By: Scott H. Grody
    Fugazy International Travel American Express     
      sgrody@fugazytravel.com

THE HIPPEST AND COOLEST NEW HOTELS

The Keating Hotel in San Diego
You know Pininfarina as the legendary design firm that brings us Ferraris and Maseratis.  Now, Pininfarina has moved into the Hip Hotel market with The Keating.  The Keating opens in San Diego this Fall. “The Keating is one of San Diego’s oldest buildings and has a Romanesque Revival façade but a modern sleek interior.” - Luxist The Keating is a statement of our time, combining the highest level of expressive Italian Design with sophisticated and personalized service. The Keating defines a new standard for lifestyle hotels worldwide. In the Pininfarina tradition, the environment is characterized by pure, clean, ergonomic design, where breathtaking form meets function in every possible detail. What remains is the essential, but not the minimal. The use of materials, colors and lighting combine to give a warm welcoming atmosphere to all of our guests. Modern Italian Design is punctuated by the use of historical details. The result is a unique emotional experience - a catalyst for the imagination.

China gets an Underwater Hotel………
Crescent Hydropolis Resorts received sea rights from China to build the world’s first underwater hotel and resort. The resort’s name is Hydropolis Qingdao and the tower will be located on 33,000 sq meters of land that was formerly the Ocean Entertainment Park in Qingdao, while the actual underwater hotel section will be located southwest of the island of Chidao. The HydroTower component is expected to be complete prior to the start of the 2008 Beijing summer Olympic Games and the sea-based Hydropalace will be in operation in 2009. The company is also working on the underwater hotel in Dubai, with plans to build in London, Monaco, Munich, New York and the Isle of Man.

Yotels Inside The London Terminals…..
If only Yotel would have been opened earlier, Tom Hanks wouldn’t have needed to wander around “The Terminal” for many months.
“Simon Woodroffe’s inspiration for YOTEL came from British Airways first class and Japanese capsule hotels.
We believe it is one of the world’s most radical hotel concepts and will offer a solution to expensive and boring hotels around the globe.
Cabins will be bookable in blocks of four hours enabling delayed and transfer passengers to relax privately in a hotel environment. In addition, passengers leaving on those early morning flights can stay the night before to catch some extras hours sleep in the morning and check in online from the comfort of their rooms safe in the knowledge that they are just a casual stroll for their next morning’s departure. Early arriving passengers may also check-in for a few hours before going to a meeting.”

Kasbah Tamadot - Richard Branson's Morocco Resort…..
Richard Branson has created a new Virgin resort In the foothills of the Atlas mountains in Morocco.  This hip hotel features magnificent architecture and 18 luxurious rooms.  The master suite features 3 bedrooms and a private pool.  Rates start at 290 Euros.

Starwood Launches New Flagship Luxury Brand: Crillon
Starwood Capital Group  plans to launch a new international luxury brand called the Crillon through its Societe du Louvre affiliate. The company will develop European-style Crillon hotels and serviced residences in major destinations throughout the world.
The Crillon’s flagship is the Hotel de Crillon in Paris, located on Place de la Concorde and one of only six Palace hotels (six-star) in that city. Housed in a historic building commissioned in 1758 by Louis XV, the 147-room de Crillon is considered a true Paris institution and has been a favorite of luminaries, including heads of state and celebrities, since it opened as a hotel in 1909. Starwood Capital expects that the Crillon Paris will undergo continuing upgrades in the near future.