Kathakali Nandi

🏦 The Ritz-Carlton is set to open in Belgrade, Serbia, by 2027 as part of the Danube Riverside project. Occupying the site of the former Hotel Jugoslavija, the hotel will offer 193 rooms and suites, two dining venues, a club experience, an indoor pool, fitness center, spa, and over 1,700 square meters of event space. The Danube Riverside, previously known as Hotel Jugoslavija, opened in 1969, hosted notable figures, and was privatized in 2006. Marriott International currently runs four other properties in Serbia.

🏕 Jumeirah partners with Thanda Group to open two properties in Africa: Jumeirah Thanda Island (Tanzania) and Jumeirah Thanda Safari (South Africa). Exclusive-use villa on Shungimbili Island Marine Reserve and residences in KwaZulu Natal's Big Five nature reserve respectively. First guests expected later this year. Thanda Island, accessible via helicopter or speedboat, features a five-suite villa, Swahili Bandas, and water activities. Thanda Safari offers 386 acres of wilderness, concierge service, and wildlife adventures on 16,500 hectares. Bookings open later this month, with future lodge and tented camp by 2027. Jumeirah's portfolio includes 28 properties worldwide since 1999.

🏦 Radisson Hotel Group will convert Madrid's Generali building into a Radisson Collection luxury hotel, opening in 2027. Located on Alcala Street, Canalejas area, the building will feature 154 hotel rooms, premium retail spaces, a signature restaurant, a rooftop bar, and wellness facilities. Radisson has eight operational hotels in Spain, and the Madrid project, developed with Lamela architecture studio, will join around 65 others globally in the Radisson Collection. Generali Real Estate sees this as an expansion of their European hospitality investments.

📌 The Social Hub to open three new hubs in early 2025: Porto, Florence, Rome. The expansion in Portugal and doubling in Italy increases its European footprint to 21 hubs in 19 cities. The Porto hub is the brand's first in Portugal, with plans for Lisbon next. Florence's second Social Hub opens February 2025, featuring a 7,000 sqm rooftop park and 550 rooms. Rome's Social Hub opens March 2025, with 392 rooms and a 24,000 sqm area, including a 10,000 sqm public park. Porto's 310-room hotel opens spring 2025, introducing long-stay apartments. The Social Hub has 23 properties in total, with 18 hotels and over 10,000 rooms since its 2012 founding.

🌍 In 2025, the travel industry will feature nostalgia, personalization, and destination hotels. Europe's Eurocamp sees a significant booking uptick for 2024, with a 9% revenue increase in adult summer camps, while Delta Air Lines aims to offer global fleet-wide free Wi-Fi by 2025. Asia's travel is expected to reach pre-pandemic levels, with outbound travel from Chengdu rising 66% to 35.2 million passengers (2016-2023) and Delhi's outbound traffic up 31% to over 30 million. Solo leisure travel increased by 15.6% in 2023 and a further 9.2% in 2024.