InterContinental is to become the first chain in the industry to pilot technology that allows guests to open their guestroom with a smartphone.

The group will roll out the technology, designed by OpenWays, to two US Holiday Inn properties, gathering feedback from the first guests to use the system.

Travelers staying at the Holiday Inn & Suites Chicago O’Hare Rosemont and the Holiday Inn Express Houston Downtown will have the option to enroll in the program prior to their check-in date.

German automakers BMW and Mercedes-Benz have released details on the electric scooter concepts they plan to unveil at the Paris Motor Show next week.

The scooters, which will be presented by BMW and Mercedes-Benz under the MINI and Smart brands respectively, are hints at the direction both companies could take with electric mobility in the future.

MINI’s Scooter E effort is based on the current production MINI cars, with 11-inch wheels and a “powerful and robust appearance,” which, combined with the large, round front light and radiator grill, evokes the MINI four wheelers.

The winged “B” hood ornament that adorns many of Bentley‘s famously luxurious cars has forced the company to issue an unusual recall.

The British firm filed its recall with the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) after discovering a problem with the mechanism that ordinarily ensures the sleek adornment swiftly retract in a crash.

“There is a potential for the ‘B’ hood ornament’s retracting mechanism to become corroded. This may lead to the ‘B’ hood ornament not retracting as intended when a vehicle is involved in a crash,” NHTSA said in a recall notice.

Marriott announced September 21 that its landmark hotel at St Pancras station in London will open in May 2011, after two years of delays.

The St Pancras Renaissance Hotel has taken more than ten years to reconstruct, with its doors remaining firmly closed as the renovated St Pancras opened its doors to Eurostar traffic in 2007.

It will finally reopen exactly 138 years after the original hotel on the site, the Midland Grand Hotel, opened its doors in 1873.

Orkney’s mythic distillery is releasing their oldest and most prestigious dram yet: the Highland Park 50 year old.

Designed by renowned jewellery designer Maeve Gillies of MaeVona, New York, each of the 275 bottles produced is crafted by hand from sterling silver.

Available exclusively at Harrods until the end of October. This bottle can be purchased here - Price: £10,500/$16,450.

Porsche has released the first details about the 911 Speedster ahead of the Paris Motor Show.

It pays homage to the 356 Speedster, the first model to use this name and will have a production limited to 356 units.

Designed to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Porsche Exclusive, the convertible features an aerodynamic body kit, black accents, and tinted headlights.