Hotel hiring rebounds as US tourism overcomes slump
Bloomberg
Jobless Americans are using increased tourism as a pathway back to employment, finding jobs at hotels and motels as those facilities step up hiring to meet growing demand. "With more people on the road, we'll need more people working in hotels," said Jan Freitag, a senior vice president at Smith Travel Research Inc. He cited a 4.1 percent increase in first-quarter hotel bookings from a year ago as a "very positive sign" that U.S. tourism is rebounding. More

Disney embarks on push to boost offerings in hotel rooms
Orlando Sentinel
Walt Disney World has historically set its hotels apart by designing them with over-the-top themes, from an African village to a national park lodge to a sprawling ode to popular culture. Now, the giant resort is focusing on improving the less-glamorous guts of its 22,000 rooms — with mini-refrigerators, wireless Internet access and extra mattresses.More

A Parisian chef dreams of a special hotel breakfast service
The New York Times
It could only be a dream: On the morning after the start of the honeymoon, breakfast arrives not as a wobbly table with battered silver covers over congealed scrambled egg, but as a glamorous starred chef cooking delights to order. To deliver the art of the impossible, the French chef Yannick Alleno teamed up with the trunk maker Moynat, spending a year on his idea of a mobile "kitchen" to be used as a personalized hotel room service. The master chef from Hotel Le Meurice had the idea of making hotel breakfasts as exquisite as a Michelin starred dinner.More

Have a hotel suite named after you — after your 250th stay
USA Today
Talk about cool perks: The InterContinental San Francisco hotel wants to treat its best, repeat customers to perks — way above and beyond what parent company IHG provides via the Priority Club loyalty program. To do that, the hotel has launched a unique "Milestone Stay" program aimed at making you feel extra welcome on your 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, 100th and 250th stays. If you make it to the top milestone, you can actually have a suite named after you.More

Campaigns aim to market hotels as places full of fun, discovery
The New York Times
Renaissance, a hotel brand owned by Marriott International, and Revel, a new resort and casino in Atlantic City, are running lifestyle campaigns intended to attract young, hip guests. To develop these campaigns, the hotels have turned to agencies that specialize in lifestyle advertising.More

Paris glitterati holds breath over Ritz renovation
Reuters
Enter the Ritz Paris and a well-heeled hush envelopes the senses. But the calm will soon give way to the sound of construction, as the five-star hotel undergoes a two-year renovation designed to refresh the gem on the Place Vendome known as one of the most elegant addresses in Paris. The former home of fashion designer Coco Chanel and author Marcel Proust — and a favorite drinking hole of Ernest Hemingway — the Ritz Paris was last renovated over a decade beginning in 1979 after its purchase by billionaire Mohamed Al Fayed.More

SLS South Beach sure looks sexy (thanks to that mirror on the ceiling)
HotelChatter
The SLS South Beach doesn't open for another two months but we're finally getting a little more insight as to what the second-ever SLS Hotel will look like. And like most things, in South Beach, it will be oozing sex appeal. But only up in the guestrooms. The rest of the joint is taking an eclectic design approach. In the Katsuya restaurant, diners will be look on at two 20-foot-tall images of an elderly Japanese man and woman from the early 1940s. Right now the hotel is still set for a June 14 opening. More

IHG expands hotel-soap recycling program
USA Today
Holiday Inn parent IHG significantly is expanding its hotel toiletry recycling program, the company told USA Today. Sixty-two IHG-brand hotels participate in the program, which is run by Clean the World. But soon, IHG officials expect most of its 3,274 hotels in the U.S. and Canada to join in recycling hotel guests' leftover bars of soap and bottles of shampoo and conditioner. Clean the World recycles and distributes used hotel soaps, lotions and shampoos to needy families in U.S. shelters and around the world.More

iPad revolutionizes iconic Hotel Bel-Air's room service
USA Today
The iPad has revolutionized the way guests order room service at the swanky Hotel Bel-Air in the Bel-Air neighborhood of Los Angeles. No longer do they need to pick up a paper menu sitting on their desk and call in their order for scrambled eggs and coffee. These days, 75 percent of people who order room service place their order via the iPad included in their room. More

Wolfgang Puck predicts the hotel food trends of 2013
Conde Nast Travel
The best hotels aren't just hotels, they're incubators for the next great trends in dining, interior design, architecture, and wellness. Conde Nast Travel asked their favorite tastemakers — each of whom is affiliated with a hotel or spa on this year’s Hot List—to predict the trends expected in their areas of expertise in Hot List's class of 2013. First up, Wolfgang Puck.More

10 top hotels for travelers with pets
Forbes via Startle
Skip the pet-sitter — jetting off doesn't have to mean leaving your best friend behind. Today, some of the best luxury hotels cater to cats and dogs with the same top-notch service they roll out for two-legged guests. Offering perks from personalized meals to massages, Forbes offers a list of 10 top hotels for pets.More