- Carlton Tower Jumeirah to re-emerge at the start of Jun-2021 after USD100 million renovation
- IHG brings the Holiday Inn brand to Armenia
- Clarion Pointe celebrates opening of its 30th property with a pipeline that will see growth to nearly 70 hotels
- NH Hotels to make its Middle East debut with NH Dubai The Palm opening
- Data metrics - latest performance insights from STR
- News briefs - bitesize updates of latest industry news and developments
Carlton Tower Jumeirah to re-emerge at the start of Jun-2021 after GBP100 million renovation
Global luxury hospitality company Jumeirah Group has confirmed the planned reopening of its European flagship hotel, The Carlton Tower Jumeirah, in the heart of London's Knightsbridge. After an 18-month closure during which the illustrious A-lister haunt has undergone an all-encompassing GBP100 million renovation - the most extensive in its history - the property will again welcome guests from 01-Jun-2021. As part of the renovation, every corner of the 17-storey building has been redesigned to embody the heritage of the area and contemporary luxury. Along with a new foyer and reception, there will be 186 new bedrooms and suites, many of which will boast balconies with spectacular views over London. The accommodations feature textured wall panelling, furnishing in softer forms and accents in a warm colour palette influenced by British heritage hues in deep blue, green and maroon as well as floor to ceiling marble bathrooms. Newly created is the Royal Suite, the hotel's most exclusive residence featuring three bedrooms with the option to privatise the entire floor for the utmost in security and discretion.
IHG brings the Holiday Inn brand to Armenia
IHG Hotels & Resorts has opened its first Holiday Inn property in Armenia, adding to the Holiday Inn Express Yerevan that is already established in Yerevan. The Holiday Inn Yerevan-Republic Square is located in the heart of the city centre of Armenia's capital, which is fast becoming a popular destination for both leisure and business travellers. Opening under a management agreement with SGI Invest, the hotel is situated in two historical buildings - the first was a gymnasium which was completed in the 19th century and the second was a library named after a famous Armenian poet, Avetik Isahakyan. The property has 191 guest rooms and an Open Lobby designed to combine the hotel's public spaces including the reception area, restaurant, bar and lounge into one open and cohesive space.
Clarion Pointe celebrates opening of its 30th property with a pipeline that will see growth to nearly 70 hotels
Clarion Pointe, the midscale select-service brand extension franchised by Choice Hotels International, has celebrated the milestone opening of its 30th property following the recent debut of three hotels, located in Raleigh, North Carolina; South Boston, Virginia; and Green Bay, Wisconsin. The brand plans to build on its expansion efforts with openings in Augusta, Georgia; Indianapolis, Indiana; and Charlottesville, Virginia, among many others later this year, and a pipeline that will extend the portfolio to nearly 70 properties. Its three recent openings comprise: Clarion Pointe Wake Forest - Raleigh North, a 79-room hotel situated minutes from the Raleigh-Durham International Airport; Clarion Pointe South Boston-Danville East, a 66-room hotel providing convenient access to Staunton River State Park and offices of ABB Power Grids, Sentara Halifax Regional Hospital, Duke Energy and Dominion Energy; and Clarion Pointe Green Bay, a 78-room hotel near to the famed Lambeau Field, home of the Green Bay Packers.
NH Hotels to make its Middle East debut with NH Dubai The Palm opening
Mid- and up-scale hotel brand, NH Hotels will debut in the Middle East region later this year with the launch of NH Dubai The Palm. The new-build 533-key property is currently in the final stages of development and is due to formally open its doors to guests from Dec-2021. Located on Dubai's Palm Jumeirah, it will be part of Seven Hotel & Apartments, a mixed-use development consisting of a hospitality tower and a residential tower. The new 14-storey property will offer 227 hotel guest rooms and suites, in addition to 306 serviced apartments. Facilities will include multiple restaurants and bars, three spa treatment rooms, a kids' club and four meeting rooms. There will be a gym, while a spectacular rooftop infinity pool, is described as creating "the perfect 'Insta' spot". The hotel's interiors will be "bold, original and energetic," according to NH Hotels, bringing "bursts of colour" and "an abundance of local character reflecting the pulse of the dynamic city of Dubai". The NH Dubai The Palm is owned by luxury real estate and hospitality developer Seven Tides, which already owns a portfolio that includes Anantara The Palm Dubai Resort and Oaks Ibn Battuta Gate.
Data metrics - latest performance insights from STR
- As Thailand battles a third wave of COVID-19, most markets were stuck at single-digit hotel occupancy over the final days of Apr-2021, except for Pattaya and Bangkok. The rise in cases has led hotel demand to drop drastically. Before that, areas such as Huahin/Cha Am and Pattaya, which are drive-to markets from Bangkok, showed expected and notable spikes on Saturdays ahead of Songkran. Krabi posted the highest occupancy during Songkran (12-15-Apr-2021) at 35.1%, followed closely by Hua Hin/Cha-Am.
- The hotel industry in the United States of America (USA) recorded its highest monthly performance levels since the beginning of the pandemic, according to Apr-2021 data. Occupancy (57.5%) and RevPAR (USD63.46) were the highest for any month since Feb-2020, while ADR (USD110.34) was the highest since Mar-2020. Year-on-Year percentage metrics were up because of comparison with a pandemic-affected period in 2020, but the country's performance levels still remain well below the pre-pandemic comparable of Apr-2019: occupancy (-15.2%), ADR (-16.0%) and RevPAR (-28.8%). Among the country's top 25 markets, Tampa experienced the highest occupancy level (77.0%), which was 0.5% below the market's benchmark from 2019. The next highest occupancy level was in Miami (72.0%), which recorded the highest ADR (USD233.80) and RevPAR (USD168.31) levels. Miami's ADR level was +6.9% higher than the pre-pandemic comparable. Markets with the lowest occupancy for the month included Boston (40.4%) and Minneapolis (42.5%).
News briefs - bitesize updates of latest industry news and developments
- The Bellyard, West Midtown Atlanta, located within the Interlock multi-use space in the Atlanta market, has opened to guests as part of Marriott International's Tribute Portfolio of independent properties. Operated by Pivot, the property boasts 161 suites and guestrooms with a design highlighting the rich history of West Midtown and The Interlock - nodding to the stockyards and railroads.
- The Dorchester Collection's vibrant and luxurious Mayfair hotel, 45 Park Lane, has launched The Spa at 45 Park Lane. The 10,000 square foot spa will feature Park Lane's longest pool at 20 metres, as well as a personal training room and spacious state-of-the-art gym. Spa treatments will be by Valmont and Aromatherapy Associates. The wellness space is part of Mayfair Park Residences, located in the adjacent building to the property.
- Wishbox, the end-to-end guest experience platform, has completed an extensive rebranding effort in response to accelerated company growth following widespread tech adoption by hotels in light of the global pandemic. At the heart of this rebranding is the update of the company name to Duve and an upgrade of the company logo and website.
- Danish management company Core Hospitality has signed an agreement with Marriott International to debut the Fairfield by Marriott brand in Denmark. The Fairfield by Marriott Copenhagen Nordhavn is expected to open in 2023 and will be located in the city's North Harbour district, just five kilometres from the city centre, offering 222 guestrooms. The property will be part of the dual-branded complex, which also includes longer stay hotel Residence Inn Copenhagen Nordhavn, another Marriott International branded property.
- The Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky in Amsterdam is to be reflagged within the Minor Hotels portfolio. Currently trading under the NH Collection it will become the first property in the Netherlands for Anantara Hotels, Resorts and Spas as the latter continues to grow its European presence. The 150-year-old property on Amsterdam's Dam Square houses 402 rooms.
- Peachtree Hotel Group has completed a USD5.3 million renovation of the Hampton Inn by Hilton Baltimore-Downtown Convention Center. The property-wide renovation of the eight-storey, 126-room hotel included a complete modernisation of all guestrooms, public spaces and exterior settings. The guestroom refurbishments focused on adding comfortable seating, enhanced lighting, contemporary artwork and room furnishings, and new televisions. The guest bathroom renovations included modern vanities and tub-to-shower conversions.
- Accor is expanding its Mövenpick brand portfolio in Poland with confirmation of a fourth planned property. The Group has signed a franchise agreement with an investor for the 180-room Mövenpick Wrocław, previously operating as the Hotel Grand. The historic property will undergo a rebranding and expansion to welcome guests as early as at the beginning of 2023.
- Radisson Hotel Group has extended its partnership with SGS, an inspection, verification, testing and certification company that has become accepted as a global benchmark for quality and integrity. The arrangement will see the continued global roll out of the Radisson Hotels Safety Protocol to further strengthen Radisson Hotel Group's existing rigorous sanitation, cleanliness and disinfection programme across its portfolio around the world.
- The Serena Hotel Aventura, Tapestry Collection by Hilton, a new 10-storey, boutique hotel, welcomed its first guests on 13-May-2021. Positioned in the heart of South Florida midway between Fort Lauderdale and Miami, the upscale property features 100 guestrooms, 30 of which are suites outfitted with separate living areas, kitchenettes, dining tables and large bathrooms. The standard guestrooms also offer seating areas with sofas along with work desks.