BALTIMORE - Are you often disappointed in your hotel TV experience? Maybe the TV in your room was made in the ancient year of 2002, for instance, and is smaller and less sophisticated than what you have at home.

Well, hang on there for a bit longer. Things are looking up, based on a visit to the Samsung booth at HITEC, the world's largest hotel tech show that's wrapping up at the Convention Center today.

I checked in with Jonas Tanenbaum, Samsung Electronics America's hospitality vice president, to get a glimpse into the future in hotel-TV land - and it looks pretty good. Some highlights:

• Better picture quality: The latest generation of hotel TVs squeeze in more pixels and have a higher contrast ratio between the brightest brights and darkest parts of the picture. Into numbers? The most impressive TV I saw had a ratio of 5 million to one.
• Bigger TVs: For now, it's mostly the higher-end hotels that are shifting to larger-screen TVs. A high-end hotel, for instance, may replace its six-year-old 36-inch TVs with a 55-inch TV, he says.
• Hotel menu: We all know how frustrating it can be to click, click and click again to try to find out which channel shows CNN, ESPN or HBO. Well now, the Samsung TVs are making it easier by showing an interactive channel guide, just like you might have at home via your cable or dish provider.
• Transfer to iPad: There's a new, nifty app out that works with Samsung TVs that lets guests transfer the TV content onto their own iPad. So, say you're lying in bed with your partner and your partner tells you to turn off the TV (sound familiar?). Well, using this app you can simply transfer your TV show to your iPad and listen with headphones - letting your partner catch some ZZZs.
• Room service: There's some growth in hotels interested in using TVs for hotel information so they don't have to spend money on publishing - and (possibly) updating - the old-fashioned hotel-room directories. Of course, companies such as Intelity are specializing in bringing the same type of information to the guest via iPads so we'll have to watch to see which vehicle becomes more popular.
• Interactive: Samsung is incorporating apps into its TVs so that it's easy for guests to log onto their Twitter account, Facebook page and other social networks. No need to use the flimsy, cheap keyboards; you can use the remote or, better yet, your own mobile device if the hotel has chosen that option.

"It's about customer expectations," he says. "An HD picture, thin form and interactive program guide are very basic."

Stay tuned on Hotel Check-In for a broader account of hotel-TV trends, with more TV makers, at a later date.

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Do you have a souvenir from New York's legendary Waldorf-Astoria hotel that perhaps you shouldn't have? (Perhaps Aunt Bessy had sticky fingers?)

Well, now it's time to 'fess up.

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The landmark hotel has launched an amnesty program to recover some of its history - and catch some social media buzz at the same time.

The Waldorf-Astoria is specifically seeking silverware, ashtrays and other items that guests "checked out" with their luggage from the years before 1960. The hotel opened in 1931, quickly becoming a hub for New York society and a place to stay for heads of state.

The no-questions-asked amnesty period will run through Sept. 15.

During this period, the hotel's staff will evaluate returned items and select the best ones to for display on the hotel's Facebook page. The very best ones will be showcased in the lobby museum.

If you plan to return something, here's what the hotel's asking:

Returned items should include a brief description, date when the item was taken and the guest's associated memories. The Amnesty Program has been developed as an expansion of the famed hotel's efforts to expand its archives and existing historical gallery, "Host to the World," located beside the main lobby. Valuable items hoping to be retrieved include silver, such as demitasse spoons used during the hotel's supper club years, ashtrays, linens, etc.

Other hotels have run amnesty programs in the past.

Readers: Well?

One of the only sustainable, eco-luxury hotels in South Dakota just joined the largest loyalty points program for independent hotels to lure more guests and compete against the chains.

If you check into the Adoba Eco Hotel Rapid City/Mt. Rushmore hotel now, you can earn and redeem points with the Stash Hotel Rewards program.

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Readers: How well does your Wi-Fi perform in your hotel?

We're presenting this survey in light of the more than 80 comments prompted by last week's story about hotel Wi-Fi.

The USA TODAY story said that Marriott and Carlson had some select-service hotels that were offering guests an upgraded Wi-Fi connection - for a fee. And at least one other giant hotel operator - Wyndham - is considering adopting a tiered structure in its hotels.

The concept seems to be catching on in mid-priced hotels as well as full-service hotels. Based on conversations at opening receptions in Baltimore for the HITEC conference, the world's largest hotel technology conference, tiered Internet pricing appears to be the next big trend for hotel Wi-Fi.

MORE ONLINE:  Hotel CEOs talk about Wi-Fi and other issues
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How will the hotel industry evolve as the people in charge of the world's Top 50 hotel companies get younger?

We'll have to wait and see. But there's no doubt, according to a new study, that the average age of the CEOs of the Top 50 hotel companies has declined during the industry's last two years.

Think Marriott International CEO Bill Marriott, 80, who earlier this year handed over the reins to Arne Sorenson, 53, the first non-family member to take the company's helm.

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ALSO ONLINE:  Billionaire buys Hawaiian island, two resorts

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This week, Hotel Check-In heads to Baltimore to find the latest "gee wiz" tech gadgets and services that hotels will consider buying as travel rebounds and their profits grow.

Why Baltimore? That's where the world's largest hospitality technology trade show, HITEC, is being held this year. Hoteliers from Marriott, Hilton, Starwood, IHG and other companies will gather to kick the tires on the latest hotel tech products and chat with their salespeople.

Among the futuristic, tech-driven items made specifically for guest rooms that we'll look for on the exhibit floor for an upcoming photo gallery:

• Smart TVs
• Connectivity panels
• Mini-bars
• Electronic door locks
• Temperature controls
• Beds with a massage function

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New York's trendy Mondrian SoHo made headlines this week, when the New York Daily News, London's Daily Mail and others reported that a swinger's soiree at the hotel was broken up Saturday night.

But don't feel too bad for the School of Sex, organizers of the members-only "Behind Closed Doors" party. According to the Daily News article, one of the organizers said the publicity has helped them find a new home:

"Various hotels reached out to us and said, 'We want your business. Please come to our hotel,'" said Rocco, who would not give his last name.

So what happened at the pricey hotel Saturday night?

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News outlets from around the world this morning are talking about a deadly attack and suicide bombing at a popular lakeside resort hotel near Kabul, Afghanistan. The latest stories say 17 people were killed.

According to the New York Times, seven Taliban militants shot their way into the Qargha Lake resort, which is a popular getaway for families. They entered the Spozhmai Hotel at about 11:30 pm Thursday, as some people were having a late dinner, the Times says.

MORE ONLINE:  U.S. hotel companies building hotels in Iraq
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Despite lingering uncertainty about the economy, PKF Hospitality Research doesn't expect the dark clouds to put a damper on hotel rates or profits.

In its just-released June forecast, PKF affirms what it had previously stated in March - that it expects revenue per available room for U.S. hotels will increase by 5.8% in 2012, and another 6.6% in 2013.

And most of hoteliers' gains will come in the form of room rate increases helped by a mix of growing demand and a limited amount of new hotel rooms.

HOTEL NEWS:  Safe House No. 1 movie rented in May
HOTEL NEWS:  Will some free-WiFi hotels eventually charge a fee?
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Oracle Corp. CEO Larry Ellison - one of the world's richest men - has agreed to buy 98% of the Hawaiian island of Lanai, Bloomberg reports.

When Ellison visits the small island, he won't have to look far for a nice place to store his suitcase.

The deal with the island's current owner, 89-year-old billionaire David Murdock, includes not one, but two luxury resorts run by Four Seasons - including the posh Four Seasons Lanai at Manele Bay.

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Starwood's 160-location Four Points by Sheraton chain is offering repeat guests a break on your next Southwest Airlines flight.

Here's the deal: If you book the chain's "More Four You" package, you'll get breakfast included in your rate, a 20 oz. bottle of Seagram's ginger ale at check-in and a $25 Southwest Airlines coupon.

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The Southwest coupon's good toward a future flight booked within two to four weeks of your visit.

The promo's fine print, by the way, says the Southwest discount is good "while supplies last." It also says that you must book your flight by Sept. 30 for travel between July 9 and Dec. 20.

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A luxury resort in Bermuda this summer has arranged for guests to explore a shipwreck that dates back to the 17th century.

Guests at Rosewood's Tucker's Point resort can dive to see the historic Castle Harbour shipwreck of the Warwick. The dive package is available through July 24.

MORE STORIES:  Hotels book record 430 million room nights this year
MORE STORIES:  NY hotel gives popsicles a boozy twist
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Hotel Check-In has invited hotel analyst Jan D. Freitag, a senior vice president at hotel industry tracker STR, to give us the scoop on hotel rates once a quarter. He'll look at U.S. room rates by hotel segment. STR provides hotel operators, developers, financiers and other clients hotel data, including forecasts. Freitag in his own words:

The U.S. hotel industry is currently going through resurgence.

In the first five months of 2012, U.S. hotels sold some 430 million room nights - that's more rooms than in any five-month period before.

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Combine this with limited new additions to the hotel supply and the outcomes are higher occupancy levels across all segments. This is good news for the industry and for hotel operators since this should translate to pricing power after years of discounting.

Expect rates to "inch higher"

Of course, the outcome for travelers is that room rates will inch higher in the coming months and quarters. Most analysts, including our firm, expect that the average daily room rate for U.S. hotels in 2012 will grow around 4% over 2011.

So far this year, room rates across all segments have increased by roughly this amount as the following table shows:

Room rate by hotel segment, first 5 months 2012 vs 2011

	2011	2012	PERCENT INCREASE
LUXURY	$260.84	$273.53	4.9%
FULL SERVICE	$129.02	$134.24	4.1%
LIMITED SERVICE	$84.24	$87.54	3.9%
ECONOMY	$48.07	$50.14	4.3%

Luxury hotels lead industry's recovery

Luxury hotels, with their wide variety of amenities and superb locations, currently command a rate premium of around $140 over the standard full service hotels.

On the other side of the spectrum, an average room in an economy hotel can still be had for around $50 per night. These dollar values are obviously averages, so expect your rates to vary widely.

During this year's summer months travelers can expect fuller hotels and restaurants as the American public takes to the roads and airports after years of scaling back their leisure travels.

While room rate increases are here to stay, we expect that they will not diminish the demand for hotel rooms. The good news is that a large number of hotels are in the process of renovating and adding new amenities to welcome new and repeat guests, alike.

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A Palm Springs, Calif., hotel with a colorful history that includes ties to mobsters and movie stars is set to get a new life now that it's been sold, the Los Angeles Times reports.

The 57-room Colony Palms Hotel was built in 1936 by Al Wertheimer, "a reputed member of Detroit's Purple Gang," the Times says. The gang was known for bootlegging.

The hotel had an underground speakeasy and a brothel that customers could access via a secret staircase behind a pantry, the story says.

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It's summer, so what's better than a popsicle?

"And if you're a grown up who really wants to have fun, what's better than a boozy popsicle?," says Ellen Van Slyke, who runs food and beverage for Hilton Worldwide's Americas region.

This summer, the new luxury Conrad hotel in Lower Manhattan is serving popsicles filled with fresh summer fruit and herbs and top-shelf booze - in a glass of Prosecco poured from a tap.

PHOTO TOUR:  Slideshow of the new Conrad New York Hotel
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MORE NEWS:  US hotels sell a record 430 million room nights

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Some hotel workers aren't waiting to see what happens next in debt-laden Greece.

Despite last weekend's elections, some hospitality workers are fleeing their home country to seek better opportunities in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates' National newspaper reports.

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ALSO ONLINE:  Greece tries to boost tourism amid financial woes

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What do you do for breakfast when you follow a gluten-free diet and your budget requires you to eat at the complimentary breakfast buffet? Can you navigate the buffet without getting sick?

TripAdvisor tackled the issue, citing a question from a business traveler who said she'd recently been diagnosed with celiac disease. People with celiac disease are advised to avoid products that contain gluten or have touched it. That's not always easy to do at a free breakfast buffet.

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What does one of the world's top automobile designers look for in a hotel room when he first arrives? The light switch locations first, and then, all the fun stuff like the view and the interesting lamps.

BMW designer Adrian von Hooydonk recently spoke about how he gets used to a hotel room with Olga Polizzi, the chief designer of Rocco Forte Hotels, and I thought you might find some of his comments interesting.

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PHOTO GALLERY:  Tour Washington DC's 'newest' hotel
HOTEL ART:  Marilyn Monroe takes over the Biltmore

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The No. 1-rented Hollywood movie in hotels for May was Safe House, starring Denzel Washington as a renegade CIA agent.

The winner on April's most-rented-movie list remained on the Top 10 list for May, coming in at No. 10.

Here's the full Top 10 list, based on movie rentals in 1.6 million hotel rooms served by hotel entertainment provider LodgeNet.

1. Safe House

2. American Reunion

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An employee at a five-star hotel in Paris was charged earlier this week in the hotel-room theft of a jewel-encrusted watch worth more money than many people's homes.

The watch - worth about $375,000 - belonged to Spanish tennis star Rafael Nadal, who had left it behind while playing the French Open.

Watchmaker Richard Mille had let Nadal borrow the timepiece for the French Open, which he won on Monday for a record seventh time.

PARIS HOTELS:  Saudi princess tries to dodge $7 million Paris hotel bill
WASHINGTON HOTELS:  Photo slideshow of updated Madison hotel
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Do you ever make the effort to cancel and re-book your hotel room reservation if you noticed the rate at your hotel went down?

Most of us (80%) would say no, according to a study funded by the new hotel booking site Tingo, which tracks customers' hotel reservations and refunds them money automatically when rates drop.

MORE ABOUT TINGO:  Review of new hotel booking site

Tingo is a division of online review giant TripAdvisor.

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MORE ONLINE:  More Four Seasons guests book via iPad than phone

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WASHINGTON D.C. - Just in time for its 50th birthday and the upcoming presidential inauguration, the Madison hotel is sporting an entirely new look that mixes modern style with Washington's history.

USA TODAY's Hotel Check-In prepared this photo gallery after touring the hotel's $22 million renovation of its guest rooms, lobby, restaurant and bar.

To say the hotel looks different is an understatement, says veteran luxury hotelier Jim Horsman, who runs the hotel for Destination Hotels and Resorts.

"It's so funny when you see somebody come back to the hotel who hasn't been there for a while," Horsman told me during an interview in the hotel's lobby-area cafe. "They do a double take and say, 'Am I in the right hotel?'"

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PHOTO GALLERY:  See our photos of the Madison hotel's new look

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When high-end sushi restaurant chain Nobu opens its first hotel later this year in Las Vegas, expect an understated, Japanese-inspired oasis inside the flashy Caesars Palace complex.

The company on Monday announced that it will start taking reservations on Oct. 1 for stays later this year, and the Las Vegas Review-Journal gave us some details as to what to expect in terms of design.

Nobu Hospitality is in the late stages of transforming the old, 180-room Centurion Tower at Caesars Palace into a boutique hotel in the midst of the Ancient-Rome-themed resort on the Las Vegas Strip.

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Marilyn Monroe fans may appreciate the Arizona Biltmore a bit more than usual this summer.

The Waldorf-Astoria-affiliated resort - where Monroe used to stay - will showcase paintings by Egyptian-born artist Ludvic, in its lobby and History Hall.

Ludvic has been sketching and painting Monroe since the 1980s. This year marks the 50th anniversary of her death.

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As more companies pay attention to the carbon footprint their employees' travel leaves behind, a diverse group of hotel operators has announced a timely collaboration.

InterContinental Hotels Group, Hilton, Marriott, MGM Resorts and 20 other companies have agreed to adopt a uniform way to calculate their hotels' carbon footprint, the World Travel & Tourism Council announced today.

The initiative will give customers "more transparency and clarity," says WTTC CEO David Scowsill.

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NEW YORK - In yet another example of how a single mobile device - the iPad - is revolutionizing travel, luxury hotel operator Four Seasons has found that the tablet computer accounts for 86% of its mobile room revenues.

In the five months since the Toronto-based company unveiled its website better geared for mobile travelers, it also found that people using iPads are more likely to make a transaction than those using mobile phones, Four Seasons marketing chief Susan Helstab told me last week over breakfast at the Four Seasons hotel in Midtown Manhattan.

USA TODAY POLL:  What's your top iPad task in hotels?
MORE ONLINE:  iPads account for most room-service orders at Bel-Air
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The latest Weekly Top 10 list for Hotel Check-In's most-popular stories is sprinkled with politics, scams by beautiful women and cocktail culture.

Starting with No. 10, here's the list of most-read stories on Hotel Check-In for the week ending Friday, June 8:

10. Why is a bartender training hotel staffers?

9. Hotel CEOs gather for annual NYU hotel conference

8. Boars Head resort in Charlottesville, Va.

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Who doesn't love a rooftop hotel bar with great views in the summer?

Well, based on the above photo alone, Hotel Check-In suspects that the new Conrad New York hotel's rooftop bar will make any New Yorker's Top 10 hotel rooftop bars list.

The 16th story rooftop bar in Battery Park has stunning downtown views of the Statue of Liberty and New York Harbor.

MORE HOTEL NEWS:  Rooftop bars sizzle in the summer
PHOTO GALLERY:  USA TODAY's photos of the Conrad New York Hotel

The bar's called Loopy Doopy, after the 13-story Sol LeWitt wall art named Loopy Doopy Blue and Purple. The artwork overlooks the hotel's atrium in the hotel's lobby, so you can't miss it when you enter the hotel.

The 463-room hotel, by the way, opened in what had been a less-expensive Embassy Suites hotel; building owner Goldman Sachs wanted to upgrade the lodging.

The rooftop bar also has a fun menu with a couple of noteworthy items, but because the photo above is so good, I'll tell you more tomorrow. For now...

Readers: Which rooftop hotel bars in Manhattan have the best views and why? Would you, for instance, vote for the Peninsula Hotel's 24th-floor bar, which has great views over Fifth Avenue? The Dream Downtown Hotel's rooftop bar with views of the Empire State Building?

Federal employees are cutting back on travel due to budget cuts and the lingering effect of the GSA-Las Vegas scandal, the Federal Times reports.

And the General Services Administration - blasted for a spare-no-expense Las Vegas conference in 2010 - is expected to "press agencies to dial back even further on their travel plans," the article says, citing information gathered at a recent government travel conference.

For fiscal year 2011, the 2.5 million federal employees and contractors enrolled in the GSA's SmartPay charge-card program spent $2.89 billion on hotels, down from $2.92 billion for fiscal 2010, the story says.

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Bound for Mexico City? If so, you now have a new option in the city's upscale Santa Fe district.

A newly built JW Marriott just opened in the West Mexico City financial, shopping and office district.

This 221-room hotel is JW Marriott's 55th location, including a hotel in Mexico City's Polanco district.

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Reports out of Paris last week said a Saudi princess was caught trying to leave the ultra-luxury Shangri-La hotel in the middle of the night - with 60 servants in tow - without settling her $7.4 million bill.

According to Agence France Presse (AFP), police confirmed the story - first broken by the daily Le Parisien.

MORE ONLINE:  Mitt Romney favors Marriott over Hilton hotels
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If you're planning a summer vacation, you may want to check out Dolce Hotels and Resorts' summer offerings.

The operator of 25 upscale properties is offering a variety of free stays, resort credits and other perks to convince you to book with them on both sides of the Atlantic.

Under the Dolce Summer Escape package - available at almost all of its properties, you can get discounts of up to 50% off rates, along with complimentary breakfast for two, free Wi-Fi connectivity and complimentary parking. Kids ages 12 and under eat free, though the age limit varies at its European properties so check first.

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If you happen to bump into Mitt Romney in a Marriott hotel through Election Day, don't be too surprised.

The presumptive GOP presidential nominee's campaign has booked more Marriott-brand hotels than hotels that belong to Hilton, its No. 2 choice, according to a new analysis cited by Hotel Check-In friend, USA TODAY's On Politics blog.

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Affinia Hotels has enlisted a star bartender to train its staff.

No, the staff isn't learning how to mix cocktails. Instead, Dushan Zaric, co-founder of the American Bartending Institute of New York, is teaching the staff this week "how to be present."

What exactly does it mean to be present? I asked Chrissy Denihan, chief comfort officer of Affinia Hotels (yes, there is such a position.)

RELATED:  Hotel staff taught to read guests' body language
READ MORE:  Hotels offer unusual amenities to lure guests

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Today, Renaissance Hotels across the world will be kicking their guests out of their rooms.

OK, maybe not literally. For one day, 151 Renaissance properties in 35 destinations across the world will host "Get Out & Discover" events meant to encourage guests to leave their rooms and experience their surroundings. Many of the events will be on-site but some will take place outside in the community. They will be free and open to both guests and local residents.

"The Renaissance brand is all about discovering something new. We want to create unforgettable memories for travelers," said Tina Edmundson, senior vice president of lifestyle brands for Marriott International, Inc., which owns the Renaissance. "Get Out & Discover is our way of bringing discovery to life for guests, allowing them to explore the best of our hotels and their destinations."

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More than 50 of the hotels will have RLife Live performances by local emerging artists. Renaissance hotels often play host to musical performances as part of the two-year-old RLife Live, which has brought talents such as Bruno Mars, N.E.R.D, and Neon Trees into its hotels. Some examples:

At the Renaissance New York Hotel 57, Grammy nominee Eric Benet will give a rooftop performance.

The Renaissance Seattle Hotel will have a performance form Jesse Campbell, a gospel and soul vocalist who appeared on NBC's The Voice.

The Renaissance Paris Hotel Le Parc Trocadero will have a live performance from Jhonny Maalouf, a contestant on the French version of The Voice.

ALSO ONLINE:  Hotels revamp in-room reading options

At other Renaissance properties, guests and residents will be able to participate in culinary experiences and other activities. Examples:

The Renaissance Newark Airport Hotel will serve desserts from Carlo's Bakery, home of celebrity chef Buddy Valastro and TLC's show Cake Boss.

At the Renaissance Dupont Circle Hotel in Washington, D.C., Comedy Conceptual will be presented by The Pink Line Project,, an organization promoting the arts in the nation's capital. The performance combines many artistic elements such as performance art, stand-up comedy, philosophy and mass media culture. Food writer Nevin Martell also will be on hand to talk about local restaurants.

The Renaissance Moscow Olympic Hotel will host a Pop-up Showroom with the latest fashion styles from emerging Russian designers. Guests can sip champagne while listening to a live performance by DJ Sofi Tronza, an award-winning Moscow-based DJ.

Readers: Plan to hit any Renaissance events in your area?

The Japanese pod hotel concept could be spreading across the USA if Yotel CEO Gerard Greene gets his way.

Greene told HotelNewsNow.com that he'd like to develop another six to eight U.S. properties.

He's got the money to do it with a recently announced $250 million real-estate fund with with IFA Hotels & Resorts, Kuwait Real Estate Company and The John Buck Company.

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There's more good news for the hotel industry, according to a new analysis by advisory firm PwC.

Based on statistics provided by Smith Travel Research and other research firms, PwC estimates that revenue per available room this year will increase by 6.5% and 5.6% next year.

That's less than last year's 8.2% but still a good sign that the industry is recovering despite continued economic uncertainty and the European sovereign debt crisis.

ALSO ONLINE:  Hotel deals are at a high
READ MORE:  W Hotels get a major makeover

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W Hotels might be getting even hipper.

W Hotels Worldwide has announced plans to renovate more than 10 properties across North America within the next 18 months.

Expect new bar and restaurant concepts, more stylish guestrooms, and edgier looks in public spaces. Many of the renovations will focus on the Living Room, which is what the company calls its hotel lobby.

On the rehab list are the company's older hotels in major markets such as New York, Chicago, Seattle, New Orleans and Los Angeles.

Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide launched the W Hotel brand in 1998, and they quickly became known not just as places to stay but places to be seen. There are now 42 W Hotels.

READ MORE:  Historic Virginia inn mixes old and new
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"As W evolves from a U.S. phenomenon into a global design powerhouse, we are committed to fueling the innovation within our existing portfolio to create a consistent, cutting-edge experience for our guests," says Carlos Becil, vice president of brand management for Starwood's Luxury and Design brands in North America.

The company plans to spend more than $100 million on the renovations. Here's the rundown:

W New York: The meeting rooms and Great Room of this flagship property, opened in 1998, got a facelift earlier this year. Next year, the property will unveil a Krause + Sawyer-designed Living Room bar.

W New York-Union Square: The downtown hotel just underwent a renovation of all 270 guestrooms and corridors. Olives, the hotel's Todd English restaurant, and nightlife venue Lilium also were revamped. Next up is a renovation of the Living Room by Krause + Sawyer early next year.

READ MORE:  Kimpton Hotel's new look: Too busy or just right?

W New York-Times Square: The WOW and EWOW suites (W's take on the Presidential Suite) each will undergo full-scale renovations.

W Seattle: The hotel has a new Living Room and bar area plus a new restaurant called Trace. Meeting rooms will get a makeover late this year by Therese Virserius Design.

W San Francisco: Earlier this year, the hotel unveiled an expanded Living Room and destination bar. It also launched the new restaurant Trace.

W Chicago-Lakeshore: Each of the 520 guestrooms will be renovated with energetic colors. The hotel's public spaces, including the Living Room, Wave restaurant, Whiskey Sky (the rooftop bar), the Welcome Desk, and Altitude (the prime meeting space) will get a revamp starting in 2013.

W New Orleans-French Quarter: The hotel's guestrooms are under renovation right now with jazz and tarot motifs. Renovations on the first floor were recently unveiled. The entire project will be done by mid-summer. A new Creole restaurant called SoBou also will debut.

W San Diego: The Rooftop Bar has been re-energized with a bright bonfire theme, including a playful sculpture of stacked beach chairs. The new Living Room has been remade with vibrant colors. The hotel's meeting rooms have been expanded and renovated. And the new Latin soul restaurant kelvin will debut this month.

W Los Angeles-Westwood: The Living Room and bar will become a more cohesive place. There also will be additional high-tech meeting rooms and a dramatic entrance with a signature chandelier. The hotel's restaurant and Backyard will be revamped in 2013.

W Dallas: Mars Culture is redesigning the guestrooms with traditional Texas accents such as lasso sculptures, rhinestone hardware, and armadillo-skin embellishments.

W Montreal: Later this year, the hotel will begin renovating all of its guestrooms with a colorful new palette.

A former Philadelphia TV weatherman has opened up about how he lived out the Hangover movie when two Eastern European beauties he met at a luxury South Beach hotel allegedly drugged him and charged more than $40,000 on his credit card.

In an interview with ABC's 20/20 last week, John Bolaris described meeting the two women at the hotel bar in March 2010 during a vacation to Florida.

ARCHIVES:  B-girls lure unsuspecting South Beach visitors

The two women approached him and asked him if he wanted a shot. He declined, but they insisted, he told ABC. They had a few drinks then all piled into a taxi to go to another bar. But on the way, the women asked if they could make a detour to see a painting that a friend was selling for charity. Bolaris said he agreed to. His memory became hazy after that.

"I remember standing up ... signing something, vaguely," he told ABC. "Next thing I know, I'm in a cab with a big painting [of a woman's head]."

He did not regain full consciousness until the next morning in his hotel suite, with the painting nearby. Soon after, he got a call from the women offering to return his sunglasses.

"How bad can they be?" he recalled thinking at the time. Plus, he wanted to return the painting.

MORE:  Read ABC News' full story on its investigation into the ring
ALSO ONLINE:  NYC hotel auditor indicted in hotel guest credit card scam

He met the women at the hotel that evening and once again got into a cab with them. On the way, they once again insisted on a detour, this time to an unmarked storefront. "And next thing I know, I'm passed out," Bolaris said.

Again he woke up the next day feeling sick. Even more so when he got a call from his credit card company asking about $43,712.25 worth of charges, including one of $2,480 for the painting.

A ring uncovered

Turns out he was allegedly the victim of an elaborate ring. ABC News studied hours of FBI surveillance videos and photos showing how the group of bar girls, known as "b-girls," targeted wealthy male tourists in South Beach and stole thousands of dollars from each one.

The FBI said Bolaris was one of 88 men targeted by the women from Eastern Europe at such Miami hotspots as Hotel Delano, Clevelander and Fontainebleau.

ALSO ONLINE:  Hotel rates and deals are up

The FBI spent 13 months and more than $1 million investigating the case. The ring allegedly involved a complicated scheme taking advantage of Florida's "innkeeper law," which forces customers disputing a charge to challenge the bill with their credit card company rather than the bar owner.

In this case, the girls allegedly took their victims to an illegitimate club, where they were charged exorbitant amounts of money for liquor they didn't order and forced to pay by dirty cops.

After an undercover investigation, the FBI raided the club and arrested 16 suspects, including Stan Pavlenko, who has pleaded not guilty.

Bolaris lost his job, but won his court battle with American Express to have the $43,000 reimbursed. He plans to testify when the case against the ring goes to federal court in October.

Average daily hotel rates continued to climb in April, nearly reaching a pre-recession high of 2008, according to new data.

North American hotel rates for business travelers jumped 9.3% over 2011, setting a new year-over-year growth record, reports Pegasus Solutions, a technology company that works with hotels. It was just three percentage points shy of rates paid in 2008.

North American rates for leisure travelers in April also rose year-over-year by 7.3%.

Mike Kistner, chief executive officer of Pegasus Solutions, said in a written statement that hotels made the mistake in 2001 and 2008, during economic downturns, of slashing rates when bookings fell.

RELATED:  Marriott inks deal to run Gaylord Hotels
RELATED:  Hilton owner buys Motel 6 chain

Now, he says, "Hotels are staying true to their product, not only maintaining rates, but also driving them back to where they need to be. Combined with bookings growth, this rate growth has corporate revenue up by double digits over all five previous years."

Hotel deals are up

In another sign that the hotel industry is recovering, Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels, a real estate services firm focusing on hotels, reported today that deals for U.S. hotels reached $5.1 billion in the first five months of 2012, the second highest volume in the past four years.

Still, that was a drop in volume from the same period last year, when hotel deals reached $6.4 billion.

ALSO ONLINE:  Chinese travelers driving rates higher

"The volume of capital flowing to hotel real estate remains high as acquisitive investors enthusiastically seek opportunities to buy hotels," Arthur Adler, Americas chief executive officer of Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels, said in a written statement.

The average price per room for single hotels topped $194,000, five percent above the full-year 2011 level. The firm says that it is a good indication of a high level of investor interest.

The firm predicts that many hotels will be bought and sold this year, with transactions totaling up to $15 billion.

In another survey it released last week, 46 percent of investors said they planned to make purchases in the next six months. At the same time, investors' intent to sell hotels was at a four-year high, "pointing to an increasingly active transactions market over the next six months," the report said.

According to Reuters, Marriott Chief Executive Arne Sorenson said during a panel discussion at a New York hospitality industry conference today that his company plans to actively add brands and assets.

Last week, Marriott International said it would pay $210 million to assume management of Gaylord Entertainment's hotels.

And the Blackstone Group, which owns Hilton Worldwide, agreed to buy U.S. budget chains Motel 6 and Studio 6 from France's Accor for $1.2 billion, Reuters said.