BEVERLY HILLS – Hilton Hotels Corp. announced Wednesday, Jan. 21 that it would move its headquarters from Beverly Hills to the Washington D.C. area, either the Maryland or Virginia suburbs. As a former Virginian who would love to see Hilton in the Commonwealth, I still think it is a horribleMORE HERE

SUNSET BOULEVARD – The historic Hollywood Palladium, once the home to radio shows and even Lawrence Welk, has been restored by Coe Architecture International and is now run by Live Nation. It reopened in October 2008, with a show by Jay-Z. Coe has a list of stories relating to itsMORE HERE

Hint: It’s about finding the cool stuff, and making cult favorites out of the mundane Everyone has to brand these days. It started with product brands, then service brands. Now we all have to have a personal brand. And cities now talk about “branding” themselves. Good earth. Can’t we justMORE HERE

The Orient-Express company is its own revived brand, and part of its operations now operate a gift shop with commemorative items from its trains. Here pictured a British Pullman crest, taken from the ones on the outside of the company’s carriages. See their gift shop at www.orient-expressgifts.com.MORE HERE