CHECK OUT! – latest hotel highlights from across the globe

5 August, 2021

CTC - Corporate Travel Community brings you a round up of some of the latest accommodation and hospitality news from across the globe. Here's our second offering of the week.

  • Ace Hotel Brooklyn marks boutique brand's second New York property
  • Hyatt Place Ekaterinburg debuts Hyatt Place brand in Russia
  • Johannesburg follows Cape Town in introducing Radisson RED brand into Africa
  • Rosewood Chongqing to open in 2030 in Chinese city's tallest building
  • Thompson Savannah brings a contemporary lifestyle hotel to new Eastern Wharf neighbourhood
  • Data metrics - latest performance insights from STR
  • News briefs - bitesize updates of latest industry news and developments

Ace Hotel Brooklyn marks boutique brand's second New York property

Ace Hotel Group, the boutique North American hotel chain, has added a second property in New York, this time in Brooklyn, adding to its existing offer in the city's midtown Manhattan, as well as other US cities, including Chicago, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Palm Springs, Pittsburgh, Portland and Seattle. The new Ace Hotel Brooklyn is located downtown on Schermerhorn St in the Boerum Hill neighbourhood in a 13-storey new-build property which houses 287 guestrooms, an expansive in-room art programme, a public lobby with multiple bars and an art gallery.


Hyatt Place Ekaterinburg debuts Hyatt Place brand in Russia

Hyatt Place Ekaterinburg has become the second Hyatt branded property in the Russian city of Ekaterinburg and marks the debut of the upscale select service brand in the country. The new hotel features the Hyatt Place brand's intuitive design, casual atmosphere and practical amenities and has been developed by Hotel Development Company. The property is located centrally in Ekaterinburg, the fourth largest city in Russia, one of the major gateways between Europe and Asia and an important stop along the famous Trans-Siberian Railway. It features 146 modern guestrooms with the brand's trademark separate spaces to sleep, work and play, as well as its Cozy Corner sofa-sleeper.


Johannesburg follows Cape Town in introducing Radisson RED brand into Africa

The Radisson RED brand has doubled its African portfolio with the opening of the Radisson RED Johannesburg Rosebank. The new property in South Africa's Gauteng province is only the second to land on African soil after the successful debut of the brand in Cape Town in 2017. This new-build hotel, situated at Oxford Parks, a vibrant mixed-use area comprising apartments, retailers, restaurants and offices. The leafy Rosebank is emerging as a trendy business node and is now home to various corporate offices, renowned art galleries and some of the city's finest restaurants and bars, providing an obvious base for both leisure and business travel. Featuring 222 standard rooms and suites, the property is a bold and trendy addition to Rosebank, inspired by local art, music, fashion and people. The hotel brings to life Radisson RED's bold brand ethos with its eclectic art and the colourful accents of its interior design, including custom African-print wallpaper for each floor, street-style art displays which will rotate every six months, and high-tech additions like an interactive digi-wall and Chromecast televisions in each room. South Africa is described as "a key market" in Africa by Radisson Hotel Group and this hotel opening brings its South African portfolio to 14 hotels in operation and two under development.


Rosewood Chongqing to open in 2030 in Chinese city's tallest building

Rosewood Hotels has confirmed that its expansion in mainland China will see the arrival of a new property within Chongqing's tallest building to create a new landmark for the city. Rosewood has been appointed by Chongqing Sunac Huacheng Real Estate Development Company to manage the Rosewood Chongqing, set to open in the city's central business district in 2030. Situated in the Jiangbeizui International Financial Center, one of China's preeminent establishments for financial services, the ultra-luxury hotel will underscore Chongqing's rapid economic development and growing tourism market as the city continues to build influence and recognition as one of the country's most premium destinations. Sitting in close proximity to the City Center and high-end shopping and dining outlets, as well as multiple transportation hubs including an impressive subway interchange station on site, the property will be housed in a new build, mixed-use development. The hotel will occupy the most significant of the project's four towers, which spans 470 meters and 103 floors and is the tallest building in the city and the twelfth tallest building in the world. Together the towers will also feature deluxe offices, apartments, residences, retail shops and public green spaces to present not only an entirely new lifestyle experience, but a completely revitalized city skyline. Upon completion, the hotel will offer 183 rooms, including 25 suites, four dining outlets, - a bistro, a living room, a Chinese restaurant and a specialty bar, the hotel will also feature a Sense, A Rosewood Spa, a fitness centre, an indoor swimming pool and 945 square meters of meeting and event space for gatherings, including a grand ballroom. It will be Rosewood's eighteenth property on the continent and the tenth in the Greater China area. This project follows the recent announcements of Rosewood Miyakojima and Rosewood Hangzhou and adds to the additional pipeline properties in key areas including Shanghai, Hoi An and Shenzhen.


Thompson Savannah brings a contemporary lifestyle hotel to new Eastern Wharf neighbourhood

Hyatt Hotels Corporation has announced the opening of Thompson Savannah, the brand's first property in Georgia. Set along the banks of the Savannah River, the property is located at the junction of the city's Historic District and its newest neighbourhood, Eastern Wharf, a joint venture development by Regent Partners, Mariner Group and Cadre. With 193 guestrooms including 21 suites, the guestroom tower was intentionally designed by the architectural team at Smallwood to be perpendicular to the river, allowing all rooms to have sweeping, west-facing views of the cityscape or expansive, east-facing views of the Savannah River, the coastal islands and the Atlantic Ocean. Dallas-based design team, Studio 11 Design also captures the Southern landscape indoors through botanical accents, rich jewel tones, and custom stone tile patterns inspired by the city's surrounding flora and green spaces. Indulgent comforts appoint each room, including spacious walk-in showers, residential-style vanities, in-room mini bars, oversized custom art pieces from emerging local artists. From the hotel lobby, a grand staircase leads to a sprawling, second-floor pool deck, where guests can enjoy the splash pool, unwind in a daybed or cozy up in a private cabana. The property also boasts 10,000 square feet of event space for all functions, including two meeting rooms, a boardroom, a divisible ballroom and a poolside living room with an exterior patio.


Data metrics - latest performance insights from STR

  • The performance in the time between lockdown periods in Australia showed the recovery potential for the country's hotels, says STR. In the 100 days between the end of Victoria's third lockdown to the beginning of the fourth, its overall accommodation performance saw its greatest shift since pre-pandemic days, with growth largely driven by regional markets. At its peak, Apr-2021 produced an ADR that was 68 percentage points higher than that of the comparable period in 2019. Melbourne has also "finally began to see glimmers of hope," says STR as domestic corporate travel started to "slowly trickle back into the market". However, when compared with other city peers, Melbourne, like Sydney, continued to trail due to heavy reliance on international exposure and corporate travel.
  • The prospects for a swift tourism recovery have been dealt a blow in recent months as COVID-19's Delta variant has spread rapidly across many parts of the world. STR says the "future is bright…but less bright than before" with its Traveler Panel - an engaged audience of leisure and business travellers - delivering "a softer yet still overwhelmingly positive reaction" when asked about intent to travel when the pandemic is over. Influenced by ongoing uncertainty and ever-changing requirements regarding international travel, consumers remain circumspect when it comes to international travel. Around one in six (16%) said they'd be less likely to travel internationally for leisure when the pandemic is completely over. This resulted in a more negative view than the roughly one in 10 that provided the same answer in STR's previous survey in Feb-2021.

News briefs - bitesize updates of latest industry news and developments

  • Avalara, a provider of cloud-based tax compliance automation for businesses, has introduced Avalara for Hospitality, a solution for hotel chains, resorts, online travel agencies, property management groups, and short-term rental operators that automates the most onerous and time-consuming aspects of tax compliance, including calculation and filing of sales and lodging tax returns. It plans to add new capabilities and functionality, including additional hospitality tax types, to upcoming releases of the solution.
  • Shaner Hotel Group and real estate development partnership True Story have confirmed the opening of the 107-room Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Lewisburg. Developed on approximately three acres on the Penn House Commons, a master-planned mixed-use community, the property is within walking distance of historic Lewisburg and Bucknell University and is proximate to Shamokin Dam and Susquehanna University. Lewisburg, a borough in Union County, Pennsylvania, has grown from a more rural farming community to become an emerging economic and cultural hub.
  • Hilton Grand Vacations has formally confirmed the completion the previously of its acquisition of Diamond Resorts International from funds managed by affiliates of Apollo Global Management, funds managed by affiliates of Reverence Capital Partners, and other Diamond stockholders. The acquisition creates the largest upper upscale and luxury timeshare operator in a stock-based transaction with an equity value of approximately USD1.4 billion.
  • The new Hyatt House Columbus/OSU-Short North extended-stay hotel has opened to guests just across the from R&D giant Battelle and adjacent to Columbus' vibrant Short North Arts District, Victorian Village and The Ohio State University. The 152-room property features 104 suites and 48 den guestrooms, 2,000 square feet of flexible meeting space and indoor and outdoor breakout options. The new-build property is managed by First Hospitality and marks its sixth hotel in the Columbus area.
  • Accor has confirmed the reopening of ibis Styles Athens Routes, a four-star design hotel in downtown Athens. Paying homage to the city's burgeoning art scene, the hotel emerges as a stylish yet economic destination for guests to discover the sites and scenes that make Athens the creative hub that it is today. Across 89 rooms, a signature Business Corner, modern meeting rooms and a fitness center, every wall is lined with tributes to modern Art and Greek creativity.
  • Kenshō Boutique Hotels & Villas, a brand renowned for exceptional hospitality, has unveiled Kenshō Psarou Grand Villa on the Greek island of Mykonos. Situated within close proximity to the cosmopolitan Psarou Beach, the 4-bedroom villa boasts picture-perfect views of the Aegean ocean.
  • Nomadix, a technology leader in hospitality and multi-tenant industries, has unveiled a new Internet gateway for small and mid-sized hotels and MDU properties. The EG 1000 leverages the company's technological experience to create a robust guest and tenant experience for a new market segment of small-to-mid-tier hotels, apartments and senior living communities. Reliable and fast Wi-Fi is increasingly becoming the top amenity required when choosing where to travel and stay.
  • Supporting its European growth strategy, Choice Hotels Europe has welcomed the Shoreline Hotel, Ascend Hotel Collection, in Balcarrick, Dublin to its portfolio. The boutique beachfront hotel, with views of Lambay Island and Dublin Bay, is located on the peninsula of Donabate, a small quaint coastal village a few kilometres from the city centre. The newly refurbished property features 35 rooms each offering panoramic views of the beach or the hotel's garden.