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HOTELSMag.com

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  • 2 min

citizenM brings its largest hotel to Boston

🏨 CitizenM opened its largest hotel, the 15-story citizenM Boston Back Bay, in Boston's historic Back Bay neighborhood near Fenway Park and Newbury Street, featuring 399 rooms. Concrete Amsterdam and Elkus Manfredi designed the property, which includes a living room, canteen, gym with Newbury Street views, and a rooftop bar opening in early 2025. Rooms have XL king-size beds, 4K TVs, rain showers, and iPad or app-controlled ambiance. The Boston Back Bay hotel is the 36th in the citizenM brand, following recent openings in Austin and Miami.
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Briefs: Four Seasons, MO expand China portfolio; Pullman signs in India

📍 Four Seasons opens in Hangzhou, China, with 188 rooms, 26 suites, three restaurants, a rooftop bar, spa, and gym, plus 2,900 square meters of event space. Mandarin Oriental launches its second Beijing property, featuring 42 courtyard houses and four dining venues. Accor's Pullman brand to debut in Varanasi, India by January 2029 with 180 rooms and over 1,500 square meters of banqueting space. Handwritten Collection by Accor starts in Bali, Indonesia, offering 381 rooms and suites, three pools, direct beach access, and extensive meeting facilities.
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  • 4 min

People on the Move: Aspen Hospitality, Extreme Hospitality, Up Norway, Cendyn, Peachtree Group, The Publisher Hotel

🏠 Jeff Toscano appointed CEO of Aspen Hospitality. John A. Rubino named CEO of Extreme Hospitality, overseeing a $6.8 billion portfolio with 300+ hotels. Karoline Hoff becomes managing director at Up Norway, with founder Torunn Tronsvang as chief experience officer. Cendyn appoints Jeffrey A. Cross as CFO. Steve Mackenzie promoted to EVP of hotel operations at Peachtree Group. The Diplomat Beach Resort's new leadership team has 100 years of combined experience. Lee Rekas joins as area director of sales and marketing for Pier House Resort & Spa and La Concha Key West. Beth Ardron becomes sales and marketing director at voco Zeal Exeter Science Park. Gregg Fracassa and Stefan Peroutka take on general manager roles at Viewline Resort Snowmass and Bahia Resort, respectively.
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  • 3 min

Hotel management agreements in Asia Pac see increase in duration, finds JLL

🏨 The initial term of Hotel Management Agreements (HMAs) in the Asia Pacific has risen to an average of 17.4 years in 2023, up by four years since 2005, per a JLL survey. The survey, which included 145 contracts signed between 2018 and 2023, noted the Maldives and Japan have longer HMA durations of 26 and 23 years respectively, while Australia averages 15 years. Management fees have dropped to an average of 1.6% of revenue, with incentive fees tied to performance. Sales and marketing fees are now often 3% or more. Around 90% of contracts now include performance termination provisions.
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  • 2 min

Briefs: Hotel Indigo resort in the Middle East; Zannier hotel in KSA

🏨 IHG Hotels & Resorts inaugurated its first Hotel Indigo in the Middle East with Hotel Indigo Jabal Akhdar Resort & Spa in Oman, located 2,000 meters above sea level and offering 173 rooms, suites, and chalets. Approximately a two-hour drive from Muscat and six hours from Dubai, the resort features three dining outlets and a spa. Zannier Hotels partnered with NEOM for an eco-resort in northwest Saudi Arabia's Zardun, spanning 4 square kilometers with 100 rooms and suites. The Hotel Group and Hogback Development Co. plan to launch a Marriott StudioRes in Moses Lake, Wash. with groundbreaking in early 2025 and opening in spring 2026. Red Roof's economy brand, HomeTowne Studios, opened in Tampa with 124 rooms, marking Dhruv Management's expansion, including a new hotel in Bradenton, Fla. and four more under development.
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  • 3 min

Radisson adds 130 new signings, openings to global portfolio in H1 2024

🏨 Radisson Hotel Group grew globally in H1 2024 with over 130 new signings and openings in EMEA and APAC. Radisson RED entered Ireland, New Zealand, Thailand, Laos, and China, nearing 90 hotels worldwide. The Radisson Collection and Radisson Blu brands expanded too, with 20 new Radisson Blu hotels. Key developments include the first Radisson Collection near the Louvre in Paris, a 10th hotel in Riyadh, and the art'otel Hoxton in London. In China, Radisson added over 5,000 rooms, contributing to its 400-property portfolio. India saw about 25 hotel signings/openings, including the country's first Cricket Stadium Hotel. Radisson's EMEA portfolio includes 520 operational hotels, and in APAC, 290; overall, Radisson operates and develops over 1,380 hotels with more than 227,310 rooms in over 95 countries.
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  • 3 min

Africa’s tourism set to soar, powered by robust strategies, investments

🏖 International tourist arrivals in Africa reached 96% of pre-pandemic levels between January and July 2023. North Africa led with an 8% increase over 2019. Ethiopia attained a 28% rise, Tanzania 19%, and Morocco 15% in the same period. Travel and tourism contributed over $186 billion to Africa's economy in 2019, with an additional $168 billion expected in the next decade. Room growth since 2020 hit 20%, totaling 92,134 rooms. Radisson Hotel Group targets growth in Cape Town, Victoria Falls, and Zanzibar, planning to add resorts in key safari and coastal locations.
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  • 2 min

Briefs: Tribute Portfolio arrives in Brazil; Avani Hotels in Singapore

🏖️ Marriott International partners with Fametro Group to convert Tropical Hotel Manaus, Brazil into a Tribute Portfolio Hotel, marking the brand's entry into Brazil. The hotel, opened in 1976, will have a phased reopening at the year's end. The initial phase includes a wave pool, gym, spa, sports courts, kid’s center, and meeting rooms. Future phases will add a restaurant with Rio Negro views, an orchidarium, a chapel, and a pier. Tribute Portfolio has about 120 hotels in 25 countries. Minor Hotels is introducing Avani Hotels & Resorts to Singapore by Q1 2027. The 200-key, 13-story upscale hotel on 24 Peck Seah Street is a partnership with Kajima Development and Alwathba Investment. Avani, launched in 2011 with 42 properties in 24 countries, aims for 100 hotels by 2026. Pandox AB acquires three London aparthotels from Starwood Capital affiliates for £230 million. The 503-key acquisition will add £34 million in revenue and £17 million in net operating income annually. The hotels, operated by Axiom Hospitality, join Pandox’s existing London portfolio. The Lodge at Jackson Hole, Wyoming, completes a $8-million renovation by Athos Capital Partners. The 154-key hotel offers pools, spa, dining, a fitness room, over 10,000 square feet of
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