Hotel Openings

🎄 Borgo Egnazia celebrates Christmas in Puglia with festive markets, panettone workshops, and themed evenings. On Christmas Eve, guests make panettone; Christmas Day features traditional lunches. Markets run from December 27 to January 4 with themes like "The Colours of Wine" and "The Befana Circus." For New Year's Eve 2025, "Il Circo" event offers theatrical experiences. Rooms start at €480/night, providing an immersive festive experience blending tradition with modern flair. For more details, visit www.borgoegnazia.com.

🏨 Timbre Hotels, a boutique hospitality brand, operates three properties in Porto, Portugal, offering 248 accommodation units. The flagship is Timbre Virtudes, a five-star hotel with 71 rooms in a 16th-century building. Timbre Heroísmo, a four-star hotel with 153 rooms, caters to business travelers. Timbre Boavista features 24 serviced apartments. The brand emphasizes heritage design and wellness, with offerings like guided walks, mindfulness sessions, and personal training. Adérito Oliveira, managing director, notes the focus on Porto's distinctive character.

🏨 Duke Street Boutique Hotel reopened in Liverpool in December 2025, a month after its purchase by Golding Group for £2.25 million. Originally launched in 2021, the hotel briefly went into administration. It features 30 en-suite rooms, with three offering courtyard access. Refurbished to premium standards, it now provides full staffing, a redesigned reception with a resident's bar, and a Breakfast-To-Go service. Room rates start at £50-60 per weekday.

🍴 Fleurette opened on December 10 in La Jolla, San Diego. Helmed by chef Travis Swikard, it offers Mediterranean cuisine inspired by the French-Italian Riviera. The restaurant features a Provençal-inspired garden and a 120-seat space with a 24-seat patio. Signature dishes include bouillabaisse with local fish, fresh pastas, and lobster aïoli. Open Tuesday to Sunday, its bar, led by James Roe, follows local and Riviera inspirations. Sommelier Tracy Latimer curates a predominantly Old World and California wine list.

🍴 La Stella Italian Steakhouse and Music Lounge opened in Addison, Dallas in 2025, occupying an 11,000-square-foot space that housed Lawry's The Prime Rib for over 40 years. Designed by Daniele Venenzoni, it blends Old World Italian and Art Deco styles. The venue, hosting over 400 guests, includes a music lounge for 21+ patrons. Signature dishes include a 40-ounce bistecca alla Fiorentina and Japanese A5 wagyu steak. Expansion plans target Fort Worth.

🍔 Melody Adams opens Maset in November on Chiltern Street, London, offering French coastal cuisine from the Occitania region. The menu reflects her experiences in Occitan, featuring dishes like Bouillabaisse croquettas and Pâtes au Pistou. Wines are sourced from small vineyards in France, Italy, and Spain. The design, by Parisian studio Haddou-Dufourcq, provides a welcoming, homey atmosphere. Maset aims to blend the warmth, style, and authenticity of South France with a modern twist.

Le Specialità Expands to Miami 🍕 Le Specialità, founded in Milan in 1977, opened in Miami's Design District on November 10. Led by Spicy Hospitality Group, this 100-seat restaurant features a "Milan meets Miami" design by Rockwell Group. The menu includes over a dozen pizzas and classic Italian dishes, while the bar offers a 260-label wine list. Future expansions are planned beyond Miami, along with new ventures like Karyu and Yasu in the Design District.

🍵 Maman, a café brand founded by Elisa Marshall and Benjamin Sormonte, opened its first Texas location in Dallas on November 20, 2023, at The Plaza at Preston Center. Established in New York City in 2014, Maman is known for its French provincial style and unique offerings, like the Croque Maman and celebrity collaborations. The Dallas spot features Texas-inspired menu items like the cheesy brisket croissant and implements a no-laptop policy to promote social interaction.