EASYHOTEL’S NEW LOW-CARBON HOTEL IN FRANCE: easyHotel, the low-carbon hotel chain, is expanding into Europe and has signed a new hotel in the Geneva region. Located across the Swiss border in Ferney-Voltaire, France, the hotel is slated to open in early 2027. The new-build hotel will have 141 low-carbon rooms designed to optimize space. Similar to its sister brand, easyJet, prices will be kept low by reducing unnecessary frills and focusing on core comfort elements, such as a high-quality mattress, premium sound insulation and blackout blinds. The hotel will offer continental breakfast (free of single-use plastics) and parking for 60 cars, including EV charging ports. The new hotel will be the brand’s fourth location in France and the sixth in the Switzerland region, which already includes four franchised properties in Zurich and one in Basel. To finance the project, easyHotel has secured its third consecutive loan of €8.6 million from BRED Banque Populaire. This is in addition to the €6.75 million secured with BRED in May to finance easyHotel’s new property in Marseille. The signing is part of multiple new signings, with six confirmed new properties being developed and more potential new deals being explored. At present, easyHotel has 49 properties across Europe and properties under construction in Barcelona, Valencia, Alicante and Madrid.
ALILA CHECKS INTO SHANGHAI: Hyatt Hotels Corp. has announced the opening of Alila Shanghai in Shanghai’s Jing’an area, marking the brand’s entry into Greater China. The resort-style hotel overlooks and offers exclusive access to Zhangyuan, a complex of restored shikumen stone-gate townhouses that have been converted into luxury retail spaces. Designed by interior designer Ju Bin, the hotel features 189 rooms (including 94 suites), which includes a 2,626-square-foor penthouse suite on the 37th floor. Amenities include a spa (with five treatment rooms and a Turkish bath), fitness center, four bars and restaurants and 3,282 square feet of meeting space.
IHG TO DEBUT VIGNETTE COLLECTION IN EGYPt: IHG Hotels & Resorts is bringing Vignette Collection to Egypt. The lodging company has signed a management agreement with Maxim Hotels and Resorts Management to open the Vignette Collection Hotel Royal Maxim Port Said in Port Said. Scheduled to open in December 2027, the hotel will offer 140 rooms with two sections, each featuring 70 rooms. The first section will be restored from a heritage building that was the former home to the Suez Canal Authorities and will offer views of the canal. The second section will consist of a new-build beachfront property with easy access to the shore. IHG has seven properties across Egypt under four brands, with a pipeline of 21 more hotels slated to open within three to five years.
PAN PACIFIC SIGNS SECOND BANGKOK HOTEL: Pan Pacific Hotels Group, the wholly-owned hotel subsidiary of Singapore-based UOL Group Ltd., is expanding its presence in Bangkok. The hotel management company has been selected to manage Pan Pacific Siam Bangkok, which will be transformed from an office building. The building’s façade will get a complete overhaul, while the interior design will be developed in partnership with Hirsch Bedner Associates. The retrofitting and optimization of the layout will be completed by 2027. The hotel will offer 220 rooms and suites, the signature Pacific Club Lounge, a specialty restaurant, an all-day dining venue, a gym, yoga room, an outdoor terrace, a pool and event spaces. Pan Pacific Siam Bangkok follows the signing of Pan Pacific Serviced Suites Bangkok in the Thong Lo district. Currently, Pan Pacific Hotels Group has 30 hotels, resorts and serviced suites in 22 cities and is expanding into key destinations, such as Kyoto and Phnom Penh.
