New hotels open from Key West to Waikiki

By Joe Brancatelli

HOTELHOT SHEET

A New Definition of Shangri-La: Free Hotel Internet — Shangri-La, the luxury chain that operates 60 hotels and resorts, most of them in Asia, now offers free Internet access to all guests. The free wired and Wi-Fi access includes guestrooms, public areas, restaurants and function rooms. … Lots of action from Starwood Hotels. The Royal Hawaiian hotel in Waikiki has reopened after a multi-million-dollar renovation. The beachfront property is part of Starwood's Luxury Collection. Meanwhile, a 429-room Westin has opened in Jersey City, just a few minutes by ferry from midtown Manhattan. A 291-room W Hotel has debuted on the Atlanta hotel scene in Buckhead. … Meanwhile, there are many reflaggings, too. The latest changes: Hotel Indigo has opened a branch near Paddington Station in London. … Crowne Plaza is now the flag on the Executive West, a 588-room hotel near the convention center in Louisville, Kentucky. … Hilton is now the name on the door of the 277-room former Radisson in San Antonio. And Hilton's Waldorf-Astoria Collection has picked up two properties in Key West. The Casa Marina and The Reach resorts underwent more than $80 million of renovations last year.

INTERNATIONAL AGENDA

Air Canada Adds, Air Jamaica Subtracts. Air Canada and its Jazz commuter carrier are bulking up its transborder service from Alberta. Effective May 15,it will launch daily Calgary-San Diego service. Nonstop service to Portland, Oregon, begins on June 15. … Air Jamaica, which is always financially stressed and forever growing and shrinking its network of flights, is shrinking again. The carrier will drop its flights to Jamaica from Atlanta, Los Angeles and Miami. It will also drop two intra-Caribbean routes to Barbados and Grenada. … Speaking of Jamaica, JetBlue Airways will fly there for the first time. Beginning May 21, it will launch service from its New York/Kennedy hub to Montego Bay. … Turkish Airlines says it plans to add ten routes from its Istanbul hub this year, including nonstops to Washington/Dulles and Toronto. And the airline's existing Chicago-Istanbul route will go daily effective in April. … Etihad Airways, the flag carrier of Abu Dhabi, says it will launch three weekly nonstop flights to Chicago on September 2. The service, using three-class Airbus A340-500s, goes daily on October 1.

NEED TO KNOW

On-the-Road Intelligence to Help You Travel Smarter: American Airlines has opened a new Admirals Club at Washington/Dulles airport. It's in Terminal B, where American flights have been operating since June. … Meanwhile, United Airlines is raising prices for membership in its Red Carpet Club. Effective February 28, fees rise $25-$100 annually depending on your status in the Mileage Plus frequent flier program. … Effective February 16, US Airways will charge coach passengers $7 for pillows and blankets. The so-called Power-Nap Sack is a take-home kit that includes a $10 gift certificate for SkyMall purchases. … Skype has released a new version (4.0) of its software that includes a much simpler, integrated interface and more powerful video-calling service. … A branch of Gladstone's, the Malibu Beach fish joint, has opened at Los Angeles International Airport. … A medical clinic has opened in the Concourse A/B Link at Philadelphia International. … The 255-room Westin Tampa Bay Airport has opened about three miles from Tampa International.

Related Orbitz resources