International News

International News

Hyatt Regency Chantilly opens in France

Hyatt Regency Chantilly has opened to become the ninth Hyatt branded hotel in France. Reminiscent of an 18th-century hamlet, the 211-room property is set along the Nonette River in the historic town of Chantilly. Situated in the tranquil town, only 20 minutes from Charles De Gaulle International Airport and 45 minutes from the centre of Paris, the hotel is able to accommodate both business and leisure guests alike. “We are thrilled to announce the opening of Hyatt Regency Chantilly,” said Charles Guyonnaud, general manager of Hyatt Regency Chantilly. “The hotel’s exquisite facilities combined with its peaceful setting provides the ultimate business retreat and relaxation getaway.” Comprised of eight buildings, the hotel offers a scenic setting among lush trees and serves as a venue for hosting a variety of events including weddings, social occasions, exhibitions, meetings, and conferences. Chantilly is home to many historic attractions including the Domaine de Chantilly, which features the Chateau de Chantilly, the Musée Condé and the intact treasures of the 19th century prince, Henri d’Orléans, Duke of Aumale. Also nearby are the prestigious Chantilly horseracing courses for those with a passion for equestrian sports. Golf lovers will also appreciate the numerous golf courses in the area. Guests will be also able to explore the historical and natural treasures of the region by bike or horseback, taking in the beautiful and tranquil setting of Chantilly. The hotel’s 211 modern and spacious guestrooms include 14 luxury suites, offering four different suite varieties including one royal garden suite, seven regency executive suites, one Chantilly suite, and five regency suites. Guests staying in suites and regency club rooms enjoy additional amenities such as complimentary breakfast, evening cocktails, and hors d’œuvres.

Create: Jul 13, 2019 Edit: Jul 17, 2019

Hilton Garden Inn opens at London Heathrow Terminal 2

Hilton Garden Inn London Heathrow Terminal 2 has opened its doors to guests. The 369-room hotel, located at Europe’s busiest airport, is the latest addition to the growing Hilton Garden Inn portfolio. Operating under a franchise agreement with Arora Group, the hotel becomes the eleventh property to be added to the Arora Group portfolio. Hilton Garden Inn London Heathrow Terminal 2 features runway views and is the first and only hotel at Heathrow Airport to provide guests with direct access to the Queen’s Terminal via a walkway, allowing them to reach departure gates in minutes. “More than 80 million people pass through Heathrow every year, and we are delighted to offer guests a great accommodation option to make their travel journey that much smoother,” said Simon Vincent, executive vice president and president, EMEA, Hilton. “Hilton pioneered the concept of the airport hotel back in 1959, so we are proud to be opening the doors to our second Hilton Garden Inn property at Heathrow as we celebrate our 100th anniversary.” The 14-floor property features 369 comfortable guest rooms, including 23 family rooms and ten suites offering an adjoining seating area with a sofa bed and a 55-inch HDTV. Arora Group founder and chairman, Surinder Arora, commented: “This hotel is special, not just for us but for the Heathrow market too. “We are delighted to be partnering with Hilton Garden Inn and delivering the service, excellence and passion of Arora Group, while based at the convenience of Heathrow’s Central terminal area.” Guests can indulge at the hotel’s main restaurant, the Apron, and enjoy a hearty breakfast, lunch or dinner. After a long flight, guests can visit the Runway Bar on the hotel’s rooftop (opening in August), and enjoy a range of cocktails and small plates while overlooking 360º views of Heathrow’s runway. The hotel is within proximity to frequent transport links, allowing guests to reach London in just 15-minutes using Heathrow Express. There are also several convenient and nearby attractions including, the picturesque Windsor Castle and Thorpe Park for thrill seekers.

Create: Jul 10, 2019 Edit: Jul 17, 2019

Accor and meetago signed global partnership to meet MICE demand

In the context of IMEX, Accor and meetago® agreed on a strategic international partnership for its core meeting and events business today. This deeper level of cooperation was officially stamped and sealed on the basis of their already existing successful collaboration. meetago® provides booking and software solutions in the fields of meetings, incentives, conferences & exhibitions (“MICE”, for short) and is one of the biggest players in Central Europe. meetago®’s booking technology and services will be offered by Accor, not only in the DACH (Germany-Austria-Switzerland) region, but across Europe and in a few key source markets such as the US and China. With the launch of this partnership, the jointly developed Connectivity Solution will be available to more than 1,600 meeting hotels worldwide. The offer is focused on a comprehensive and attractive portfolio of meeting and conference hotels across all brands. The Accor and meetago® partnership aims to make booking and managing conferences, events and business meetings faster, more global and more efficient for hotels and event organisers. It will make meeting demand from corporate customers easier and will promote the continued international expansion of the meeting business of both partners. “Through the strategic partnership with meetago®, we are responding to growing demand from our corporate customers and we will be making our offer available centrally via one platform in the future. We also provide more comprehensive and efficient services with a higher level of digitalisation to the conference industry”, said Sabine Toplak, Accor Vice President Sales Central Europe. “We are very pleased to be expanding our collaboration with Accor, which will further advance our global growth. We want to use innovative ideas to provide an excellent user experience”, explained Udo Lülsdorf, CEO and founder of meetago®.

Create: Jul 9, 2019 Edit: Jul 10, 2019

Next Story Group Acquires Southbank Hotel for AUD45 Million in Melbourne, Australia

Singapore-based hospitality company, Next Story Group ("Next Story"), has acquired a newly built hotel in Melbournes Southbank for AUD45 million. Located at 167 city road and built on a 606-square-metre site, the 16-storey, 162-key property will become Next Story's first hotel under its upper mid-scale LinQ brand. This will also be Next Story's third hotel in Melbourne, complementing the 120-key Sage Hotel Melbourne in Ringwood and Next Hotel Melbourne which is slated to open in 80 Collins Street by Q2 2020. The soft opening is scheduled for 1 September 2019. The acquisition is part of Next Story's expansion plans, which focus on strategic growth in Australia, Southeast Asia, and South Asia. LinQ brand targets budget-conscious corporate travellers with limited amenities and room sizes ranging from 15 to 22 square metres. Next Story currently has 40 operating and pipeline properties in its portfolio, which includes four hotel brands: Next, Sage, LinQ and Kafnu.

Create: Jul 9, 2019 Edit: Jul 10, 2019

Blackstone acquires 3 Florida hotels from RLJ for $43.2M

Hospitality industry power-player Blackstone Group has acquired three Florida hotels from an affiliate of RLJ Lodging Trust for $43.2 million, according to The Real Deal. The purchased properties, all Marriott brands, are located in Broward County near Fort Lauderdale. Blackstone purchased the adjacent 125-room Courtyard by Marriott Fort Lauderdale SW/Miramar and 130-room Residence Inn by Marriott Fort Lauderdale SW/Miramar, as well as the 138-room Residence Inn by Marriott Fort Lauderdale Plantation. All three hotels include an outdoor pool, fitness center and meeting space. The transaction comes on the heels of another Florida sale by RLJ, that of the 385-room Hilton Myrtle Beach Resort and the 255-room Embassy Suites by Hilton Myrtle Beach Oceanfront Resort. The REIT sold the two hotels for $156 million to an undisclosed buyer. Based on the trailing 12 months ending in May, the sales price represented a 12.9x earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization multiple and 6.7 percent capitalization rate, inclusive of $44.5 million in planned capital expenditures, according to the report.

Create: Jul 8, 2019 Edit: Jul 8, 2019

Marriott opens 3 hotels in the South

Next Week, the South will see the debut of its third Marriott-branded hotel since mid-June. Two weeks ago, the Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Memphis Collierville opened in Tennessee; today, the Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Santee debuted in South Carolina; and, on July 9, the Residence Inn by Marriott Decatur will begin welcoming guests in Alabama. Southern Hospitality, LLC opened the 110-room Fairfield Inn & Suites Memphis Collierville on June 18. It includes a fitness center, outdoor swimming pool and 325 square feet of meeting space. The hotel is located within 30 minutes of the Memphis International Airport, Graceland and downtown. Memphis-based Hospitality Management Advisors operates the hotel. Santee Management owns and manages the 91-room Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Santee. Hotel amenities include a fitness center, outdoor swimming pool and 1,100 square feet of flexible meeting space. It is located near Lake Marion, Santee Cooper Golf Resort and numerous independent restaurants.

Create: Jul 8, 2019 Edit: Jul 8, 2019

KMA Group and Centara Signs MoU for Six Hotels in Myanmar

Thailand-based hotel chain, Centara Hotels & Resorts (Centara), will soon make its debut in Myanmar with six new upscale and upper-upscale hotels in major cities. Following the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Centaras subsidiary, Centara International Management Co. Ltd., and Thai conglomerate, Kaung Myanmar Association Group of Companies (KMA Group), KMA group is investing USD63 million to revamp and rebrand three of its existing hotels with Centara brands and to build three new hotels in Bagan and Than Daung. Works at one of the existing hotels, the Centara Paradise Inle Resort & Spa in Inle, Nyaungshwe Township, Shan state, has been completed and is slated to open by the end of 2019. Meanwhile construction of the new hotels, namely Centara Bagan River Resort & Spa Kaytumadi Dynasty Bagan Resort, Centara Boutique Collection, and Shwe Than Daung Resort, as well as the refurbishment of Centara Royal Naypyitaw Hotel in Nay Pyi Taw and Centara Royal Kaytumadi Resort & Spa in Taungoo, Kayin State, will begin in the next few months. Centaras current portfolio comprises 63 properties spanning across major destinations in Thailand, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Oman, and Qatar.

Create: Jul 7, 2019 Edit: Jul 8, 2019

SEG Plans to Accelerate the Development of a New Fourth Hotel in Gold Coast, Australia

Australia-based Star Entertainment Group Limited (SEG) has announced plans to accelerate the development of a fourth tower within The Star Gold Coasts multi-billion-dollar precinct. The 215-metre tower includes a five-star mixed-use hotel with residential properties, lagoon pools, a nightlife venue, plus additional restaurants and bars, a luxury day spa and wellness centre, as well as outdoor spaces for the local community and visitors. The construction will begin in 2020, with pre-sales for apartments set to launch this month. The new hotel at The Star Gold Coast would complement the existing The Star Grand hotel, The Darling hotel, and the first Dorsett hotel in Australia, which is slated to open in 2022. SEG has revealed plans for a new dining precinct to connect The Star Grand hotel, restaurant, and gaming complex to The Dorsett, once it has been completed.

Create: Jul 7, 2019 Edit: Jul 8, 2019

Airbnb recently had a victory in Europe, after the court of justice there ruled the company be considered a digital service provider.

Made by Maciej Szpunar, one of the European Court of Justice’s advocates general, the ruling essentially gives the digital travel company the ability to operate freely across the European Union. Szpunar found that Airbnb was what Brussels would consider an information society service. This ruling came with a rejection for those who felt otherwise. A French tourism association had argued that Airbnb should face the same accounting, insurance and other financial obligations of traditional providers of real estate. Airbnb, which is registered in the EU nation of Ireland, argued that its commercial activities involve matching property owners with people who are looking for a place to stay, a role which falls outside of traditional real estate brokerage. Part of the legal decision involved the way Airbnb’s assertion was challenged. Szpunar said the French government had not properly notified the European Commission as well as authorities in Ireland that it intended to apply French law to Airbnb. Furthermore, he determined that Airbnb was an online service which connected potential guests with hosts for short-term stays, which was essentially what the company argued. It was unclear whether a proper notification would have changed this judgement. THIS DECISION’S AFTERMATH A natural next question is what happens now? It’s important to note that this decision is non-binding, although the court takes the advice of its advocates general in 80% of cases. Airbnb, unsurprisingly, said it welcomed the opinion as a “clear overview of what rules apply.” This decision could be a telling one. France is not the only market in which Airbnb has faced forces advocating for a crackdown on the way it operates. Other cities in which Airbnb has caused civic issues include Amsterdam and Barcelona, both of which are also in the EU. Challengers criticize the company for changing the face of the neighbourhoods in which it operates, basically removing their personalities and turning them primarily into locales for short-term guests and hordes of out-of-town tourists. This ruling is already significant given that France is the company’s single largest market outside of the United States. Paris, meanwhile, is its biggest single city market, with 65,000 homes there listed on the site. A spokesman for the company said: “We welcome the opinion of the advocate general, which provides a clear overview of what rules apply to collaborative economy platforms like Airbnb and how these rules help create opportunities for consumers.” “We also want to be good partners and already we have worked with more than 500 governments around the world on measures to help hosts share their homes, follow the rules and pay their fair share of tax,” the spokeswoman went on to say. “As we move forward, we want to continue working with everyone to put locals at the heart of sustainable 21st-century travel.

Create: Jul 6, 2019 Edit: Jul 8, 2019

Marriott expands in Tanzania with new Four Points property

Marriott International has announced the opening of its second Four Points by Sheraton hotel in Tanzania, Four Points by Sheraton Dar es Salaam, New Africa Hotel. The original New Africa Hotel was built as the official residence of Kaiser Wilhelm II in 1896. It was used as a hospital during World War I before being converted into a hotel during the British Empire. Sitting at the heart of the central business district of the city, overlooking the harbour, the hotel has since emerged as a landmark and an integral part of the burgeoning city. With the renovation and the rebrand the hotel continues to retain its unique charm, while delivering on the brand’s promise to provide what matters most to today’s independent travellers. “Four Points by Sheraton Dar es Salaam, New Africa Hotel, is a great addition to our rapidly growing footprint in Africa and further consolidates the brands presence in Tanzania. “We are confident that with its blend of stylish comfort and genuine service at a great value, the hotel will meet the rising demand for high-calibre lodging in this fast-growing market and soon emerge as a leading choice among business and leisure travellers,” said Alex Kyriakidis, president and managing director, Middle East and Africa, Marriott International. Designed for the modern traveller with an emphasis on approachable design, the 174 room Four Points by Sheraton Dar es Salaam, New Africa Hotel, features spacious and contemporary rooms including suites. Other facilities include an outdoor pool and a state-of-the-art fitness centre. With 1,000 square feet of indoor meeting and banquet space spread across 12 flexible meeting rooms, the hotel is an ideal venue for gatherings of any size including elaborate social events and weddings. “Our vision is to offer an uncomplicated travel experience for both business and leisure. “Perfectly situated in the heart of the city, the hotel is at the epicentre, steeped in history and surrounded by local attractions,” said Siddharth Chaudhry general manager, Four Points by Sheraton Dar es Salaam, New Africa Hotel. “We look forward to welcoming our guests with the brand’s signature warm and uncomplicated yet comfortable service.”

Create: Jul 6, 2019 Edit: Jul 8, 2019

Hakkasan Group has added two executive chefs to its corporate roster

Hakkasan Group has added two executive chefs to its corporate roster:Andrew Yeo, corporate executive chef; and Chen-Wei Chan, executive chef special projects, U.S. Yeo, with more than 20 years of experience and training, will oversee the Cantonese brands in the group’s Asian Luxury collection, including Hakkasan, Yauatcha and Ling Ling. Chan, who has more than 15 years of experience, will support the execution of the company’s U.S. restaurants: Hakkasan New York, Hakkasan San Francisco, Hakkasan Miami, Hakkasan Las Vegas and Yauatcha Houston.

Create: Jul 2, 2019 Edit: Jul 3, 2019

Higueron Hotel Malaga, Curio Collection, opens doors in Spain

Hilton has unveiled its latest Spanish property, Higueron Hotel Malaga, Curio Collection. From the city that gave the world Picasso, the new hotel boasts 177 guest rooms, Malaga’s only sustainable Michelin-starred restaurant and jaw-dropping views of the Mediterranean Sea. Nestled behind the breath-taking Montes de Malaga, the hotel is conveniently located near Malaga’s vibrant city centre. Famously known as the heart of the Costa del Sol, the city offers something for guests of all ages, with its unique art districts, pristine sandy beaches and lively nightlife. “Malaga is one of Europe’s most popular destinations, with 12.5 million tourists flocking to its sunny shores last year,” said Simon Vincent, president, EMEA, Hilton. “With €1 in every €7 generated from travel and tourism in Spain, we are excited to expand our portfolio by 50 per cent in the next three to five years.” Each of the hotel’s elegant guest rooms feature unique Spanish touches, such as original lithography made with local materials. The hotel is set to add an additional 113 premium suites in 2020, bringing the total number of rooms available up to 290. With six different restaurants and bars, guests can savour fantastic farm-to-table produce and local dining. The Michelin-starred Sollo by Diego Gallegos serves innovative dishes based on river fish and caviar, all cultivated onsite at the hotel’s own hydroponic farm. “Higueron Hotel Malaga is the latest hotspot in the beautiful Costa del Sol, offering a truly unique experience to wind down and explore everything this remarkable location has to offer,” said Mark Nogal, global head, Curio Collection by Hilton.

Create: Jul 2, 2019 Edit: Jul 3, 2019