Cynera Rodricks

🍴 The Chancery Rosewood hotel in Mayfair is launching five new restaurants and bars in September. Four venues—Serra, Jacqueline, Eagle Bar, and GSQ—will open on September 1, and Tobi Masa will follow on September 16. The hotel, housed in a renovated former US Embassy, features 144 suites. Each venue offers unique experiences, from Mediterranean dishes at Serra to a rooftop bar with curated music at Eagle Bar. Tobi Masa marks Masayoshi Takayama's London debut.

🏨 Belfast City Council's planning committee approved major developments, including a 164-bedroom hotel by Andras House at Botanic Avenue and Donegall Pass. The site, currently a car park, will include a bar and restaurant. Other approvals include a leisure facility conversion on Apollo Road and a drive-through café near Lidl on Boucher Road. Councillor Ryan Murphy highlighted the hotel's proximity to local attractions as a boost for tourism.

🏨 Connaucht Hospitality Group plans to open a five-star hotel, The Hawthorn by Galway Bay, in spring 2026, marking the first of its kind in over 20 years for Galway. Located on a coastal site west of the city, its design is inspired by local hawthorn trees. John Keating, with 30+ years in luxury hospitality, has been appointed general manager. The hotel's cost remains undisclosed but promises a new luxury standard.

🍳 Michael Caines MBE will open his first London restaurant, Michael Caines at The Stafford, on 17 September at The Stafford hotel in St James’s. Partnering with executive head chef Simon Ulph, the restaurant replaces The Game Bird. It will feature modern European “terroir cuisine” using British seasonal produce. The Stafford, established in 1912, has a rich history. John McLean of The Stafford Collection expresses pride in this new collaboration, aiming to offer unique dining experiences.

🏨 Dubai-based JA Resorts and Hotels expanded into the UK in 2024, acquiring Mar Hall in Renfrewshire and The Bruntsfield Hotel in Edinburgh. Mar Hall, set on 240 acres, reopened in May after a £25m refurbishment and offers 74 rooms, a cinema, gaming, and billiards rooms. The Bruntsfield Hotel, near Edinburgh Castle, completed a £1m refurbishment in 2022, providing 72 rooms and event facilities. This marks JA's first UK presence, joining its Dubai and Maldives locations.

🏨 Rutland Arms Hotel, a Grade II-listed property in Newmarket, is up for sale with full planning permission for redevelopment into a 72-bedroom boutique hotel.