The first iPads in airline lounges happened this week at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport, as KLM installed tables of the gadgets inside of their Crown Lounges. They even managed to replicate the clear plexi iPad display bases used in Apple stores.

Unfortunately you will have to be a KLM frequent flyer with club access or fly on a business or first class ticket in order to touch these, but I think we all know that a table of 8 iPads would just not work in a general boarding area with hundreds of people. So…what airline lounge is next?

by JetSetCD

Aer made a splash when it opened last December on the top of the Four Seasons Mumbai.* The highest bar in the city, the lounge sprawls across the entire rooftop of the hotel, offering incredible panoramas of the city’s bustling Worli district and the Arabian Sea. Needless to say, Aer recently scored a spot on ABC News Travel’s list of the “World’s Best Rooftop Bars.” The views may be sensational, but the “dining is equally as inspiring,” claims the hotel’s official website, “with the emphasis on shared plates featuring an innovative selection of hot and cold Lebanese and Middle Eastern dips, Mediterranean tapas and other international favorites.” Order up a personalized cocktail- perhaps a blend of fresh fruit and Champagne- while sampling some midnight mezzes. A live DJ plays nightly sets in this open-air bar. Evening happy hour (running from 5:30 pm- 8 pm every evening) means half-price Champagne cocktails and Champagne.

by Mary Winston Nicklin

The Informed Traveler Cal Simmons’ Guide to Luxury Travel

Banking of the success of its popular Mad46 rooftop bar (set to reopen for the season this week), Manhattan’s grand Roosevelt Hotel has recently unveiled Vander Bar. Taking its name from the Lilliputian avenue that runs parallel to Grand Central Terminal-along the Roosevelt’s backside-Vander Bar makes a serious play for the mid-town clientele who frequent both of these New York City institutions. Whereas Mad46 is meant to compete with stylish downtown al fresco drinking options like those found at the Hudson or Thompson hotels, Vander Bar aims more for the local happy hour crowd, where Hermès ties become loosened before the Metro-North train ride back to Westchester. Offering a fully stocked bar, along with beers on-tap, the property’s small-plates menu of contemporary favorites, such as burger sliders, lobster rolls, and mac and cheese, should provide ample ways to spoil dinner. Of course these days a bar is only as good as its signature drinks, and Vander Bar gives a knowing wink to the neighborhood with a Belvedere black raspberry vodka and lime juice concoction, known as “The BlackBerry.”

by Michael B. Dougherty (RSS feed)

Luxist

The Surrey Hotel, the boutique hotel on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, has opened a spectacular private roof garden complete with expansive views of the Manhattan skyline and Central Park. The roof garden features lounge seating amidst seasonal florals, ranging from brilliant purple Salvia East Frieslands to pink, yellow and orange Lantana. There are lovely box trees that are framed by rows of English dwarf lavenders. Located on the Penthouse level of the hotel, the rooftop garden is available seasonally and exclusively to hotel guests.

The 2,200 square foot terrace is a serene escape and can only be compared to a penthouse terrace found on the top of some of the most exclusive apartment buildings in Manhattan. The roof was completely resurfaced, and features Ipe Brazilian decking and trellises, with ivy and box trees growing throughout the garden. It was designed by Lauren Rottet, the renowned interior and architectural designer who spearheaded The Surrey’s recent renovation.

The garden is open daily from 7:00 am to 11:00 pm, and offers butler service for beverages and light means, enabling guests to dine any time of the day, including breakfast, lunch and dinner. Featured menu items range from the Smoked Salmon Club to the New York Strip Steak Frites. The terrace has bar service with its signature cocktail being the “Muddled Lemonade”—a combination of fresh herbs, fruits and spices mixed with home-made lemonade (available with or without alcohol). The menu also features classic cocktails such as the “Dark and Stormy”. “Moscow Mule” and innovative concoctions including the “Blackberry Mint Margarita” and the “76th Street”, which is made with fresh lime, club soda, orange bitters and Patron Silver.

Guests and selected members of the neighborhood will be invited to themed evening festivities, such as the Backgammon night and Pimm’s night, as well as wine tastings and book readings.

The terrace is a wonderful addition to The Surrey, which recently reopened after a $60 million-plus complete renovation. The hotel, which is located in one of Manhattan’s most exclusive of neighborhoods, is a black, white, cream and sepia space, which melds traditional sophistication with a modern edge. Its high ceilings and archways, limestone walls and marble floors evoke the ambiance of a grand residential townhouse. There’s also a private suite that is available for that is for private functions that rents for $5,000 a night. The suite, which is 1,100 square feet, has a private outdoor terrace, kitchen and wet bar.

The Surrey features 190 well-appointed salons, including 30 one-bedroom suites, a Penthouse and a Presidential Suite, ranging from 350 to 2,127 square feet in size. The hotel is now the destination of choice for well-heeled visitors to New York, ranging from tourists and business travelers to those who are visiting relatives who live in the area.

The Surrey offers a complete luxury experience for hotel guests and Manhattanites alike with its beautiful day spa, “Spa at the Surrey” that is complete with luxurious private therapy rooms as well as a range of customized spa treatments. There’s also a world-class restaurant, Cafe Boulud, which is operated by celebrity chef, Daniel Boulud, offers a contemporary approach to classic French cuisine. Boulud also operates Bar Pleiades, located on the lobby level of the Surrey, an Art Deco-inspired lounge that is quickly becoming the destination of choice for the residents of the Upper East Side.

The hotel’s impressive art collection is also worth checking out. Curated by Rottet, it includes 31 original contemporary works by notable artists such as Chuck Close and Helen Amy Murray, dispersed throughout the private and public spaces. The collection pays homage to the hotel’s impressive Upper East Side location just steps from the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the other well-known institutions that make up Museum Mile.

The Surrey Hotel is located at 20 East 76th Street, between Fifth Avenue and Madison Avenue.

by Carrie Coolidge Rss Feed

Luxist

Tequila and Tacos Help Mondays Go Down at 60 Thomson

We already know that overpriced drinks are a lot easier to swallow when perched on a hotel rooftop bar high above the city. But you know what’s also pretty delish from upon high? Tacos. So we’re totally into the new Tacos & Tequila night at 60 Thompson‘s A60. Especially since it’s on a Monday.

Also? You don’t have to be a hotel guest or A60 member to get your Rooftop Mex on—you just have to rock up early. Non-members are welcome ‘when space permits’, so we recommend hitting up the bar as soon as the taco stand opens at 5 p.m.

There are three varieties on the menu, including grilled coriander chicken, flank steak a la plancha and sautéed shrimp in salsa verde, all priced between $10–$14 (there are 3 tacos per order). You can also order chips with salsa or guacamole ($6–$8) and caramel flan with shredded coconut ($5).

Since all of these snacks demand a little (or a lot of) tequila on the side, the drink specials on Monday nights include a T&T Margarita and Ruby Red Chili (Svedka vodka, limoncello, muddled grapefruit and chili) for $10 each, and shots of Cabo Wabo tequila for $7.

If you plan to stay awhile, you may prefer a pitcher of passionfruit margarita or white sangria spiked with tequila and fruit—there are five drinks in a pitcher for $45.

We never thought you’d hear us say this, but … Uh, is it Monday yet?

MsRebecca @ HotelChatter

Check your wallet. Is there a Bank of American credit or debit card in there? If so, then you’ve got a ticket to enter over 120 museums around the country for free during the first weekend of each month through December 2010.

It’s a new program from the Bank called “Museums on Us,” and it’s actually pretty brilliant, with a surprising selection of very good museums included in the free days. All you need to enter the museums is your Bank of America card and another photo ID, and you’re in—but sadly it’s just for the cardholder, no +1 included.

The next weekend you can take advantage of the free admission is this weekend, and you can find a list of all of the included museums here. Still, we picked out a few of our favorite, after the jump.

Jaunted

Etiquette Tips

Hotel teas look so inviting, with refined guests sipping chamomile and nibbling on delicate finger sandwiches. But if you’re worried that people will gasp you if don’t point your pinky the right way while holding a tea cup, don’t fret.

We recently went to the Four Seasons Chicago to glean some tea tips so that you won’t look like a teatime newbie, or even worse, an uncouth pig.

1. Dress the part.
Okay, you don’t have to don white gloves to attend high teas, but dress up. We spotted two ladies in jeans, and while no one shot them disapproving looks, they stood out among the skirts, lady pants and suits in the room.

2. Don’t get drunk.
If you choose to get a glass of champagne before your tea, which everyone did in our room except for the jeans-wearing delinquents, try to pad your stomach with some alcohol-soaking food before you arrive. Otherwise, the bubbly will hit your empty stomach quickly and your tipsy party will get a little rowdy and loud, much to the chagrin of the murmuring tea drinkers.

3. Mind your napkin.
If you need to use the bathroom or get up for any reason, the proper protocol is to transfer the napkin from your lap to your seat, not the table. And obvs, don’t use the napkin like a bib. For shame.

4. Eat in order.
You should first eat the savory finger sandwiches, next the scones and then the sweets. There’s no mixing courses.

5. Slice up those scones.
When it’s time to eat those scones, cut them down the middle and use a knife to slather on the Devonshire cream, jam or lemon curd. Do not even think about dipping the mounds of deliciousness into the spreads.

Of course, use common sense when you’re at teatime. Don’t loudly slurp your tea, be sure to chew with your mouth closed and, in case you’re wondering, you don’t need to point your pinky while holding a tea cup.

-hotel chatter

Overview

The spirit of Venice is alive in The Venetian resort, complete with frescos, gourmet food, canals, gondolas and strolling performers. The hotel offers spacious, beautifully appointed suites, an impressive upscale shopping center, a wide variety of gourmet restaurants and Italian-inspired eateries, attractions and more. Sheldon Adelson’s breathtaking mega-resort combines the latest technology and the venerable art and culture of the European jewel: Venice. The Venetian’s take on this world-renowned city and the Italian eleganza is a must-see. Coming to this resort is as close as you’ll come to visiting Venice itself.

As you enter the lobby, don’t be surprised by the visitors taking pictures of the ceiling as if they were in the Sistine Chapel: A detailed, exquisite fresco covers the arched ceiling leading from registration to the casino, promising great things. That promise if fulfilled in short order — a wealth of shopping experiences in the 500,000-square-foot Grand Canal Shoppes, which, true to its name, has a canal winding through it with gondolas drifting gracefully along its length; a number of five-star restaurants, created by such culinary giants as Wolfgang Puck, Emeril Lagasse, Thomas Keller, Joachim Splichal and Paulo “Zeffirino” Belloni and a version of Madame Tussauds famous wax museum.

Dining

Guests will enjoy dining at the sophisticated bistro-style restaurant, Bouchon, by Thomas Keller. Located on the pool deck, the restaurant’s menu, décor and style is modeled on Keller’s original classic French restaurant that he opened in the Napa Valley in 1998. Known for its traditional French country cuisine, Bouchon offers classic preparations, which include steak frites, boudin noir, roasted chicken and tarte tatin. A raw seafood bar, innovative wine program, and after-hours menu makes Bouchon one of The Venetian’s most sought after restaurants and reaffirms the property’s status as the “culinary capital of the world.”

Accommodations

The spacious guest suites at The Venetian are aesthetically stunning as well as technologically sound, with refinements from Italian marble in the bathrooms to a mini bar.

Concierge Suites
Every Concierge suite offers access to the exclusive 12,000 sq ft 23rd-floor Concierge Lounge with a full service Concierge team, overlooking the famous Las Vegas Strip. Access to the lounge is provided via the private Concierge elevator located on the guest suite floor.

Complimentary amenities included:
Private Check-in area
Breakfast from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Afternoon presentation from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Evening hot and cold Hors d’oeuvres 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Nightly open bar from 5 p.m to 9 p.m
DVD library
Packing and Unpacking Services upon request

Venezia Tower

At the Venezia Tower, the resort’s most recent addition, luxury rooms are redefined with 700-square-foot suites that boast 9.5-foot ceilings, 130-square-foot bathrooms, three telephones and two 27-inch flat-screen TVs, among other luxuries. The tower’s 122 Concierge Level suites offer additional amenities, including private access, an executive lounge with food and beverage service, daily newspaper, coffee/tea delivered with your wake-up call and DVD players.

Enter a shimmering center of beauty, romance, power and passion; where unparalleled opportunities for leisure and commerce beckon. Hotel guests are captivated by the subtle décor that surrounds them… mosaics on walls, three-dimensional imported marble tile, vaulted ceilings, elaborate interior details including accents made of natural stone, intricate woodwork, and beautifully carved marble. The intimate experience begins immediately in Venezia’s rotunda, where a glass cupola high above filters sunshine to caress the senses. It is obvious that Venezia is equally as beautiful as The Venetian, but completely different in its feeling of quiet, understated elegance. It is here that guests can leave the stresses of the everyday world behind.

Upon entering their suite, guests will immediately notice that the accommodations are more expansive than typical hotel rooms – even those in the first phase of The Venetian. The guest accommodations make an impressive impact with their upgraded designs and decorations in rich tones and fabrics. Venezia suites average 700 square feet, roughly double the size of the typical Las Vegas hotel room, and feature unprecedented nine-foot-high ceilings. Complete with a spacious, plush, private bedchamber with draped canopies, the suites also feature an oversized 130 square-foot bathroom finished in Italian marble, and a sunken living room area. Each suite is honed with fine craftsmanship, impeccable taste, unmatched quality and uncompromising dedication to detail.

These suites are intimate refuges and secluded retreats for relaxation and entertainment. Of these, fourteen of the suites on the pool level include terraces overlooking the garden courtyard. Built with an elaborate trellis, these terraces offer privacy for the most discerning guest.

Pool Garden Courtyard

Located on the tenth floor, the Venezia Pool Garden is lush with beautiful plants. The setting is perfect for a day of leisure or a tranquil garden party. With two intimate hot tubs and two large pools, the Venezia pool is your relaxation destination.

2 Pools
2 Hot tubs
Outdoor shower
Cocktail & food service provided by Bouchon during summer months

Overview

When looking for elegance, the Caesars Palace Las Vegas is the place to go. Modeled after ancient Rome, this exquisite Caesars Palace hotel and casino takes all of the best charms of Rome and adds a modern flare to add to the level of comfort. Fountains, statues and other decorations greet you when you enter the lobby, submersing you into the theme of Caesars Palace Las Vegas.

The Caesars Palace Las Vegas was built in 1966. A year later in 1967, the famous Daredevil Evel Knievel attempted to jump the fountains on his motorcycle, but failed. The hotel has catered to high rollers and celebrities ever since its creation, and has not disappointed. From the moment you walk through the doors of Caesars Palace, you know you’ve arrived at the most prestigious resort in the world. Impeccable service. Luxury. All the little details that make the difference between an ordinary visit and a spectacular experience are yours.

Dining

Caesars Palace boasts an international array of cuisine to tantalize, tempt and satisfy any diner’s appetite. From contemporary French fine-dining, to more casual fare including a 24-hour café, we offer some of the best cuisine available in one of the world’s top food cities. Enter one of our award-winning fine dining restaurants and you’ll encounter a one-of-a-kind culinary experience at each turn. The Michelin Guide Las Vegas rated three of our restaurants as some of the best in the city with two stars going to Restaurant Guy Savoy and one star each for Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill and Bradley Ogden, still the only Las Vegas restaurant to win the James Beard Foundation’s coveted “Best New Restaurant of the Year” award.

For a slice of true dining history, one need only to get a table inside Rao’s…that is if a table is available. Frank Pellegrino Jr. and his wife, and Executive Chef, Carla Pellegrino along with Frank Pellegrino Sr. and Ron Straci operate the only other outpost of the legendary eatery located in New Yorks’s East Harlem. Succulent chops and steaks, homemade meatballs the size of baseballs and Uncle Vincent’s famous lemon chicken are staples.

Across from Rao’s, in a part of the casino affectionately called “New York West,” is Payard Pâtisserie & Bistro, regarded as one of the most luxurious chocolate and pastry shops in the country. The creative nature of award-winning Pastry Chef, François Payard, shines through not only in his delectable desserts, but also in the shop’s entrance as whimsical, 13-foot tall chocolate-inspired clock not only keeps the time for nine different regions, but also rewards patient customers with pre-packaged chocolate truffles every 15 minutes. Besides this incredible roster of the world’s most respected gourmet restaurateurs, Caesars Palace offers a wonderful selection of casual dining options including the 24-hour Augustus Café and the all-you-care-to-eat Café Lago buffet.

Accommodations

Our newest, most luxurious rooms can be found in the Palace and Augustus Towers. These striking towers contain equally breathtaking rooms that will make you feel like a whole empire is yours.

Palace Tower Deluxe Room
Unwind in the delicate elegance of the Deluxe Room. The open and inviting bedchamber is highlighted by a marble dressing table, refreshment center, and dark wood furnishings. The Caesars-style marble bathroom indulges you with brass fixtures, dual sinks, and an oversized spa tub.

Augustus Tower Deluxe Room
Our newest tower’s ample Deluxe Rooms will indulge you in tasteful opulence, thoughtful functionality and plush comfort. The marble bathroom compliments the experience in true style with dual sinks and TV easily viewable from the spa tub.

Room Amenities
One King or Two Queen Beds
LCD Television
Bedside Clock Radio with CD Player
High-Speed Wired and Wireless Internet Access
On Demand Movies and Music
Marble Bathroom with Walk-in Shower
Oversized Spa Bathtub
Gilchrest & Soames Bath Amenities
Wet/Dry Mini Bar
2 waffle Weave Robes

Amenities

The most breathtaking swimming pool experience in Las Vegas is located exclusively at the most legendary casino resort of them all.  Caesars Palace invites you to experience the all-new, better than ever Garden of the Gods Pool Oasis. Spacious, luxurious and stately, this collection of exclusive watering holes, decadent cabanas and palatial sunbathing spots is the ultimate warm-weather destination, not matter whether you bow before the gods of the sun or the water.

The Bacchus pool overlooks the expanded Garden of the Gods Pool Oasis, boasting imperial views of the new Jupiter and Apollo pools and hedonistic amenities by attentive cabanas servers.

There are over 40 new cabanas in all, with stocked refrigerators, flat-screen TVs, DVD players, iPod docks, wireless Internet, ceiling fans and plush furniture. Some of the luxe services offered poolside include frozen towels, Evian face spritzers and body massages. Or, just keep it simple and lay out in one of our 1,700 deck chairs. You can even get married at the Garden of the Gods Pool Oasis! Our Juno and Venus Gardens can accommodate up to 114 guests.

The Venus Pool Club is the most well-appointed and exclusive pool experience in Las Vegas, a sophisticated and secluded European-style retreat from the people who brought you PURE Nightclub. Ultra-high end food and beverage choices are available, including a roving margarita and mojito cart, and premium real estate is yours for the asking. With eleven cabanas, four couches, fourteen day beds and chaise lounge chairs, you’re sure to find the perfect spot to catch rays, watch people or just take in the lush and luxurious surroundings.

Nightlife

Seahorse Lounge
Bringing tranquilly hip nightlife to Caesars Palace, this architecturally stunning addition to the resorts lounge offerings is inspired by the captivating underwater world of mermaids and seahorses. At the lounge entrance is a towering 1,700-gallon aquarium, surrounded by guest seating that offers an inviting 360-degree view of Australian Pot Belly Seahorses the focal centerpiece of their namesake lounge. A wide variety of high-energy cocktails are part of Shadow’s exotic drink menu, and all are served with entertaining style. World-class flair bartenders juggle bottles, toss limes, twirl glasses and even do back-flips as they prepare beverages while showcasing their amazing skills. Offering a full cocktail menu, the Seahorse Lounge features specialty martinis and a variety of more than 20 champagnes served in half-bottles and individual pops. Specialty coffees and espressos, a popular morning refreshment, are always available.

Shadow Lounge
Caesars Palace once again has raised the standard of Las Vegas nightlife with its destination lounge, Shadow: A Bar at Caesars Palace. Featuring contemporary designs and eclectic furnishings, the sensual atmosphere is enhanced by provocative shadow dancers, whose silhouetted performances bring the experience to the next level.

Pure
With an unparalleled view of the Las Vegas Strip, PURE symbolizes a new standard in Las Vegas nightlife. With four distinct experiences enveloped in two stories of decadence, PURE is not just a nightclub; it is The Strip’s first nightlife destination. At 40,000 square feet, PURE Nightclub is four venues in one, each featuring its own DJ, sound system and sexy style.

Ride upstairs in the state-of-the-art, German-imported glass elevator, or ascend PURE’s dramatic twisting staircase to the 14,000-square-foot Terrace, a hidden enclave offering incredible panoramic views of The Strip. All of this is connected to the hottest lounge to ever splash onto the Sin City scene. The Pussycat Dolls Lounge heats up with sizzling performances, adding another seductive element to Sin City’s first true nightlife destination. PURE has been named the No. 1 Club in the Country by E! Entertainment, and has been dubbed the top Las Vegas club by America Online, Las Vegas Review Journal, Las Vegas Weekly and Las Vegas Citylife. Experience PURE for yourself.

Remember the heyday of the Hotel Gansevoort in New York’s Meatpacking District, before The Standard came and when the Gansevoort still had bedspreads without cigarette burns in them? It was the place to go on a Friday or Saturday night in summer, for a drink at their rooftop “Plunge” pool bar or down at their garden restaurant/club, Stereo.

Now that Stereo has closed, leaving the corner of the Meatpacking eerily quieter at night, what will move into the prime space? Another club of course, but this time not of your typical $19 cocktails and black minidresses sort, or so it seems. The new venture will be called “Provocateur” and is billing itself as “The [heart] of Progressing, Vocal & Indie Music.”

We never thought we’d see those genres associate with The Gansevoort, but know they are just trying to stay hip byt knocking out the lounge and techno beats in favor of something more buffalo plaid-friendly.

The Club is due to open this fall, and you know since we spend the better part of our days spying on The Standard, that we should be in the perfect spot to see what blossoms at “Provocateur.” by JetSetCD – HotelChatter

Where: 18 9th Avenue , New York, NY, United States, 10014