A few weeks ago, Michael Ausiello came to Hollywood for the 25th Annual Paley Festival, and hosted TV Guide’s The Ausiello Report from our very own hotel, the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel & Spa.

While the videos ran on TV Guide’s website and on Ausiello’s vodcast, we wanted to put these videos up right here on the blog, just to make sure you get a chance to see them. Watch (link) Ausiello interview Heroes’ Greg Grunberg about the hit NBC show and his new movie, hear (link) Ausiello digging for all the dirt from the stars at the Paley Fest’s red carpet, or witness (link) Ausiello invent his own martini at Twist Restaurant with Marriott’s “Cocktail Culture.”

We’re happy Ausiello had so much fun while he was here, and we hope to see him next year. Keep watching this space for more info, because there’s another film festival coming up soon, and we’re helping out again…

This is Bruce, signing off.

Our young staff is super excited about the “Film Your Issue” Film Festival, now that the voting has begun online. Our own Director of Human Resources, Rick Spade, has his thoughts on some of the semi-finalists:

Aspiring to be American
Real portrayal of what others are aspiring for and it makes one realize that we take for granted what so many do not have.

Give Civil Liberties
No one should be denied what others are given. It’s 2008 and amazing to me that people are so judgmental and not living in today’s world.

The Struggle
People want to have a better life for themselves and their family. It’s sad to see how racial profiling effects our society and that the color of our skin automatically places you in a behavioral category.

- Rick

Thanks, Rick. Make sure to go to FYI’s website and view the films yourself. We’ll be posting more mini-reviews of the online shorts by our cast members here at the hotel, so check back soon.

This is Bruce, signing off.

The other day, an odd feeling took hold of me: I had the distinct desire for coffee. Not just any coffee, of course; no, Italian espresso was the only thing that would do. And then I remembered a beautiful new development here at the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel & Spa: Caffe Fama, right here in the lobby of our hotel!

And oh goodness, the new Caffe Fama certainly does make the perfect cup of espresso – a little bitter, a little chocolaty, a little vanilla, made from only the best brand of coffee, illy. Produced in Trieste, Italy, illy doesn’t mess around with fancy flavors or anything, coming in just three types of roast: normal, dark, and decaf. If you don’t know good coffee yet, it’s your duty to try this.

While I originally suggested we open the café sometime mid-afternoon – my breakfast time – my staff insisted that normal people wake up much earlier and might want coffee in the AM. They also might want some breakfast, like scones, muffins, and other pastries, and maybe sandwiches and other grab-and-go delights around lunchtime. While I’ve never heard of this “lunchtime” (is that before or after brunch?), I went with my staff’s superior advice.

Caffe Fama is now open from 6:30 am, serving all kinds of coffee and tea throughout the day. Lunch items are available from 11 am to 4 pm. Afterward the Café turns into a little lobby lounge, serving light appetizers, alcoholic beverages (as if there were any other kind) and of course our Cocktail of the Day. And since I’ve bribed the internet elves at Cisco, our whole property is Wi-Fi ready, making Caffe Fama a convenient place to work. Or read a blog. Even a hotel blog written by a handsome general manager.

This is Bruce, signing off.

Have you heard of a little something called the MySpace? Or maybe a spry little cable channel called MTV? I’ve been informed that all of these things are common knowledge to anyone under the age of 30, and as a mature-looking 29-year-old, I want to ask you young readers out there: what does MTV, MySpace, and young people all have in common?

Try the “Film Your Issue” Film Festival. An online film festival (link) for people between the ages of 14 and 24, the FYI Film Festival encourages aspiring filmmakers to make short movies under two minutes long about the most important issue in their lives.

With over 500 entries this year, the festival’s judges have selected 34 deserving semi-finalists, and right now, you can view and vote on those semi-finalists online at Think MTV (link) and MySpace IMPACT (link). Online voting ends May 13 at 5pm.

Now, why do we care at the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel & Spa? Well, first, we believe the children are the future. Even I was once a kid, only 29 years ago. Second, in early June, FYI will be coming to Hollywood, and winners from across the U.S. will be hosted at the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel & Spa. MySpace and FYI will be co-hosting a VIP cocktail reception for semi-finalists, VIP guests, and premier sponsors in the hotel’s prestigious Panorama Suite on June 5th.

To help celebrate FYI, we’re also going to be recruiting some of our hotel cast members to name their favorite short films in the festival and talk about the issues most important to them. We’ll be posting these reviews and other news from the festival here on the blog, so you should come back soon and check it out.  Now, remember, go vote!

This is Bruce, signing off.

This morning I got a bit of a surprise in my inbox: a notification from the Mother Ship – aka Marriott Corporate Headquarters - that my hotel is no longer the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel. What? No! I was surprised, alarmed, shocked, then surprised again, for good measure.

And then I remembered. We are now, yes, the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel & Spa.

What’s that? A name change! Sounds good, doesn’t it? That little addition, “& Spa!” Does that mean Spa Luce is going to be opening very soon? Well, you know how I feel about revealing my secrets; I’m like Homeland Security, but less swiss cheese-like. It’s not like I told you about Michael Ausiello’s secret circus upbringing or what my favorite secret power would be… But in this case I’ll make an exception: Spa Luce will be opening its doors on May 1st, 2008.

So, we’ve changed our name and are preparing to open our new spa, and that means we need a new logo for the hotel. You see how the logo has already changed on the website – those tech-guys do things quick. Did you notice how we’ve also changed our sign outside the hotel? Go and check next time. Here’s an image of what we’re going with for now on here:

I find the image quite handsome and, honestly, I can’t see how we ever did without it. But that’s all marketing talk, and you, dear readers, are probably not as interested in that as you might be in this: our new spa menu.

I just got a call from our dear Helen Storer, the Spa Director for Spa Luce, with the finalized version of the spa menu. However, before I share it with you, Helen insists I point out a few details about the spa. I’ll let her words guide us:

“Spa Luce offers a one of a kind tranquil urban oasis within the fast paced excitement of the world’s most famous city. The 6400-square-foot, state-of-the-art luxury spa features personalized treatments, celebrity-inspired pampering, and top-of-the-line beauty and health products. The spa’s commitment to all-around natural beauty is evident in the three exclusive product lines chosen to be used in treatments: Sonya Dakar Skincare, the Somme Institute, and Red Flower.”

For the most part, I’m not sure what she’s talking about but no matter – it sounds marvelous, and very relaxing! Check out the spa menu here.

Now, all that news was all a little too exciting for me. I think I’m going to go have an Ausholitini at the Twist Bar. It is, after all, almost noon.

This is Bruce, signing off.