Hotel Openings

🍫 Läderach opened its first chocolaterie in a major UK transport hub at St. Pancras International, London, on July 4th. This 550 square foot boutique is their ninth London location. The station sees over 40 million passengers annually. Läderach, established in 1962, features handcrafted Swiss chocolates, including FrischSchoggi. The expansion highlights Läderach’s growth strategy, adding to locations like Canary Wharf and Regent Street. With 200 chocolatiers across 25 countries, Läderach remains a top Swiss chocolate retailer.

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🏨 Staycity Group has opened its first Wilde aparthotel in Cambridge's historical center, featuring 227 rooms, including studio and one-bedroom apartments. The design reflects Cambridge’s academic heritage, with interiors by London-based Thurstan. It incorporates sustainable features like eco-friendly materials, 56 solar panels, and rainwater harvesting. Wilde aparthotels are expanding in key cities, including London, Manchester, and Berlin, with future plans for Vienna, Lisbon, Porto, and Amsterdam, appealing to both business and leisure travelers.

🏖 Andaz Lisbon is opening on Rua do Comércio, Lisbon, strategically positioned near landmarks such as Rua Augusta Arch and Praça do Comércio. The hotel will offer 170 rooms and suites, ranging from 22 to 99 square meters, with views of São Jorge Castle, Praça do Comércio, and the Tagus River. Led by Cajetan Araujo, an experienced hotelier, the property will feature a rooftop restaurant serving modern Lusitanian cuisine and a social hub inspired by Lisbon’s street kiosks.

🌮 Tacomasa, a Tijuana-style taqueria by Ivan Flores, opens its fourth Southern California location in Brea on Aug. 15, 2025. With previous openings in Long Beach (2021), Cypress (2023), and El Segundo (2024), the new 1,715 sq. ft. space seats 52. New offerings include aguas frescas and soft-serve ice cream. Signature dishes: adobada pork, asada, and mesquite-grilled pollo asado. Flores's ventures, including The Buffalo Spot, expanded to 30+ locations before selling in 2025.

🍴 Laila Bazahm opened Siti, a 3,000 sq ft restaurant in Austin, on July 18, 2023, at Francis Modern Inn, replacing Poeta. It seats 60 guests indoors with an Asian Colonial design. The menu, inspired by Singaporean hawker stalls, includes dishes like sambal striped bass and char kway teow, cooked in a Mibrasa charcoal oven. General Manager Eddie Zeitler curates unique cocktails, using rare Indonesian and Malaysian liquors. Bazahm also owns El Raval in Austin and Hawker 45 in Barcelona.

🍷 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.

🏨 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.

🏡 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.