix what’s wrong and sell them. Real estate investment trusts typically hold their assets longer and take fewer risks. Over the last four years, the firm has bought hotels with almost 10,000 rooms for nearly $2 billion. As investors move in, large hotel operators are selling their properties to focus more on management. Over the last five years, Starwood Hotels and Resorts, which has nine brands of hotels, including the St. Regis, Westin and Sheraton, sold 20 hotels for about $1.5 billion to real estate investors. In 2012, Starwood sold more than $500 million in hotels and may sell the same amount this year. The hotelier now operates almost 1,200 hotels, of which about 40 are owned. “Owning hotel real estate is a very local, local business,” said Simon Turner, president of global development at Starwood. “As a publicly traded company, real estate is not earnings-friendly. It’s more volatile than our fee business. We think it’s in our shareholders’ interest to be asset-light.”

Source:nytimes.com/2013/10/02/realestate/commercial/as-travel-picks-up-hotels-gain-allure-for-investors.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0#h[]

Affordable Hotels In Carolina Beach|"Second Avenue Hotels Get Height Variance"

Source             :    durangoherald.com
Category        :    Affordable Hotels In Carolina Beach
By                  :     Jim Haug 
Posted By     :    Hotels Carolina Beach NC

Affordable Hotels In Carolina Beach

After listening to residential neighbors who feared the loss of privacy and incompatible development, Durango city councilors voted 3-2 Tuesday night to approve a height variance for a six-story complex of two hotels, a restaurant and parking garage on the East Second Avenue block from Fourth to Fifth streets. Councilors Dick White, Christina Rinderle and Keith Brant were for the variance, but councilors Dean Brookie and Sweetie Marbury said they opposed the project’s height. “Six-story-tall is too much for me,” Marbury said. A resident of the area, Jon Westrup, said he resented the potential intrusion on private lives, saying hotel guests could be staring into the homes of East Third Avenue from their hotel windows, balconies and terraces. “There’s bedtime stories here, people dressing and undressing. People have a right to privacy here,” Westrup said.

He compared the controversy to the ongoing debate over accessory dwellings. “Imagine if the debate was not about accessory dwellings, but if your neighbor could build an accessory hotel or two in your backyard. It gets absurd,” Westrup said. Michael Todt objected to the “sheer size.” The hotels would have a six-story facade, which includes lower-level parking. “It’s really huge,” he said. But city staff members felt it was the best deal considering the block already is zoned for commercial development and the developer is well within his rights to build a hotel there. “We have nothing to say about it if they meet the guidelines, and that’s the problem,” Brookie said. “The council has no latitude whatsoever,” City Attorney David Smith said. Scott McCallister, the developer and owner of adjacent Best Western Rio Grande Inn, is trying to lessen the impact to the East Third Avenue neighborhood by putting the density of the new buildings along East Second Avenue. The U-shape design would have terraces in the middle, which would face the alley between East Second and East Third avenues. Plus, there would be a cutout or open space between the two hotels on the northern and southern sides of the property.

City planners feared a worse configuration of buildings. By rights, McCallister could build a 35-foot wall of hotel rooms along the alley, said Nicol Killian, a city planner. Brookie said another design could be “architectural Whack-A-Mole.” “I don’t know what to do,” Brookie said. To make his plan work, McCallister got approval to build up to 66 feet tall on a low-lying, southwestern corner of the block. The neighborhood has a 55-foot height limit. This southern hotel would have 125 rooms. The northern hotel would be a boutique with 58 rooms. The city also agreed to give up some right of way on East Second Avenue and Fourth Street for the development. To address concerns, the city also asked the developer to limit terrace hours from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Vegetation would be used to screen the terraces. “I will control the environment,” said McCallister, who has 30 years of experience in the hotel experience. Guests could go back to the restaurant during late hours, too.

Source:durangoherald.com/article/20131001/NEWS01/131009933/-1/taxonomy/Second-Avenue-hotels-get-height-variance-

Affordable Hotels In Carolina Beach|"Revealing The 2013 Fodor's 100 Hotel Awards Winners"

Source             :    fodors.com
Category        :    Affordable Hotels In Carolina Beach
By                  :     Fodor's Editors
Posted By     :    Hotels Carolina Beach NC

Affordable Hotels In Carolina Beach

We are bursting at the seams with excitement—today is the day we reveal our carefully selected picks for our annual Fodor's 100 Hotel Awards! Chosen by our trusted travel experts on the ground and our Fodor's editors, these 100 hotels represent 2013's biggest global hospitality trends. This year, we chose eight unique categories—including Enduring Classics, Culinary Gems, Sleek City Addresses, and more—touching down in 43 different countries.

This list covers every corner of the globe, from Amsterdam to Zambia, and every type of hotel experience from sleek design-y hotels to exotic, secluded hideaways. From the best stays in perennial favorites like The Peninsula in Hong Kong and the Hyatt Union Square in NYC, to choice sleeps in new and emerging destinations, like Casa San Agustin in Colombia and Uma by COMO, Punakha, in Bhutan, this list not only spans the globe but speaks to all manner of themes and travelers' desires.

As Arabella Bowen, Fodor's Travel executive editorial director, remarks: "At Fodor's, hotels are more than our lifeblood—they're our passion." Since we're constantly researching and updating more than 7,500 destinations, we see new openings as they happen and trends as they emerge.

Our founder, Eugene Fodor, believed that "you don't have to be rich to travel well." We take that mantra seriously. There's something for every budget here, from great values to once-in-a-lifetime splurges. Pick any of our Fodor's 100, and you will travel well.

Source : fodors.com/news/revealing-the-2013-fodors-100-hotel-awards-winners-7156.html

Affordable Hotels In Carolina Beach|"Hundreds Of Storm Evacuees In Hotels Face Evictions"

Source             :    nytimes.com
Category        :    Affordable Hotels In Carolina Beach
By                  :    MIREYA NAVARRO
Posted By     :    Hotels Carolina Beach NC

Affordable Hotels In Carolina Beach

Many of them have or are applying for federal rental subsidies, but finding affordable apartments has proved daunting. A few of those still in hotels are homeowners whose houses have not yet been repaired. But saying there is no longer money for hotel stays, lawyers for the city went to court on Tuesday trying to evict the approximately 350 remaining evacuees by Oct. 1 and steer them into homeless shelters. The lawyers said that the Federal Emergency Management Agency would end reimbursements to the city for the hotel program on Monday and that the city did not have the money to put up the last evacuees while they look for housing. The hotels in the city program have cost the federal government more than $73 million so far. The prospect of moving to a shelter is unthinkable to evacuees like Nicole Neal, 39, a guest at a Holiday Inn in Brooklyn who said she and her teenage son had been homeless for two and a half years before moving to an apartment in Far Rockaway, Queens, that was left uninhabitable by the storm. “I’m not going to no more shelters — I’ve been there and done that,” she said, breaking down in sobs during an interview. “I don’t know what I’m going to do. I don’t want to think about it.”

That hundreds of evacuees remain without permanent housing underscores the slow pace of recovery for many low-income New Yorkers after the storm, from homeowners coping with a lack of flood insurance or inadequate insurance, to renters who were not able to return to their homes and have not been able to find suitable housing. Some housing experts say the long hotel stays point to the need for better federal and local disaster planning so that rental aid is available more quickly and cheaper temporary apartment rentals are an alternative to hotels. A more effective system for connecting people in crisis to housing is also needed, said Rosanne Haggerty, president of Community Solutions, a nonprofit organization working to end homelessness in New York. “It begs the question of how information and that entire process could be improved,” she said. The city tried to end the hotel program in May after most of the more than 3,000 people in hotels had returned to repaired homes, secured public housing or found other permanent accommodations. City officials attributed the decision to budgetary concerns as well as the declining number of evacuees. The hotel program, officials said at the time, helped avoid the “severe strain” on the city’s shelter system from a sudden influx of evacuees. By now, city lawyers argued in court documents, “it makes no sense for the city to continue to house evacuees in hotels when they can be housed within the city shelter system for a fraction of the cost and can continue to receive the same support, services and access to programs they are provided while in the hotel program.”

But lawyers with the Legal Aid Society sued to prevent the hotel evictions and Justice Margaret A. Chan of State Supreme Court in Manhattan sided with them. In her decision last May, Justice Chan said it did not seem reasonable to end the hotel accommodations just as New York was getting the first $2 billion in federal storm recovery aid, including money for rental subsidies. That rental aid was not available until the summer, though, and most of the evacuees in hotels are still applying for rental vouchers, city officials said. And even with a rental voucher for a one-bedroom apartment in the $1,300 range in hand, Ms. Neal said that she had found apartments scarce and landlords unwilling to rent to her because they did not want to wait for aid disbursements for background checks, deposits and other typical charges. “I told them I was a Sandy victim,” she said. “They say they’re sorry to hear, but they want their money up front.” At the hearing on Tuesday, one of the city’s lawyers, Andrew Rauchberg, pressed for ending the hotel program because “we can’t know when households will leave.”

The city estimated that each of about 165 households that were scattered in 29 hotels last week cost about $16,300 a month in hotel room charges and city social services.EMA had its own hotel programs in the New York region; they ended April 30 in New Jersey and Sept. 16 in New York State. They cost $103 million in addition to $73 million for the city program.As they await the next court decision, advocates for storm victims say that the evacuees have been through enough. “It is not like they’re saying ‘We’ll just transfer these people to the shelter system, here’s a room for you,’“ said Judith Goldiner, a lawyer at the Legal Aid Society. “What they’re saying is you can go apply,” she said. “These families have been traumatized,” she said. “What they went through during the storm really impacted their ability to function.” Hundreds of thousands of people affected by Hurricane Sandy came from households with incomes of less than $30,000 a year, applications for government aid showed, and they were left with no home to return to and not enough income to qualify for available apartments.

Some lived in informal arrangements without leases and had difficulties proving their pre-storm addresses. City officials said a small number of people were uncooperative or hard to place because of criminal records and other problems that made them ineligible for whatever housing was available. Some are homeowners unable to move back home. When FEMA’s program in New York State ended last week, one aid recipient, Thomas Reddington, 65, had struck out trying to line up a temporary apartment to be paid for with federal aid. He decided to move into his 2002 VW station wagon with his wife and their dog and to stay close to his neighborhood in Queens. A United States Navy veteran, Mr. Reddington said he was not aware that his homeowner’s insurance had been canceled while he served as a helmsman in the Persian Gulf; he returned a month before Hurricane Sandy. He is now seeking city help repairing the roof of his two-story house in Far Rockaway, Queens, and replacing lost windows and appliances. His plan, he said, is to head south to rent an apartment in a cheaper state and wait out the winter if his house is still not habitable. The couple will stick it out in their car at least until November, he said. “The weather is good,” he said, “so it’s all right.”

Source : nytimes.com/2013/09/25/nyregion/hundreds-of-storm-evacuees-in-hotels-face-evictions.html?pagewanted=2

Affordable Hotels In Carolina Beach|"Burberry Raincoats & Other Cool Things You Can Borrow From Your Hotel"

Source             :    gadling.com
Category        :    Affordable Hotels In Carolina Beach
By                  :    Reena Ganga
Posted By     :    Hotels Carolina Beach NC

Affordable Hotels In Carolina Beach

London may be known for its rainy climate but one hotel in the British capital has decided loaning out umbrellas just wasn't cool enough for its elite clientele -- not when you could loan out Burberry trench coats instead. The Maybourne Hotel Group -- which runs a number of high-end hotels in London -- is placing the designer raincoats in suites so that guests can ward off the weather. Visitors can use the Burberry coats for free during their stay, but will have to cough up around $1,500 if they want to take them home. Trench coats are just one of many luxurious perks hotels are offering to woo guests. Over the years, we've seen all sorts of cool and surprising things on loan to travelers. If you're staying at the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills, there's no need to worry about picking up a cramped rental car. The hotel will set guests up with a nice set of free wheels -- all you have to do is decide if you want to hit the road in a Porsche, Lamborghini, Rolls Royce, Ferrari, Cadillac, Mercedes or Bentley.

Earlier this year, the Burj Al Arab in Dubai announced it was letting guests play with an iPad during their stay. Of course, being Dubai, they're not just handing out any old iPad -- their blinged-out devices are plated in nothing less than 24-carat gold. And finally, if you're tired of everything in your suitcase, you can put together a killer new outfit thanks to the Fred Segal lending library at the Loews Santa Monica Hotel. The program lets hotel guests borrow a range of accessories such as expensive purses, necklaces and sunglasses from the upscale clothing retailer.

Source : gadling.com/2013/09/19/burberry-raincoats-london-hotel/

Affordable Hotels In Carolina Beach|"Downtown Brooklyn Gets New Hip Hotels"

Source             :    usatoday.com

Category        :    Affordable Hotels In Carolina Beach

By                  :    Nancy Trejos

Posted By     :    Hotels Carolina Beach NC

Affordable Hotels In Carolina Beach

Brooklyn's year-old Barclays Center has drawn the likes of Jay-Z and Barbra Streisand, the Brooklyn Nets and this year's MTV Video Music Awards. The arena is part of a larger complex called Atlantic Yards, which will soon be filled with residential, office and retail space. Throw in a thriving arts and cultural scene anchored by the Brooklyn Academy of Music, plus a dozen or so universities, and you've got a hotel developer's dream. "It's an underserved market," says Hung Luk, chief operating officer of the Lam Group, which has developed InterContinental Hotels Group's Hotel Indigo, officially opening today in downtown Brooklyn. Brooklyn has become the hottest New York City outer borough in the last few years, but much of the activity has been concentrated in Williamsburg, a subway stop away from lower Manhattan. Now, development is spreading throughout the borough, making Brooklyn a primary destination rather than a second thought for travelers visiting New York City. For city residents, it can also be a more affordable place to live, with easy access to Manhattan."Hotel Indigo is just the latest in a series of new hotels exploding onto the Brooklyn scene, and it's easy to see why," says Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz. " Whether business or pleasure, Brooklyn is tops by any measure in offering memorable opportunities to guests, from shopping and dining to culture and the arts."

Right now, there aren't enough hotels to house those guests, city officials and developers say. Gregory Atkins, project manager of a 200-room lifestyle hotel near the Barclays Center planned by Second Development Services, says Brooklyn has 4,000 hotel rooms for 2.6 million people. "Take your average Midwestern small city. How many hotel (rooms) do they have? They have more than Brooklyn," he says. "There's a tremendous market demand for Brooklyn alone." From January 2011 through this June, 13 of the 53 hotels that opened in New York City were in Brooklyn, according to NYC & Company, the city's official marketing and tourism organization. Another eight are expected to open in Brooklyn by 2016. The New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge in downtown Brooklyn, a large full-service hotel, had long dominated the borough's hotel market. Then Williamsburg landed two boutique hotels: the 72-room Wythe Hotel and the 64-room King & Grove Williamsburg. Now, developers are looking to other parts of Brooklyn that are as up-and-coming as Williamsburg once was, such as Bushwick and Sunset Park, where the 76-room Hotel BPM, named for the musical term "beats per minute," opened last year.

That's partly because land is generally cheaper in Brooklyn, about 50% less than it would cost in Manhattan, says Scott Barone, president of Barone Management, which is planning a 204-room full-service hotel near the Barclays Center. And, says Luk of the Lam Group, land in Manhattan is getting scarce. "There's only so much you can build in Manhattan," he says. New York City travelers are attracted to Brooklyn because visitors can often get rooms for less. The average daily rate this year through August is $167.96 in Brooklyn, vs. $261.29 in Manhattan, according to STR, a hotel research firm in Nashville. Bijal Panwala, owner of Hotel BPM Brooklyn, says it's not just about the money. "Our guests choose Brooklyn for Brooklyn rather than it being a cheaper option," he says. In many ways, downtown Brooklyn has become the next frontier for hotel development in the borough. The neighborhood has 1,000 hotel rooms now, and another 500 on the way, says Tucker Reed, president of the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership. The latest addition is the 128-room Hotel Indigo on Duffield Street, IHG's boutique brand, where rates range from $179 to $300.

The design of the hotel pays homage to the neighborhood's history as a haven for artists and intellectuals, says Mary Winslow, director of Americas brand management for IHG's Hotel Indigo brand. In the early 1940s, the nearby February House became a boarding house for writers, poets and performers such as burlesque dancer Gypsy Rose Lee, author Carson McCullers and poet W.H. Auden. Walk into the Indigo, and you think you're walking into an old vaudeville theater. In the lobby is a mural of a red velvet stage curtain and numbered seats. Next to a red velvet chair that guests can lounge on is a stage light. Murals on hallway walls show theater steps. A second-floor fitness center has a picture of the legs of dancers covering one wall. Rooms have murals of stage curtains. Some have murals of chandeliers on their ceilings. The paintings and photographs hanging on the hallway walls were chosen by the Lam Group in collaboration with the Brooklyn Arts Council.

"The murals, the colors, the food and beverage … it has to be rooted very specifically to the neighborhood story; otherwise, you feel like you're in Disney," Winslow says. That neighborhood story will continue to evolve. In addition to the Barclays Center, there are other developments on the horizon, including the BRIC Arts Media House, an arts and media complex, and the Polonsky Shakespeare Center, the new home of the Theatre for a New Audience. "It provides visitors in the area with all sorts of things to do that weren't necessarily here a decade ago," Reed says. "These will only prove to drive up, in my opinion, occupancy rates and demand for rooms."

Source:usatoday.com/story/travel/hotels/2013/09/19/downtown-brooklyn-hotels-barclays-center-hotel-indigo/2830615/

Affordable Hotels In Carolina Beach|"Peninsula Hong Kong The Best Gets Even Better"

Source             :   forbes.com
Category         : Affordable Hotels In Carolina Beach
By                   :   Larry Olmsted
Posted By      :   Hotels Carolina Beach NC

Affordable Hotels In Carolina Beach

Even among this column’s very elite group of some of the world’s best hotels, the Peninsula Hong Kong stands out. It is simply a masterpiece in every respect, from service to rooms to food to spa to facilities.For readers unfamiliar with this recurring column, here is the three sentence lowdown: I travel a great deal and stay in many exceptional hotels worldwide, but only the very best make the cut for Hotels I Love. In almost every case – including this one – these are properties I have stayed at multiple times over a period of years, so I know great service was not a fluke. It’s not “Hotels I Like,” or even “Hotels I Really Like,” and I only manage to find a few each year that qualify – they have to be that good.I’m certainly not the only one who thinks the Peninsula Hong Kong makes the cut. Readers of Travel + Leisure Magazine gave it the number one ranking of any hotel in the world for service in this years’ World’s Best Awards survey, with a score of 98.78. ForbesTravelGuide gives it the highest possible Forbes 5-Star Rating, plus another 5-Stars for its spa, which is only fitting because Peninsula is the only chain to have every single one of its US properties rated 5-Stars, and Hong Kong is the flagship of the entire brand. And in Cigar Aficionado’s annual expert Travel Poll (which I oversee as contributing travel editor), where votes are cast by top tier travel agents, experts and journalists, rather than readers, for years this hotel has taken world’s best honors.But here’s the crazy thing – the Peninsula, after a huge facelift, is better than ever, even though it was already the best.

The bulk of these upgrades were in guest room technology, with a focus on comfort, convenience and ease of use. While many new hotels have gone for high tech rooms, they are often undecipherable to anyone who is not a teenager, with everything from turning off lights to controlling temperature a chore. Not here, where the interface is as simple as it could be, yet puts room mastery at the bedside (or the other bedside or the desk, as every room has at least three wireless tablets to choose from). Here’s a quick laundry list of new features in every room: a large 3D (active) television and Blu-ray player, with loaner goggles and 3D movies available; sound bar surround sound; internet radio with thousands of channels; free ultra-high speed, high bandwidth Wi-Fi delivered to each room by a dedicated fiber optic line; unlimited free local and international direct dial calls; Nespresso coffee/espresso maker; desktop charging station with four international outlets (no need for adaptors), USB and iPod chargers; complete mini-office with wireless laser printer/fax/copier/scanner; and the tablets are loaded with high quality, custom produced Hong Kong tourism information. They also control lights, climate, drapes, and very good black-out curtains. My favorite tech touch of all? If you go out for just a short while and want your room serviced, hit the “Make Up Room” button and it instantly sends a message to your maid’s smart phone.I was invited back to the hotel (my third visit in the past dozen years) to see the grand reopening of these advanced rooms, a prototype for future Peninsula developments, like their newest property opening next spring in Paris. But the visit also underscored the existing features that make the hotel so special, with or without lots of admittedly useful gizmos. The service, as always, was so good as to be near telepathic. Until I first stayed at this property, I used to make a habit of calling for the bellman upon checkout while still packing so I could utilize the time it would take him to get to the room. I stopped doing that after visiting “The Pen,” where he shows up in seconds. In addition to the famous fleet of custom “Peninsula Green” Roll Royce vehicles, the hotel now has Peninsula Green Mini-Coopers too, and will put one, complete with chauffeur, at your disposal for a few hours – for free.

The slate of restaurants is impressive in variety and style as well as quality, with the most renowned afternoon tea outside the British Isles in the grand lobby; fine dining at the Philippe Starck designed top floor Felix with stunning views; upscale Cantonese at Spring Moon; classic French (Hong Kong’s oldest such option) at Gaddi’s; modern Japanese at Imasa; a bizarre speakeasy bar hidden below the lobby; and the most unique of all, Chesa, serving Swiss alpine classics like spaetzle, raclette and fondue in a charming, laid back, barn-like mountain atmosphere that is both totally surprising to find here and totally enjoyable. I don’t normally go to Asia to eat rustic Swiss food, but if I lived in Hong Kong, I’d go here all the time. Even the basic hotel eatery, Verandah, is standout, with a breakfast/brunch buffet that will wow even people who hate buffets, with a made to order congee station, made to order eggs and omelets, a large assortment of dim sum, plenty of luxury cured meats and cheese from Europe, unusual fresh fruit juices like peach, and really good coffee. For a weekday hotel breakfast buffet (not Sunday Brunch) it is the best I have ever seen.

Every hotel in the chain offers a unique slate of experiences and classes for guests through Peninsula Academy, and here they range from learning to make dim sum in the professional kitchen to exploring Hong Kong’s cutting edge art scene with an expert. The aforementioned 5-Star ESPA is spectacular, as is the very unique and stunning partially open air Roman-bath style pool, with waiter service terrace. Both the pool and the state of the art fitness center have unobstructed drop-dead views of the harbor. But the one thing that really makes the Peninsula unique, even among its many 5-Star Asian peers, is the rooftop helipad. There is no compelling reason to fly in from the airport, as many well-heeled guests do, since it is a short and comfy ride in a house Rolls. What the helipad is awesome for is short sightseeing excursions over Victoria Harbor and all the less visited islands comprising Hong Kong, a world-class view that can only be appreciated form the air, and the Peninsula is the only hotel with a helipad in the city. They offer an expertly guided aerial tour of the UNESCO Hong Kong Geopark, and even have surprisingly reasonable packages combing evening flights with dinner, and if there’s a better urban hotel date night than that, I have yet to see it.

Source:forbes.com/sites/larryolmsted/2013/09/01/hotels-i-love-peninsula-hong-kong-the-best-gets-even-better/

Affordable Hotels In Carolina Beach | "Carolina Beach Real Estate 5 Things To Never Carry In Your Wallet"

Source     :  coastwalkrealestate.com
Category   : Affordable Hotels In Carolina Beach
By             : Courtyard Hotel
Posted By  : Hotels Carolina Beach NC

Do you even know all the things that are in your wallet or purse right now?  Here are five items to look for and remove to limit your risk of identity theft if your wallet is lost or stolen:

Afforadable Hotels in Carolina Beach

1.  Multiple credit cards.  Carry just one card or possibly a debit card.  Don’t carry specific credit cards (like a department store) or gift cards unless you’re going on a shopping trip.  Thieves often use them without having to show identification.

Good idea: Do a wallet inventory and photocopy all the cards you own so you can report their loss and replace them if necessary.

2. Your social security number.  With this most important key to your identity and your name, thieves can do everything from opening new accounts to filing false tax returns.

  

Good idea: Memorize your number.  If you have a Medicare card, copy your card and black out the numbers except for the final four.

3. Your passport.  If you’re going overseas you must travel with it, but that doesn’t mean you have to keep carrying it around.

Good idea: Carry a photocopy and leave the original in your hotel lockbox.

4. Checks.  Your checks show your bank routing and account numbers, and thieves often sign them and get away with it.  

Good idea: If you must carry checks, take just what you might need for that day.  Also try online banking to pay your bills.

5. Password list.  No one can remember all of them, I know. 

 

Good idea:  Use an encrypted tool to store your password like the SplashID mobile app or LastPass.com for your computer.

Affordable Hotels In Carolina Beach | "10 Great Things To Do While You Volunteer in Cape Town"

Source     :  http://stupiddope.com
Category   : Affordable Hotels In Carolina Beach
By             : Courtyard Hotel
Posted By  : Hotels Carolina Beach NC

Affordable Hotels In Carolina Beach

Volunteer Work South Africa is an experience you shouldn’t miss for many reasons. One is that the country has a real need for volunteers to help in different areas like in animal or wildlife conservation, childcare, healthcare, sports coaching, and other programs. Secondly, you wouldn’t want to miss the chance to explore this country especially the town of Cape Town which is a popular tourist destination. There are 10 great things that you can do while in Cape Town:

1. Go up to Table Mountain in a cable car. This is a great experience in South Africa as it will give you a wonderful view of the City Bowl. As an alternative, you can also take the long, exhausting yet beautiful Hoerikwaggo Trail from Cape of Good Hope.

2. Dive into the white shark-capital. If you are a volunteer in South Africa looking for some adrenaline-pumping experience, shark cage diving is a must-try. It is one of the big tourism businesses in Cape Town.

3. Satisfy your palate with the region’s specialty dishes. Volunteering in South Africa and working in Cape Town offer volunteers with an adventurous palate for the best of the region from the simple spongy injeras or marog to the more elaborate dishes.

4. Party at Long Street. Long Street is where partygoers meet and there are a number of bars here where you can find a good selection of cocktails.

5. Swim in the hidden beaches of Cape Town. Beach outing in some of the hidden beaches in Cape Town is a wonderful respite after a week of working as a volunteer in South Africa. Beaches such as Beta Beach, Smitswinkelbaai, and Tietiesbaai offer undisturbed rest and relaxation and unlimited sunbathing.

6. Visit a penguin colony. Visit the African Penguin Colony and spy on some of these sea creatures through binoculars. It is a wonderful sight and you will not regret the experience.

7. Order fresh seafood. Some of the freshest and best seafoods can be found in Cape Town and they are shipped to various countries in the world. When volunteering in South Africa, don’t miss the chance to order fresh tuna, cob, or yellowtail while in Cape Town.

8. Relax and unwind in spas. Volunteering in South Africa can be tiring. It’s just suiting that you also pamper yourself in spas after a week of working.

9. Visit the National Gallery. The National Gallery showcases South African with exhibits depicting the country’s history, culture, and tradition.

10. Shop at Pan African Market. Don’t go home yet without shopping at Pan African Market where you can buy a wide range of African memento that you can take home with you. You can buy here a lot of gift and souvenir items at bargain price.

These are just 10 of the many things that you can do while you volunteer in South Africa. There more that you can add to this list as you travel to the place and explore it yourself. With a wide range of options for weekend activities, you will have no dull moments volunteering in South Africa. Additionally, volunteer work South Africa during weekdays can also be as equally great with the experiences you can enjoy during weekends. That is because you will be working with people who have genuine appreciation for the efforts of volunteers.