At the HDBoutique show in Miami Beach, the Boutique & Lifestyle Lodging Association (BLLA) announced the winners of the 2011 BLLA Awards.

The boutique hotel of the year award for 2011 went to The Iron Horse Hotel in Milwaukee, WI. The lifestyle hotel of the year award was taken by The W Hotel & Residences Hollywood.

Iron Horse Hotel, Milwaukee

The finalists in both categories are listed below:

Boutique Hotel finalists:

The Iron Horse Hotel, Milwaukee, WI

The Hotel Andaluz, Albuquerque, NM

The Jupiter Hotel, Portland, OR

Hotel Renew, Honolulu, HI

Lifestyle Hotel finalists:

W Hollywood Residences, Hollywood, CA

The Good Hotel, San Francisco, CA

The Surrey, New York, NY

The Westlake Village Inn, Westlake Village, CA

The Iron Horse Hotel has won this award for the second year running. The hotel’s owner Tim Dixon was also named BLLA 2011 Hotelier of the Year.

“I’m honored to have received these awards from BLLA and I accept on behalf of an amazing team,” said owner Tim Dixon. “This honor shows that exceptional, experiential and independent hotels can thrive in any market as long as there is a vision and commitment to customer service.”

The 102-room Iron Horse Hotel, located across the river from the Harley-Davidson Museum, is celebrating its 3rd anniversary after opening in what was formerly a historic 100 year old warehouse.

The hotel has made a name for itself not just as a luxury hotel that caters to business travelers and motorcycle enthusiasts alike, but also for the sweeping artwork by Charles J. Dwyer, and for its green practices and environmental sustainability.

Photo – Iron Horse Hotel

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After a long wait, The Nolitan hotel in Manhattan officially opens its doors on August 1. The 55-room boutique invites you not just as a guest staying in a room, but to come and be a part of its neighborhood.

The Nolitan, NYC

When you stay at The Nolitan, you’re becoming a Nolitan, at least for the duration of your stay. That’s because the hotel is located in Nolita (North of Little Italy), and the people here are ‘Nolitans.’

The location, filled with landmarks like Lombardi’s Pizza and the old St. Patrick’s Cathedral, allows you to explore everything from Little Italy to the Bowery, SoHo, Chinatown, Greenwich Village and TriBeCa.

As for the hotel guest rooms and services, it’s a quaint little hotel which puts a premium on personalized care and attention for guests.

They’re willing to go the extra mile and arrange for everything from a bath for your dog to organic groceries delivered to your room.

“We’re a place where we welcome your friends, your pets and your quirky requests,” explains The Nolitan Hotel general manager Patrik Horstmann. “We’re your home when you’re here, and we treat you like family.”

The Nolitan has a thing for oak and glass. Lots of glass, actually, which keeps guests in touch with Nolita, from the wide open lobby to the two walls of glass at the Ellabess restaurant, and the floor-to-ceiling windows in some of the guest rooms.

Guest room at The Nolitan, NYC

Speaking of which, guests have a choice of eight different types of rooms. There are neighborhood rooms and Cityscape rooms, and some with a private balcony while others offer floor-to-ceiling windows. Read More »

On July 1, 2011, the Z New York Hotel in Long Island City, Queens opens its doors in a much-awaited opening that promises visitors a sweet bite of the Big Apple, minus the hassle and price tag.

Z New York Hotel

The newest boutique hotel to offer breath-taking views of the Manhattan skyline and a location that makes it easy for visitors to go shopping on Fifth Avenue or explore Central Park is not even on the same island.

Z is part of a trend where people want a stylish new hotel that’s close to all the famous Manhattan attractions, but not in Manhattan.

So we have hotels like the W Hoboken across the Hudson in New Jersey that allow visitors to look in from the outside.

If anything,  Z takes this to a whole new level, with 100 rooms in a 14-story tower. Each room has 10 ft ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows offering great views of the city from across the East River.

The rooms exude the spirit of a hotel designed for and by travelers, with three types of rooms. Instead of wallpaper, each room has themed murals – one shows a taxi cab, another one has Billie Holiday singing and the third one shows the Rockettes.

The taxi cab is an especially nice touch, considering that the hotel’s developer Henry Zilberman has an inspiring life story to tell and started off his career in New York as a cab driver.

Guests can choose from amongst 70 rooms with queen beds, 20 with twin beds and 10 with a King Bed. All rooms have an LCD TV, refrigerator, safe, hair dryer, and free wifi.

If the room views aren’t enough, the 5000 sq ft rooftop restaurant with twin bars (Z Roof) offer 360-degree views. If cocktails with a view isn’t your thing, head down from the lobby to the subterranean Z Hotel Lounge and restaurant for farm-fresh cuisine, a full bar, wine list and perhaps even live music. A beer garden will be opening soon on the second floor.

The hotel is brand new and in an artsy ‘hood with midtown Manhattan 5 minutes away, but guests staying at the Z New York Hotel won’t be paying anywhere close to what NYC visitors usually pay. The summer opening special rate starts from $169.

Photo – Z New York Hotel

More info: 11-01 43rd Avenue Long Island City NY 11101;  (212) 319-7000; zhotelny.com

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