In 2007, Marriott International announced a partnership with boutique hotel pioneer Ian Schrager to develop a new boutique hotel brand called Edition. Four years later, there are just two of them: the first in Hawaii (the Waikiki Edition Hotel), followed by a much smaller property in Istanbul that opened only last month.

That's enough to make the owner of the first Edition upset — so upset, in fact, that M Waikiki LLC has filed a lawsuit seeking tens of millions of dollars in damages and the right to terminate the agreement with Marriott, the operator of the 353-room Waikiki Edition Hotel.Continue reading...

AARP unveils a new ad campaign targeting boomers this week.

Apple will unveil iCloud Android-fighter today at WWDC, as brand leads tablet market in China.

Bank of America and Goldman Sachs lead US bank stocks taking a beating.

Blip.tv ramps up original content to complete with YouTube.

Boeing faces labor strife.

Coca-Cola resists increasing prices.

Demi Moore adds "CNN reporter" to her credits with sex trafficking doc, a subject near and dear to her DNA Foundation.

E3 starts tommorow, where Nintendo will unveil its new Wii console, Sony will tout NGP (its new handheld gaming device) and Microsoft will promote Kinect and position Xbox as the hub of the home entertainment system.Continue reading...

Ian Schrager, a trailblazer in the boutique-hotel movement of the mid- to late 1980s, has long been known for promoting a sense of exclusivity. From the 1970s moment he set up a velvet rope in front of the iconic New York club that he co-owned and cofounded, Studio 54, Schrager has seemingly been all about creating spaces that aren’t accessible to all.

Now it appears that the 64-year-old Schrager is going in the opposite direction, announcing Tuesday that he is developing five new hotels using the Public brand that “drew inspiration primarily from the retail outlets for Apple and Trader Joe's, a supermarket that sells specialty products at a discount,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

"This is for everyone that wants it," he told the WSJ. "It's not about being a stylish hotel. It's really trying to get away from the iconic over-the-top blow-the-customer-away kind of design that people are sick of. It's become a Frankenstein monster and being replicated by companies who don't understand the purpose."

His hotels that he created for his Morgans Hotel Group and Ian Schrager Company were all about design and luxury service along with large public spaces that included bars and restaurants. Public is taking a different tack.Continue reading...

AT&T caps customers' broadband usage; plans Groupon competitor.

Audi plans extra shifts to trim waiting time for SUVs.

Chrysler head Marchionne details impact of Japan crisis on output.

Community Health raises hostile bid for Tenet.

Consumer Reports teams with Billshrink to offer service-comparison tools.

Diet Pepsi ads fared best during Royal Wedding telecasts as viewers mostly ignored commercials.Continue reading...

Aflac casting call for duck role inspires American Idol-type passions.

Apple asks Toyota to pull Scion-branded ad campaign for jailbroken iPhones. 

Berkshire Hathaway and Warren Buffett are dogged by conflict-of-interest charges.

Blockbuster sells to Dish Network at auction for $320M.

BMW has a huge “green” advantage over rival Daimler, says analyst.

BP prepares to face investors’ wrath as Transocean executives to donate safety bonuses to families of Gulf blast victims.Continue reading...

As the W Hotel officially opened its first property in London last night with a bash that included a performance by Mick Jones and Roger Daltrey (a pre-opening sneak peek shows its Leicester Square surroundings, above) another trend is sweeping the hotel world.

Rather than opening new properties, major hotel brands are using a new strategy to grow. Squeezed by rising costs and tight credit, they're "reflagging" or rebranding to convert an existing hotel property to be part of a different brand family.Continue reading...

Super Bowl XLV will offer a match-up between classic franchises when the Green Bay Packers play the Pittsburgh Steelers in Arlington, Texas, on February 6. Mercedes-Benz hints at Super Bowl attack on Lexus with Serena Williams, while Papa John's, Intel, Monster, Dr Pepper, Denny's, Universal Orlando and text-answering service KGB take a pass on returning to this Super Bowl. Fox, meanwhile, rejects potentially controversial Super Bowl ad, creator says.

Air France to disclose safety criticisms of review panel.

The BBC is shedding about 25% of online staff, and moves away from celebrity coverage and in-depth financial analysis.

Conde Nast prepares “Bite me” campaign for Bon Appetit magazine.

Facebook reaches deal with German regulator over “friend-finder.”Continue reading...

Fifty-four percent of Americans have an allergy according to the National Institutes of Health, and allergy rates have increased by two to five times since 1980. Odors, mold, dust and animal dander can trigger an immune response, causing itching, sneezing and asthmatic attacks for allergy sufferers. And dust mites – among the most common of allergens – live and procreate prodigiously — in mattresses, pillows, carpets and upholstery.

Hyatt Hotels Corp. is paying attention, adding "allergy friendly rooms" across the chain in its latest customer service offering. The hypoallergenic rooms are being outfitted by Pure Solutions, a privately held New York-based company that promises removal of 98% of bacteria and viruses and has worked with Marriott hotels (above).Continue reading...