Terry Trucco

Cocktails With King Kong: Five NYC Hotel Roof Bars With Killer Views of the Empire State Building

/in /by

 

Roof bars are no longer an oddity at hotels, but that doesn’t make them any less appealing. Drinks with an eye-popping view a pairing the never gets old. I found a full hand with money vistas of the ultimate New York City icon – the Empire State Building. Four are open year round so you can gaze whenever the mood strikes upon “the closest thing to heaven” to quote a line from not one, but two legendary movies.

 

 

 

 

Read more

Terry Trucco

Don’t Leave Home Without It? How Americans Really Feel About Taking a Smartphone on Vacation

/in , /by

Passport, smartphone and sunscreen are the top three items in order of importance Americans say they pack when they go on vacation. (Travel insurance comes in at the bottom of the list.)

But given a choice, a majority of Americans say their preference is to holiday without a mobile device, according to Hotels.com’s Global Disconnect Survey of 2,495 respondents from 28 countries. Indeed, just 35 percent of Americans said they were unwilling to ditch their electronic devices on a vacation. Read more

Terry Trucco

Mermaids, Mythology and Magic: the Roger Smith Hotel’s Haunting New Murals

/in /by

Last Thursday, when Lily’s Bar and Lounge at the Roger Smith hotel closed for the night, the large panels that envelop the room were the color of Wite-Out.

That changed the next day. Armed with acrylic paints, India ink and an idea from a recent visit to Iceland, artist Danica Novgorodoff rolled up her virtual sleeves and got to work. Read more

Terry Trucco

Move Over Yobot — A New Hotel Robot Rolls In

/in , /by

If you plan to stay at the Aloft Cupertino on August 20 to witness the debut of Botlr, the new robotic bellhop that’s being test driven by the hotel, you’re out of luck. The Aloft is fully booked. (Rooms are still available for August 21, if you don’t mind being a day late.) Read more

Terry Trucco

A Hotel That Fines Guests $500 for a Thumbs Down? Why Online Guest Reviews Matter More than Ever

/in /by

Hotels dream of instant internet renown, just not the kind Union Street Guest House experienced this week.

To recap if you were stranded on a net-free island, word got out that this self-described boutique hotel in New York’s Hudson Valley charged $500 for negative reviews posted by wedding party guests. Read more

Terry Trucco

Curtains, Anyone? The Latest Attention-Grabbing Hotel That Offers Too Much To See

/in /by

It seems the Standard High Line NYC isn’t the only big city hotel to serve up rooms with unexpected views – for those looking in.

Over the long summer weekend images from the 25 Hours Hotel Bikini, a new, 10-story hotel in Berlin, burned up the internet and landed in The Daily Mail, Fox News and Deadstate.org.  Read more