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In case you missed it: A first look at Hard Rock London

Hard Rock London rocks it: Take a look the inside of the newly revamped Hard Rock London, the glammed out 1,000-room property. Designed by British architecture firm Scott Brownrigg, the hotel’s “Rock Royalty” rooms and suites even offer extra perks including a personal concierge and access to a lavish lounge. One of the hotel’s longest-serving guests was rocker Jimi Hendrix, who last checked into a suite there in September 1970 – just two weeks before his death. —Chloe Riley

Lobby bar at the Hard Rock London (Hard Rock Hotels)
Lobby bar at the Hard Rock London (Hard Rock Hotels)

The shape of meals to come? Boston Globe reporter Devra First sat down to a bowl prepared and cooked by robots at Spyce, a new restaurant in Beantown. Humans aren’t eliminated completely from the process – they retrieve and serve the completed bowls, comprising grains, proteins and vegetables, along with vegetarian and vegan options. While the reporter does take a moment to engage in the customary “but what about the human touch?!” question (and then kinda complain about that exact thing at a different local restaurant), I wonder which select-serve brands with breakfast options are observing this experiment or undertaking similar ones? —Barbara Bohn

 


For real? It’s Friday and we all need a giggle, so watch this trailer for the new TV soap opera called “Grand Hotel,” set at Miami’s famed Fontainebleau. It’s all about the scandal, the sex, and the back-of-house intrigue. Is this what goes on in your hotel, too? Inquiring minds want to know! —Jeff Weinstein

 


Too many rooms for the Philippines? Resorts World Manila is about to swamp the market with 900 new rooms with the opening of three hotels in the coming months. And just who the heck is going to fill them all, asks TTG Asia?  Their answer: industry observers believe the additional inventory can be absorbed by the growing number of business and leisure travelers to the metro. In an interview with Mike Hain, groups manager of Corporate International Travel and Tours, he says the new hotels are ultimately good for the market, where “hotels dictate the price” due to limited choices. We’ll see if that’s the case. —C.R.

 


Upping the ante: Marriott International continues to stick it to shared economy proponents who think only they can offer true local experiences. This week, Big M rolled out a substantial expansion of its Marriott Moments program (now 110,000 experiences in more than 1,000 destinations), which offers local-area expert recommendations, bespoke categories, and hand-curated lists for travelers looking for things to do. And, it is now integrated with Facebook Messenger to help facilitate booking activities. Being more than a hotel company seems to be the way forward. —J.W.

 


(Pea)Nuts to that: Japan likes their peanuts evidently. The Charles Schultz comic that is. In addition to Peanuts-themed eateries in Yokohama and Tokyo, Kobe will now get a Peanuts-themed hotel in August 2018, writes The Straits Times. The hotel will have three stories – with each floor boasting its own theme of “Imagine”, “Happy” and “Love” – and 18 rooms, each highlighting a different comic. Reservations start July 9 and you can bet your boosts the hotel also boasts a Peanuts cafe and diner. —C.R.

 


The Points People. Everyone knows someone who is seriously serious about their loyalty program points – whether it’s frequent-flier miles or buy-nine-and-your-tenth-one-is-free coffee club members. Not everyone may know about an elite group of very seriously serious Marriott rewards members – or what they know about maximizing the value of their hoard. Marriott knows – it’s why the company’s senior VP of loyalty, David Flueck, attended the group’s most recent get-together. The New York Times has the story. —B.B.

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