- Paris Trocadero welcomes Canopy by Hilton to its neighbourhood
- Meliá Hotels furthers its Chinese reach with new Chongqing property
- Ruby Hotels scores a Düsseldorf hat-trick with new flagship hotel opening
- Hyatt announces the return of 'Hyatt Loves Local' with more than 160 small business collaborations opened to help revitalise communities
- Data metrics - latest performance insights from STR
- News briefs - bitesize updates of latest industry news and developments
Paris Trocadero welcomes Canopy by Hilton to its neighbourhood
Hilton Hotels has confirmed the arrival of its lifestyle Canopy by Hilton brand in France with the opening of the Canopy by Hilton Paris Trocadero, located in the heart of Paris and offering stunning views of the city's famous Eiffel Tower landmark. With a brand promise of a place in the neighbourhood to relax and recharge, offering simple guest-directed service, comfortable spaces and thoughtfully local choices, the 123-room property draws inspiration from Trocadero's rich history and incorporates thoughtful touches from the industrial past of the 1930s building. It is located in the iconic 16th arrondissement which is known for its elegant 19th-century architecture, large avenues, renowned museums and trendy restaurants. Canopy becomes the latest of Hilton's brands to celebrate its market entry in France, ahead of Tapestry by Hilton's anticipated arrival in the capital with the openings of Le Belgrand Hotel Paris Champs Elysees and Hotel Camille Paris Gare de Lyon this summer. In addition, the new hotel joins Canopy by Hilton Zagreb and Canopy by Hilton Reykjavik in the brand's European portfolio and will be followed by new Canopy hotels in London and Madrid later this year. There are currently 28 Canopy properties open around the globe and more than 30 under development across 16 countries and territories.
Meliá Hotels furthers its Chinese reach with new Chongqing property
Spanish group Meliá Hotels International has confirmed its further spread across China with the opening this month of the Meliá Chongqing, blending the warmth of Spain into the landscape of the developing Chinese city and creating a resort experience for MICE, families, and "bleisure" customers. The property is an urban resort located amid the beautiful Tieshanping Forest Park, around 30 minutes' drive from downtown Chongqing and the city's main attractions and 20 minutes from Chongqing's Jiangbei International Airport. The Meliá Chongqing consists of 230 guestrooms which vary in size from 45 to 225 square metres and offer balconies featuring views across Tieshanping Forest Park. The new opening expands the group's footprint in the country to 12 properties (seven operating hotels and five in the pipeline in Shanghai, Xi'an, Chengdu, Jinan, Zhengzhou, Chongqing, Inner Mongolia, and Guangxi).
Ruby Hotels scores a Düsseldorf hat-trick with new flagship hotel opening
German hospitality group Ruby Hotels has celebrated the opening of a third property in the city of Düsseldorf. The Ruby Lana is housed within the former Commerzbank building, a famous 1960s high-rise building located between Konigsallee and Carlsplatz that is architecturally considered to be one of the most important skyscrapers in Germany. The property features 206 guestrooms across five room categories. These comprise NEST Rooms, around 15 square metres in dimension; COZY Rooms, slightly larger at 16 square metres in area; LOVELY Rooms for the weekend for two, measuring approximately 19 square metres; and WOW and LOFT Rooms, each with over 20 square metres of space and views over Düsseldorf. Munich-based Rubu Hotels already operates two hotels in Düsseldorf: the Ruby Coco , centrally located in the KÖ-Galerie, and the Ruby Leni, in Friedrichstadt, as well as a co-working space, Ruby Carl, on the city's Breite Straße.
Hyatt announces the return of 'Hyatt Loves Local' with more than 160 small business collaborations opened to help revitalise communities
Hyatt Hotels Corporation has announced that hotels across the Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Southwest Asia regions have launched more than 160 Hyatt Loves Local collaborations in a continued effort to help revitalize and advance care to communities and small businesses recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. Following the success of the 2020 community-driven initiative, which provides complimentary resources and exposure to select local businesses that have struggled during the pandemic, Hyatt Loves Local has evolved, including collaborating with more minority-owned and female-owned businesses and delivering reimagined experiences inspired by the new travel landscape. In turn, Hyatt Loves Local connects those in-need directly with Hyatt guests and locals through distinctly local offerings, including wellbeing, arts and entertainment, "voluntourism," traveling with pets and culinary experiences.
Data metrics - latest performance insights from STR
- While both business and leisure travel slow significantly during Ramadan, Eid al-Fitr generally offers Muslims an opportunity to celebrate the end of the Holy Month with friends and family, and hotel occupancy across the Middle East rises as leisure travel restarts. In normal times, Eid al-Fitr occupancy varies depending on market drivers. Leisure markets like Jeddah, Dubai, and Sharjah, report high occupancies on the holiday, while business-based capital markets like Riyadh, Kuwait City, and Doha Centre host fewer travellers in comparison. It "may look somewhat different this year," notes STR as it starts to collate the 2021 data. Initial data suggests Dubai and Abu Dhabi, both notorious short-lead booking destinations where guests may often book their room at check-in, have reported sharp spikes in occupancy on the books since Ramadan started.
- Forward-looking data is not reflecting much optimism at the moment for the hotel industry in Montreal, Canada according to STR. The Canadian city remains in the "red zone", or maximum alert level, of Quebec's COVID-19 alert system, travel between regions and cities is not recommended. Additionally, many types of entertainment and gatherings remain closed or prohibited. Although hotels can operate, STR says 7% of the market's more than 27,800 rooms remain temporarily closed, and open hotel occupancy for the week ending 01-May-2021 reached only 22.1% as restrictions on travel depressed hotel demand. "Current metrics leave much to be desired," says STR, while future hotel performance "does not look much better right now".
News briefs - bitesize updates of latest industry news and developments
- Projections show Hawaii is expected to be in the top five US states with the highest number of hotel job losses for 2021, according to the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA). The total projected job losses in Hawaii for the year amounts to an estimated 20,029 jobs and industry analysts estimate that hotel employment is unlikely to reach pre-pandemic levels until at least 2023, and recovery for the industry is not projected until 2024.
- The Arizona Biltmore, A Waldorf Astoria Resort reopened to guests from the start of May-2021 following a property-wide transformation, revealing a new chapter in the history of this uniquely chic resort. One of the grandest hotels of Hollywood's Golden Age, the 39-acre Arizona landmark is located close to the base of the Phoenix Mountain Preserve and offers 701 guestrooms (36 suites, 28 upgraded standalone luxury cottages and 54 villas).
- Leading youth accommodation provider Clink Hostels has announced its mission to become the world's first hostel brand to achieve B Corporation status. The move follows a recent survey conducted by the brand which found that 86% of 18-39 year-old travellers believe companies should do more to challenge current social, political and environmental issues. Certified B Corp companies are businesses that use profits to create a positive impact for employees, communities, and the environment.
- The E11EVEN Hotel & Residences Miami residential developments in Miami's exclusive Park West neighbourhood have already secured occupancy for 90% of the building units since sales were launched in Feb-2021. The project will break ground later this year with units at the 65-storey, 375-unit building ranging from studios to two-bedrooms and a Penthouse collection.
- Zeus International has taken over of the management of the former Eretria Village Resort & Conference Center on Evia, the second largest of Greece's islands. Following a full renovation of the property, the new Eretria Hotel & Spa Resort will debut in Jun-2021. With architecture inspired by the picturesque Greek villages, the hotel offers 220 rooms across a variety of room types including suites and private bungalows.
- The trendsetting Fuzzy Log Hotel in Slovenia, which offers cabin, capsule and glamping accommodations, has boosted its guest safety with the deployment of advanced security access encryption and contactless digital key room entry. The property has upgraded from VingCard to VingCard signature RFID locks with mobile access by ASSA ABLOY.
- The Hilton San Jose La Sabana has opened inside Costa Rica's tallest building. Located in the heart of Sabana Norte, an up-and-coming area with abundant new real estate, and surrounded by embassies and corporate offices, the Leumi Business Center climbs 38-storeys high offering views of Costa Rica's National Stadium and La Sabana Park, two of the city's most popular visitor locations. Ideal for both business and leisure travellers, the upscale Hilton San Jose La Sabana features 131 guest rooms which include executive floor rooms, junior suites and suites.
- Karisma Hotels & Resorts will open the doors to the new five-star Margaritaville Island Reserve Cap Cana in Oct-2021. This will mark the second resort for the Island Reserve brand created in partnership with Karisma and Margaritaville - and the first in the Dominican Republic. The new build combines the amenities of an all-inclusive resort with Margaritaville's signature easy going lifestyle. The property will feature 228 suites and 40 villas across 13 room types designed with elements inspired by the destination's seaside surroundings.
- Marriott International has entered the DiversityInc Hall of Fame, as the first hospitality company recognised by the award. The DiversityInc Hall of Fame list recognises companies that are driven, based on company-submitted data, in six key areas to include leadership accountability, human capital diversity metrics, talent programmes, workforce practices, supplier diversity, and philanthropy.
- The Mondrian Shoreditch London is on track to open in a few months' time following a major overhaul and redesign of the former The Curtain hotel, headed up by design studio Goddard Littlefair. Marking the return of the brand to London and the sixth property in its global portfolio, a Jul-2021 date has been earmarked for the 120 room property's formal opening.
- Visual Matrix, a hotel property management software platform providing an all-in-one PMS, has integrated hotel housekeeping productivity tracking and guest texting functionalities into its PMS platform. The enhanced offering means that hoteliers operating with reduced staff can improve efficiency and responsiveness to accommodate the recovery of travel.