Hotel Openings

🍷 Bournemouth Highcliff Marriott Hotel offers a summer-long Conker Gin pop-up with The Conker Distillery from August 1 to September 30. Enjoy Conker's award-winning gins at the outdoor pool bar, watch Bournemouth’s Friday night fireworks at 10 PM, and relax in branded deck chairs. Open daily from 12 PM for residents and 7 PM for non-residents. Conker Distillery tours are available Fridays and Saturdays at Southbourne from 2-4 PM.

🏨 Seamill Hydro is transforming its restaurant and cocktail lounge, previously called 'The Arran Suite.' The revamped venue will expand guest capacity by 50% from 120 to 180 seats with views over the Firth of Clyde, set to open this autumn. RAD Hotel Group, owners since 2023, invites locals to name the space, offering a year's worth of free dining as a prize. RAD Group, operated by Robert and Vivien Kyle, owns eight hotels in Scotland.

🏨 In Hamburg's Altona district, the voco Hamburg-Altona project will offer 143 rooms near the Hamburg-Altona Bahnhof, a key transport hub. Developed by NOVUM Real Estate and GATE Hospitality, it's part of a plan to bolster the voco brand across Germany. This marks the second voco project in the country, following Berlin's opening. NOVUM and IHG's strategic partnership aims for sustainable growth in the upscale sector, leveraging Hamburg's vibrant, creative atmosphere.

🏨 Travelodge has acquired four former Ibis hotels, located in Preston, Bradford Shipley, Chesterfield, and Cardiff, adding 324 rooms to its portfolio. The Cardiff acquisition is under a 25-year lease, while the others are freehold. A multi-million-pound renovation is planned to align with Travelodge’s modern design standards. With over 12,500 rooms added this year, Travelodge aims to expand further across 300 UK locations and 20 in Spain, focusing on strategic locations near transport links and attractions.

🏨 Crescent Hotels & Resorts, Fairfax, Virginia, now manages the NH Collection New York Madison Avenue. Located in a restored Renaissance Revival building, this hotel offers 288 guestrooms and suites with skyline views, a fitness center, and MAD Bar & Lounge. It's close to Grand Central Station and Bryant Park. Guests enjoy live performances in the piano room and Italian-Mediterranean cuisine at Serafina. The design features midcentury-inspired interiors and curated amenities.

🏨 Cambridge Common House, a 16-room hotel near Harvard Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts, will open in late 2025. Designed by Elder & Ash, it features a lounge for guests. The project is part of Lark's expansion following a 2024 joint venture with Life House. Lark, known for The Bow Hotel in Portsmouth and AWOL Stowe in Vermont, continues its growth under founder Rob Blood.

🏨 Select Registry added 11 properties to its portfolio, including locations in Missouri, Delaware, Michigan, Massachusetts, Kentucky, Alabama, Rhode Island, Ohio, Virginia, and North Carolina. Over 70% of global travelers prefer authentic, local experiences, according to Skift and Booking.com. Select Registry aims to support independent accommodations, focusing on personalized hospitality and providing tools for innkeepers. CEO Mark Reichle emphasizes the importance of authentic stays and community support for success.

🏡 In the 1960s or 1970s, a 100-year-old farmhouse was “updated.” The family removed faux paneling and vinyl siding to reveal original features. The brothers refinished floors, beams, and brick, while the mother sourced antique furnishings. The writer, engaged in building Live Oak Lake in Texas, contributed a mural sketch for the barn. Morning Glory Farm was named for its wildflowers and unforgettable sunrises.

📍 Hotel Gabrielli in Venice will reopen on 25 August after major restoration. The hotel will feature a new culinary focus led by executive chef Mirko Pistorello.