Ennismore reaches 100th property milestone: Ennismore has reached a major milestone of opening its 100th property, with its 100th property, the flagship SO/ Paris slated to open later this month. The milestone comes after a period of growth along with a global pipeline focused on Europe, the Middle East, North & Central America and Asia. Ennismore’s collection of lifestyle brands was created in October 2021 through a joint venture between founder and co-CEO Sharan Pasricha and Accor, bringing together 14 brands with 87 operating properties. Since then, the company has achieved its latest milestone and by the year-end targets to open 30 new properties, on average an opening every two weeks.
Eden Hotels launches new corporate company: Eden Hotels, Amsterdam, Netherlands, has announced capital plans and a new parent corporate company, Zien Group. Zien Group will be the home of Eden and all future brands and business, with Eden Hotels CEO Billy Skelli-Cohen leading Zien. Skelli-Cohen’s plans for Zien’s first two businesses includes a commitment of US$50 million of capital investment into the existing portfolio of hotels along with capital to expand the business. Zien will refine the Eden brand, which will see refurbishments of some properties and creating a new brand of individual hotels by reimagining some of its own assets. KSL Capital Partners acquired a majority stake in Eden in December 2021. Created by the Dijkstra family 75 years ago, Eden’s portfolio comprises 14 hotels across the Netherlands. Zien is planning to grow both Eden Hotels as well as the new brands beyond the Netherlands as is actively looking at new opportunities in the U.K. and Europe.
IHG grows lifestyle portfolio in Jeddah: IHG Hotels & Resorts has signed a management agreement with Saudi Investment Group and Marketing Co. (SIGMAC), a fully-owned subsidiary of Ghazzawi Group, for its second Hotel Indigo in Jeddah. The signing is in line with IHG’s expansion in Saudi Arabia and the region as per its Vision 2030. Expected to open in Q1 2028, Hotel Indigo Jeddah will offer 267 guest rooms and 173 serviced apartments and will feature a café, lobby lounge, pool, health club and meeting rooms. The hotel will be developed as part of the SIGMAC mixed-use development on Prince Sultan Road, which will comprise a premium hotel, residential units, offices, entertainment and retail facilities. IHG’s Hotel Indigo brand is present across over 20 countries with more than 120 hotels and 100 more in the pipeline across India, Africa and Middle East. Hotel Indigo Jeddah joins a pipeline for the brand, including properties in Oman and Doha. Currently, IHG operates 37 hotels across five brands in Saudi Arabia and has 20 properties in the development pipeline which will open in the next three to five years.
Hyatt grows in LatAm, Caribbean market: Hyatt Hotels Corp. has announced strategic brand growth in the Latin America and Caribbean region, with a development pipeline of over 20 planned luxury and lifestyle property openings till 2024 and the expansion of Hyatt brands into new markets. The newly opened and anticipated properties mark significant milestones for the company, which include new planned openings (Secrets Tulum Resort & Beach Club in Mexico and Hyatt Centric San Jose — Escazu in Costa Rica); the planned introduction of the first Park Hyatt hotel in Mexico and the first Andaz hotel in Mexico City and improved brand presence in new markets throughout Mexico. After the acquisition of Apple Leisure Group, Hyatt’s expected growth in the Latin America and Caribbean region includes around 20% expansion of Hyatt’s Inclusive Collection (expected by 2024-end).
stayAPT Suites announces new franchise deals, prototype: stayAPT Suites, the apartment-style hotel brand, has announced new franchise partnerships. The partnership deals have been added in Atlanta-Lithia Springs, Georgia; St. Louis-Bridgeton, Missouri; Phoenix-Peoria, Arizona; and Riverside-Palmdale/Lancaster, California. These new franchises, along with the current corporate and franchise pipeline of open, under construction and pre-development projects grow stayAPT Suite’s footprint to more than 75 locations across 22 states in the U.S. Having achieved this milestone in less than two years since opening the first two locations in October 2020, the company is also launching a four-story prototype of flexible two- and three-story models. The 103-unit, four-story prototype will be introduced at corporate and franchise markets in California and North Carolina. Each room comprises an open-concept living room along with a kitchen, private and separate bedroom and a wall-mounted smart TV. stayAPT Suites plans to have 30 hotels open by the end of 2023, with nearly 40 more in development.
Butlin’s sold back to family firm: Blackstone Inc. and Bourne Leisure have agreed to the sale of Butlin’s, the iconic British seaside resorts, to a newly-created company backed by the Harris family for £300 million (US$342.27 million. Created by Billy Butlin in 1936 to provide affordable British vacations, Butlin’s currently operates three resorts across the U.K. (in Minehead, Bognor Regis and Skegness), with the three properties attracting more than 1.5 guests annually. In January 2021, Blackstone acquired the company from the founding Harris, Cook and Allen families. As part of the deal, the three families co-invested alongside Blackstone and combined, hold a minority stake in the company. After completion, Bourne will continue to operate its two heritage brands — Warner Leisure Hotels and Haven.
Charlestowne Hotels debuts standalone restaurant: Charlestowne Hotels, Charleston, South Carolina, has launched Gingerline, the company’s first standalone restaurant concept, in Charleston’s Historic District. Gingerline offers cocktails and coastal-inspired dishes inspired by South American and Latin flavors. The restaurant opened on August 29 in a 3,500-square feet indoor-outdoor venue at the site of a former restaurant that closed over two years ago. Charlestowne worked with local design firm Jenny Keenan Design to develop the 122-guest space with a 12-seat bar. Gingerline also features a private dining space that can accommodate 50 people. The restaurant joins Charlestowne’s portfolio and currently comprises nearly 50 F&B venues, ranging from coffee shops to full-service restaurants, and over 50 hotels.
Choice Hotels expands Everhome Suites: Choice Hotels International Inc., Rockville, Maryland, has signed an agreement with Colorado-based ServiceStar Capital Management to develop 21 new Everhome Suites properties, representing Choice’s biggest investment in the brand. The deal outlines major expansion plan across the U.S., with Everhome Suites planned in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Nevada and Utah in the next few years. Everhome Suites is Choice’s latest brand and is a new construction, midscale extended-stay product with purpose-built accommodations for longer-term stays. ServiceStar Capital Management and their Development Partners are also developing over 50 WoodSpring Suites hotels in the U.S. Choice Hotels, which recently acquired Radisson Hotels Americas, has over 7,500 hotels totaling 650,000 rooms across 46 countries.
Virgin Hotels debuts in Colorado: Virgin Hotels, Miami, Florida, has announced the opening of its first hotel in Denver, Colorado, in 2025. Virgin Hotels Denver Fox Park will be a part of Fox Park, the mixed-use development which broke ground last week. The new-build hotel will feature 241 chambers, a signature Common’s Club, coffee shop, indoor and outdoor meeting spaces, a rooftop lounge, 8,000 square foot spa and fitness concept including eight treatment rooms and a 2,900-square-foot fitness center. In partnership with developer Vita Fox North L.P. and Tryba Architects, the development will come up in the former site of the Denver Post printing plant and comprise 6 million square feet of commercial and residential space, including 14 acres of gardens and park spaces. The hotel will be one of the two boutique properties in Fox Park. Virgin Hotels is exploring new markets in the U.S. and is also growing globally. The company’s portfolio currently consists of five hotels in the U.S. and a newly launched property in Edinburgh, the U.K. More properties are set to open in New York City and Glasgow later this year.
Insurance company loses suit to recover fire payout: Orient Insurance, which was told to pay over a billion dirhams in damages for a fire on 2015 New Year’s Eve in a Dubai hotel, has lost a civil lawsuit it had filed to recover the money. Two years after the fire at Address Downtown hotel, the insurance company was ordered to pay AED1.25 billion (US$340 million) to Dubai’s state-backed developer Emaar in a settlement. In 2018, Orient filed a lawsuit against the contractors who worked on the hotel’s construction, design and maintenance, claiming they failed to implement fire safety requirements which contributed to the spread of the fire. The expert committee hearing the case has said an electrical short circuit on a spotlight caused the fire and found no conclusive evidence to show technical errors or violations by the defendants. The committee said the building cladding might have contributed to the spread of the blaze but was not the cause of it.
Hong Kong mulls quarantine policy change: Hong Kong is set to make an announcement later this week on its COVID-19 hotel quarantine policy for all arrivals as it wants to allow an “orderly opening up” and ensure that the city is connected with the rest of the world. Despite the length of quarantine decreasing over time, Hong Kong is one of the few places where travelers are still required to quarantine upon arrival. International arrivals are currently required to pay for three days in a hotel and follow that up with four days of self-monitoring. As per local reports, Hong Kong plans to do away with hotel quarantine and replace it with seven days of self-monitoring. For self-monitoring, people can stay at home but have to take tests and movement is restricted. It is still not clear, however, whether COVID restrictions will be eased. Public groups of more than four people are currently banned and masks are mandatory, even for children.
Japan considers banning hotel guests without masks: Japan is considering permitting hotels to refuse entry to guests who don’t wear masks and follow other measures to curb infection rates during an outbreak, according to local media reports. The government will present a bill during an extraordinary session of parliament next month which will revise the law governing hotels and inns and give them more power to enforce measures. This comes at a time when the country is expected to ease its border controls, waive visa mandates for certain tourists and scrap the daily limit on arrivals. At present, wearing masks is not mandatory in Japan but is strongly advised on public transport and indoors.
Marriott’s EDITION to Lake Como: Marriott International, Inc. has signed an agreement with Bain Capital Credit and London-based Omnam Group to launch its EDITION Hotels brand to Lake Como in Italy. Owned and developed by Bain Capital and Omnnam through a fund managed by Kryalos SGR, The Lake Como EDITION will open in 2025. A 19th century building on the western shore of Lake Como will be converted into a luxury lifestyle hotel, which will offer 145 guest rooms, including two penthouse suites, a lobby bar, floating pool and several restaurants overlooking the lake with views of the Bellagio mountains. The hotel will mark Omnam’s fourth project in Italy. The Lake Como EDITION will further grow Marriott’s presence in Europe, where it has a portfolio of more than 719 properties totaling over 137,500 rooms across 25 brands. Currently, EDITION Hotels operates 15 properties globally.