The hotel and its iconic red sign.

It’s a good thing the iconic red neon ESSEX HOUSE sign blazing atop the roof doesn’t mention the hotel’s brand. Following its sale last week to Chicago-based Strategic Hotels & Resorts, the Essex House has a new manager — again.

Sometime between now and early September, the hefty metal Jumeirah marquee over the entry will come down, along with all things redolent of the Dubai-based hotel group that owned and operated the hotel for six years.

In its stead, look for JW Marriott on cocktail napkins, invoices and the marquee. As the JW Marriott Essex House, the 509-room Art Deco tower becomes the first Manhattan outpost of the luxe-infused Marriott brand sandwiched in the company portfolio between the sumptuous Ritz Carlton and the plain vanilla Marriott. With the Ritz Carlton New York Central Park just up the street, Marriott now dominates blue chip hotel real estate on Central Park South, a very nice place to rule. (more…)

Add the TV zapper to the list of hotel room amenities one step closer to the junk heap.

Last week LodgeNet, the largest provider of in-room entertainment, introduced a new app that lets hotel guests use their smartphones to operate the TV. The free LodgeNet Mobile App turns an iPhone, iPad or Android into a hotel room remote control that does it all –  turns the TV on and off, adjusts the sound and accesses free TV, on-demand TV and pay-per-view movies.  The app also serves up information about the hotel and local events, restaurants, maps and attractions. (more…)