Congress can’t agree on much. But a new piece of legislation regarding hotels could bring the two sides together at least momentarily.

Introduced today by Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md) and Congressman C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-Md), the legislation would create a program that allows Americans to donate hotel reward points to members of the Armed Forces traveling to receive health care and to their visiting families. The proposed program, Hotels for Heroes, complements the national Hero Miles program that provides free round-trip flights through donated miles for wounded soldiers recovering at military or veterans’ medical centers as well as their friends and families. (more…)

The Algonquin.

Historic hotels have their charms – the evocative architecture, the whiff of time travel, the (often) dazzling out-of-the-past guests lists. But there’s nothing charming about historic plumbing, which could be one reason the Algonquin, New York’s oldest operating hotel, is closing for four months of renovations beginning on January 1, 2012.

The news, reported in USA Today, seems a blend of surprise and what-took-them-so-long. The hotel, called the Puritan when it opened in 1902, oozes history in all the right places, namely the cozy/urbane wood-paneled lobby that still reels in an intriguing crowd, and the tile-floored Blue Bar, which opened the day Prohibition was repealed. (more…)

The Hotel Americano.

What can a hotel do about a less than perfect location? Wait it out, if you happen to be the Hotel Americano. Planted on 27^th Street way out west between Tenth and Eleventh Avenues, this uber-chic new boutique is smack in the middle of Chelsea’s art gallery and club scene and a short hop from Chelsea Piers’ sports facilities – an area that’s also bereft of subway stops and frequent bus service.

But in June, the popular High Line extended its elevated reach from 20^th to 30^nd Street. (more…)

The John Dory kedgeree.

Remember the scene in Ratatouille where a forkful of vegetable stew sends the grumpy restaurant critic into Proustrian raptures and transports him back to his carefree childhood?

Okay, the kedgeree at the Ace Hotel’s The John Dory Oyster Bar wasn’t quite like that.  No childhood memories bubbled up (we weren’t big kedgeree eaters in Northern California). But we ate a lot of the stuff during the four years we lived in London. And we loved it. (more…)

Silver stencils on the ceiling.

A lampshade that looks like a feathered hat. A coffee table perched on the legs of a beast. Silver rosebuds dancing across the ceiling.

This is the kind of lobby you either love or love to loathe, but really, a dash of whimsy never hurt anyone, especially when it’s this amusing.

The best hotel lobbies are a lot like stage sets, expertly produced environments where you step into whatever realm the hotel chooses to create. The Algonquin’s urbane, wood-paneled gathering place flaunts its history. The Ace’s tech-inflected scene is equally conducive to cocktails and laptops.

And the Mondrian SoHo?  It’s a fantasy set, where you feel like you’ve taken a detour and fallen into the rabbit hole.

The other-worldliness is palpable, fueled by color (French blue and beige shot with silver) and surfaces – everything looks dreamy and a little surreal, especially when reflected in a wall of floor-to-ceiling blue mirrors. Hang out long enough in this feast of feathers, velvet and patent leather and you’ll wonder why luggage racks are cruising by. (more…)

Jean Georges at Trump International

The first week in October is pretty innocuous unless you’re a foodie — or to be precise, a guide-loving foodie. This week Michelin and Zagat published their respective, red-covered 2012 New York City restaurant guides within a day of each other. That’s like back-to-back Golden Globes and Academy Awards. (more…)

Awaiting room service: a suite at the Pierre.

Did you know a bowl of hotel oatmeal, arguably the healthiest offering on the breakfast menu, can rack up 1,400 calories? Yikes!

Let’s deconstruct. Besides those undeniably nutritious oats, you’re getting whole milk and brown sugar. And just how big are the portions? Even raisins add up if you eat enough.

It all adds up, as Stephane Becht, the Pierre’s French-born executive chef, discovered when he set out to create a special room service menu that skimped on calories and fat but not on flavor.  (more…)

Crossroads Lounge tower.

And that’s exactly what they did. Good-bye, power suits. Hello, 21^st century.

Earlier this month the Marriott Marquis unveiled its new lobby, centerpiece of its $39 million renovation. As befits a big hotel almost three decades old and 1,900-plus rooms strong big changes are on view in the sprawling 8^th floor John Portman atrium lobby, punctuated by colorfully lit elevator cars whizzing up and down.  With the demise of the sushi bar, a touristy American restaurant and a fleet of tables littered with empty Starbucks cups, the hotel has sluffed off its shopping mall food court look and moved upscale in keeping with its high season room prices, currently starting around $500. (more…)