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Boutique Hotel News revisits 12 stories that defined the travel, hotel and branded residential sectors in 2025.
January
Virtuoso launches UHNW business division
US: Luxury travel advisor Virtuoso has launched an ultra-high-net-worth (UHNW) business division, led by general manager Shelby Donley.
As a previous Virtuoso travel agency owner, Donley brings years of industry experience to her role.
Under her leadership, the company aims to expand its partnerships and reach new industries through collaborations with luxury brands across jewellery, watches, fashion, art, culinary, wine and spirits, luggage, automotive, wellness and more.
Brad Bourland, Virtuoso’s chief operating officer, added: “The establishment of our UHNW division marks a transformative moment for Virtuoso, enabling us to build stronger relationships with ultra-luxury brands and deliver an unparalleled level of service to our most discerning travellers, and Shelby’s profound expertise in the UHNW market make her the perfect choice to lead this initiative. This is a pivotal step in our ongoing commitment to providing extraordinary value to our members, advisors and partners.”
February
IHG acquires Ruby Hotels for €110.5 million
EU: Hospitality group IHG has acquired the urban lifestyle Ruby Hotels brand for an initial sum of around €110.5 million.
The deal consists of an upfront payment of €109.9 million, paid on completion of the transaction, as well as a fixed deferred payment of €600,000 when approximately half of Ruby’s hotels join IHG’s system.
The brand will continue to be operated independently with all open, pipeline and future Ruby hotels to enter into individual franchise agreements with IHG. Franchise fees by 2030 are anticipated to be in excess of €14.3 million.
Ruby currently operates 20 hotels (3,483 rooms) across Europe and has another 10 hotels (2,235 rooms) in the pipeline. Over the next three years, the pipeline will see Ruby expand to Edinburgh, Marseille, Rome and Stockholm.
The integration of all 20 currently open Ruby hotels into IHG’s system is expected to start later this year and be completed by 31 March 2026.
IHG expects to have the Ruby brand ready for development in the US by the end of 2025. Globally, IHG is targeting more than 120 hotels over the next 10 years and more than 250 hotels over two decades.
To incentivise growth, potential additional payments ranging up to €181 million could be paid to Ruby’s operating company in 2030 and 2035. Payments are contingent on the number of Ruby-branded rooms operated at the end of the preceding year.
IHG said a payment of €9 million would be paid if Ruby grew to operate in excess of 10,000 Ruby-branded rooms, which would scale up to the maximum potential total if the brand grows in excess of 20,000 rooms. IHG’s planned growth of the brand with other hotel owners is excluded from the calculation of any potential additional payments.
March
Nobu reveals debut Netherlands branded residence project
The Netherlands: Luxury lifestyle hotel, dining and residence brand Nobu Hospitality will enter the Netherlands market with its Nobu Residences Park Meadows Amsterdam property.
Located in the Oud-Zuid neighbourhood of Amsterdam, the property will be developed in partnership with Dutch real estate firm Breevast. In addition to branded residences, it will also feature the Nobu Restaurant Amsterdam.
Accommodation will provide both private residences for purchase and serviced luxury residences available for extended stays. Residents will have access to the restaurant, in-residence dining, a wellness centre, and dedicated concierge team.
Trevor Horwell, CEO of Nobu Hospitality, said: “Amsterdam is a dynamic European location for Nobu, with its vibrant culinary scene, cultural landscape and understated approach to luxury. We are delighted to be partnering with Breevast to bring Nobu Restaurant and Residences Park Meadows Amsterdam to life, marking our first Nobu project in the Netherlands.”
Henk Brouwer, CEO of Breevast, said: “We are honoured that a prestigious global brand like Nobu will partner with Breevast. Nobu Residences is not only a tremendous asset for Amsterdam, but it will also be the first branded residence in the Netherlands. Nobu’s choice for our location at the edge of the Beatrixpark in Amsterdam-Zuid confirms that our plans and designs for this project are of absolute quality.”
April
Orient Express opens its first hotel La Minerva in Rome
Italy: Luxury hospitality brand Orient Express has opened its first hotel, La Minerva, in central Rome, developed in partnership with Italian hospitality investor Arsenale Group.
Located at Piazza della Minerva 69, close to the Pantheon, the hotel offers 93 rooms including 36 suites. Housed in a 17th-century palazzo, the site was restored by artist-architect Hugo Toro and opened in April 2025.
Guest rooms feature travel-inspired interiors such as bespoke bedside trunks and linens by Rivolta Carmignani, the same supplier used on original Orient Express sleeper cars.
La Minerva also offers three food and drink venues, including La Minerva Bar, Gigi Rigolatto rooftop restaurant due to open in May, and Mimi Kakushi which will launch later this year offering Japanese fine dining.
Additional amenities include five event venues: The Olimpo Ballroom, Rinaldi Meeting Room, Alfieri Meeting Room, Bernini Meeting Room, and The Gallery.
May
Queensgate sells Generator EU arm to Brookfield for €776 million
Europe: Private equity firm Queensgate Investments has sold the European arm of lifestyle hospitality brand Generator to alternative asset manager Brookfield Asset Management for €776 million.
The deal includes 15 assets with 2,749 rooms across European cities.
Queensgate, which acquired Generator in 2017 for €450 million, will remain the owner of its US-based properties. Freehand Hotels, sister brand of Generator and also owned by Queensgate, does not form part of the deal.
The former CEO of Generator and Freehand, Alastair Thomann, left the company in January 2025 and joined edyn as CEO, a lifestyle aparthotel brand also owned by Brookfield.
June
World’s first AI island to open in the Philippines
Philippines: Dan Thomson, founder and CEO of Sensay, the artificial intelligence (AI) startup that specialises in digital replicas of people, will open the world’s first AI island in the Philippines.
Sensay Island will feature an AI-powered government using renowned leaders and experts from history. The Cabinet will include 17 AI members, such as Winston Churchill, Nelson Mandela and Eleanor Roosevelt.
Each AI replica is crafted to reflect the personality, values and decision-making style of the historical figure it is modelled after. These replicas are trained using the writings, teaching, philosophies and speeches of the real-life counterparts they represent.
Through the Sensay Island website, the public will be able to engage directly with these AI replicas – asking questions related to their historical roles, learning more about the island and exploring Sensay as a company.
Soon, global spectators will be able to register as ‘e-residents’ of Sensay Island. This digital citizenship allows individuals to propose new policies for the AI-powered administration. In a democratic-like process, both the AI Cabinet and the public will vote on proposals, with successful ones added to the constitution of Sensay Island.
In addition, tourism boards across the world have been invited to collaborate with Sensay to create guest experiences using the brand’s Wisdom Engine technology.
Sensay, which generated £2.5 million in pre-seed investment, claims this project will “demonstrate that AI can be deployed in national governance to aid policymaking free from political partisanship and bureaucratic delays, and with unprecedented transparency and participation”.
July
Equinox Hotels launches Sleep Lab rooms in New York
US: Luxury brand Equinox Hotels has partnered with sensory innovation studio White Mirror and sleep scientist Matthew Walker to introduce in-room sleep rituals at its New York property.
The Sleep Lab at Equinox Hotels New York is a science-based sleep optimisation experience, designed to enhance rest and recovery.
Rituals blend technology with morning and evening routines to align with the body’s circadian rhythm. Four Premier King rooms with river views have been outfitted with the technology.
Experiences include:
- Guided breath work, visually enhanced by warm-spectrum red and orange lights which are known for minimal disruption to melatonin production.
- Audio-visual content which down-regulates the nervous system, using slow tempos and rhythmic entrainment.
- A wakescape – an audio-driven ritual designed to replace harsh alarms with gradual sensory stimulation, awakening guests softly and restoring energy naturally.
Additional amenities include adaptive mattresses with personalised temperature control, a contrast therapy shower with steam and ice functions, a travel sleep kit, and a sleep assessment each morning viewed from a bedside device.
August
Accor explores US IPO for Ennismore
US: Accor is reportedly considering an initial public offering (IPO) for its lifestyle hospitality platform Ennismore.
Founded in 2011 by Sharan Pasricha, Ennismore operates more than 180 hotels under 16 brands. These include The Hoxton, 25hours, Mama Shelter, Hyde, Morgans Originals, among others.
In 2021, Accor formed a joint venture with Ennismore and a year later, sold a stake in the platform to a consortium of Qatari investors. At the time, the deal valued Ennismore at more than $2 billion.
According to a report by Bloomberg, Accor has been in conversation with advisors about the potential listing of Ennismore on the US stock exchange. While discussions are in early stage, there is no certainty it will lead to a transaction.
September
Preferred Hotels & Resorts introduces private jet experience
US: Hospitality brand Preferred Hotels & Resorts has launched its first private jet program, Legendary Journeys – The Ultimate Private Jet Experience, created in partnership with Bucketlist Xperiences.
The 17-night journey will take place from October 6 to October 23 next year, with a bespoke itinerary spanning Singapore, India, Rwanda, Kenya, Greece, Morocco, and London. It combines private jet luxury with stays at property members of Preferred’s Legend Collection.
Highlights range from gorilla trekking in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park and witnessing Kenya’s Great Migration, to a royal-themed celebration in Jaipur, sunset sailing off Santorini, and dining under Morocco’s desert skies.
Guests will travel aboard a private airliner featuring lie-flat leather seating, a private chef, curated wines and spirits, VIP airport access, luggage concierge, and a dedicated 17-member service team. Each journey will be professionally documented by an onboard photographer and videographer.
October
360 hours per employee lost annually due to disconnected systems
Worldwide: Access Hospitality surveyed 1000 hospitality businesses globally to understand the impact of disconnected tech stacks on business operations.
Businesses represented in the survey included hotels and those in the food and beverage sector.
The survey found that disconnected systems contribute an average of 16 per cent waste of operational costs, and that managers waste an average of 360 hours per year due to disconnected systems.
On average, managers working for hospitality businesses in the UK and Ireland lose 286 hours from using multiple systems, which equates to 36 days per year.
For hotels specifically, the hours wasted on disconnected systems jumps to 322 hours a year or 40 days.
Out of all countries surveyed, Switzerland uses the highest number of different systems (5.4) which is costing 470 hours on average in wasted time switching between them.
Within the DACH region, Austria follows in second place, wasting 382 hours switching between different systems – 88 hours less than Switzerland.
The United States, which ranks in joint sixth place with Indonesia, uses on average 4.1 different system which is costing businesses 312 hours in lost time.
November
Coliving brand Habyt launches lifestyle hotel brand Atipico
Spain: Flex-living brand Habyt has introduced a lifestyle brand Atipico Hotels, with its first property open in Madrid.
The debut Atipico hotel has opened in Madrid, located at Calle Alcalá 164. It offers 118 rooms, some with terraces, alongside coworking space, a gym, and rooftop. It has been designed in-house by Habyt.
Habyt expects Atipico Madrid to generate €3 million in revenues and an average occupancy of 75 per cent.
Target markets for the brand include Portugal and Italy. Luca Bovone, founder and CEO of Habyt, highlighted “city hotels (minimum 80 keys) available for sale or rent in any European capital” as potential future sites.
Bovone said: Our journey in hospitality has started last year with Habyt Flex, blending short and long stays while building on our residential roots. Moving into hotels feels like the natural next chapter — but also a return to what matters most: creating spaces that spark emotion, personality, and connection.”
December
$781 million secured for Four Seasons residences in Las Vegas
US: Investment platform Concord Summit Capital (CSC) has closed a $781 million construction loan for the Four Seasons Private Residences Las Vegas.
JP Morgan provided a $526 million senior loan, and Sculptor Real Estate and Morning Calm Management provided $255 million in mezzanine and preferred equity combined.
The ultra-luxury Four Seasons Private Residences comprises 171 condominium residences and 21 custom-built single-family homes within MacDonald Highlands – an exclusive gated community. Prices range from $5 million to $35 million, with 75 per cent of the homes sold
It marks the brand’s first stand-alone residential offering in the city.
Construction is underway and is expected to be delivered in mid-2027. It is being developed by Two Roads Development and Luxus Developments in partnership with Azure Resorts & Hotels and Four Seasons.
