Why not go east the next time you’re on the west coast? To celebrate the recent opening of their new eco-friendly property in Torrance, California, the Miyako Hybrid Hotel is offering a new package called “Experience Japan” that allows guests to discover Japanese culture just a few miles away from downtown Los Angeles. The package starts at $149, and includes accommodation, dining and sake tasting. The three-course tasting menu, prepared by Chef Alex Cabrera from Gonpachi Restaurant, features authentic Japanese cuisine with little Western influence, like fried shrimp dumplings with yuzu chili sauce and grilled black cod in miso served on hijiki brown rice.

310-212-5111; miyakohybridhotel.com

When he’s not busy creating daring pieces like his famous Kalashnikov-shaped lamp, Philippe Starck works on hotels all over the world. His first creation in Venice, the Hotel Palazzina Grassi, was recently unveiled, and it continues the tradition of eccentric, dramatic design that already infuses New York and Paris hotel properties. In Starck’s hands, the 16th century former residence has been transformed into 26-room, 5-star palace with 5 suites overlooking Canal Grande. All guest rooms feature large backlit mirrors, Venetian wood floors, rare books and vintage furniture, as well as bathrooms finished with natural stone tile. The impressive lobby is filled with mirrors and glass sculptures, but good luck getting there; it’s hidden behind a nondescript door with a bull’s head on it. Better just use the 1960s Celli boat that picks up guests who are checking in.

1-800-337-4685; designhotels.com/palazzinagrassi

It's not often we can claim credit for inspiring a great new business, so when happens, you're going to hear about it. Last summer, Lynne MacKay and Pierre Guevremont bought a former blacksmith's shop in historic Lunenburg, on Nova Scotia's South Shore and started brewing up artisanal booze, including an apple-base vodka we've heard good things about. Mr. Guevremont was recently quoted by the local news site as saying he got the idea from Genevieve Paiement's piece in enRoute! We can't wait to get in the spirit and head down there for a taste. Cheers!
 

We're still not totally sure what it is, but we've recently been informed that it will be opening soon. The press release was about three lines long, announcing that four of the six hotels — Crockfords Tower, Hotel Michael, Festive Hotel and Hard Rock Hotel — that make up Singapore’s (presumably) exciting Resorts World Sentosa will be opening their doors simultaneously on January 20th. That's just two weeks away! They seem particularly proud to be Singapore's first "integrated resort." What's an "integrated resort," you ask? Well we didn't know, either, but that's what Wikipedia is for. It's a euphemism for a casino-based resort. That's right, folks, you're going to be able to get your gamble on for the first time in your favourite squeaky-clean southeast Asia city-state, only at "Asia's Ultimate Family Destination"... hmm.

The economic crisis hit Las Vegas more than any other city in the world. (Except for Dubai, maybe, but when you build islands from scratch in the shape of continents and indoor ski resorts, what do you expect?). So rates have never been lower in Sin City’s luxurious hotels and resorts. MGM Mirage, which has seen a major decrease in its revenues, is now gambling on a new project called CityCenter, with three major resorts offering nearly 6,000 hotel rooms. CityCenter’s 67-acre complex includes the first Mandarin Oriental in Las Vegas, the Aria Resort and Casino, the Vdara Hotel & Spa, the residential Veer Towers, as well as Crystals (created by renowned architect Daniel Libeskind) and a futuristic shopping centre with boutiques from Assouline, Cartier, Louis Vuitton, Paul Smith and Tom Ford. Who knows if it will work – maybe what happened to Vegas will stay in Vegas – but in the meantime, you can take advantage of the deals. Vdara Hotel & Spa has a special introductory rate from $149 midweek and $179 on weekends, with a $50 Resort Credit, from December 18-April 1, 2010, while the Aria Resort & Casino offers guestrooms at $169 per night, with a $75 Resort Credit, from January 2-April 1, 2010.

LA is best known for ripping off styles and adapting them its own SoCal style. Just look at the iconic Hollywood Roosevelt; it’s an imitation (and a successful one, certainly) of Spanish architectural traditions. Well, one hotel still embraces this approach, but also brings something a little more original to West Hollywood. Petit Ermitage is a new French-style 88-suite boutique property located one block south of the Sunset Strip. Targeting transient bourgeois bohemians, this intimate pied-à-terre has an art collection boasting some of the most important names from the 17th century to the contemporary era, including pieces by Joan Miró, Willem De Kooning and Salvador Dalí. Its walls and ceilings were also hand-painted by local artists. The “Masters Quarters” on the upper floor are next to the Private Rooftop Club, which includes a saltwater pool, a fireplace and gardens, as well as the Butterfly Bar, where you can enjoy a drink with a 360-degree view of Los Angeles.

8822 Cynthia Street, West Hollywood; 310-854-1114; petitermitage.com

Well, it's official; The Gansevoort South is headed for foreclosure. The Miami Herald put it best: "good buzz was no match for bad debt." Gansevoort, we hardly new ye! The biggest disappointment for us isn't the loss of a promising property so much as the loss of the time we spent researching this place for our Miami city guide. But don't worry, there are lots of great new places left. (Knock on wood – hang in there Fontainebleu!) If there's anything to take from this mildly sad event – other than more evidence that Miami real estate is best left to Russian billionaires these days, that is – it might be that our tastes in hotels have shifted away from extravagance and ostentation, just like they have in food and fashion. Or maybe it's just a case of good ol' fashioned fiduciary malfeasance. Whatever; we like the Standard better anyway. 

It’s too bad we have to work months ahead of time when preparing our printed issue, because this exciting news would have been the perfect complement to our Caribbean winter package. The Viceroy Anguilla will be the first Viceroy property in the islands. (There are already three properties around Miami, all of which get high marks from us, and another one set to open in the Colorado Rockies.) The Anguilla has 166 residences, villas and townhouses spread over 35 acres and 3,200 feet of beachfront along Barnes and Meads Bays. The hotel is also home to a spa and a fitness room, an aquatic centre and a club dedicated to kids, called Generation V. The Viceroy’s minimalist architecture takes organic elements like driftwood lamps and travertine marble floors and blends them with subtle exotic touches from Asia, Africa and India. Rates at Viceroy Anguilla in December start at $695 for an Ocean View Studio. 866-270-7798 (from the US); 1-264-497-7000; viceroyanguilla.com

We’ve already told you about Groupe Germain’s luxury properties on our side of Canada – they have hotels in Quebec City, Montreal and Toronto. Now they’re heading west, starting January 2010. Hôtel Le Germain Calgary is located in the downtown area, next to shopping centres, restaurants, cafés and bars. The hotel’s 143 rooms and suites feature soft linens, goose-down duvets and feather pillows, bathrooms with rain showers and innovative eco-smart features like geothermal heating and cooling, energy-efficient lighting controls and a system that recycles heat from the air conditioning system to produce hot water. We’re eager to try CHARCUT Roast House, the hotel’s bistro with an awesome charcuterie bar that focuses on fresh, local ingredients. Hôtel Le Germain Calgary is kicking off the New Year with a special, limited-time launch rate of $199 a night for its Superior Rooms. Get the full details at germaincalgary.com, or call 1-877-362-8990.

There’s always a new hotel opening in New York, and to mention them all we would probably need an entire blog dedicated just to that. But sometimes they’ve got standout features we simply can’t ignore. The Strand has a retro-futuristic look with mid-century decorative elements and dark mahogany furnishings, juxtaposed with colourful fabrics and large, floor to ceiling windows. You will find vintage fashion photos in black and white spread all over the 177 deluxe guest rooms and junior suites, bathrooms filled with European-inspired tiles and granite counter tops, as well as all the requisite amenities for the busiest traveller, including iPod docking stations and complimentary WiFi access. But the hotel’s most exciting feature is Top of the Strand, a rooftop lounge with a retractable glass ceiling created by Lydia Marks, set designer for the Sex and the City movie. Top of the Strand offers guests and New Yorkers the chance to sip a cocktail or a glass of wine with a view of the Empire State Building, all year long. Plus: the hotel’s so-called “lifestyle consultant” helps you out in securing reservations at your favourite dining spots, getting theatre tickets and museum passes, or even arranging private tours. 212-448-0811; thestrandnyc.com