Hotel Openings

🏠 Galgorm Castle Education and Preservation Ltd has submitted a £14 million planning application for a regeneration project at Galgorm Castle. The plan includes transforming the 17th-century Jacobean castle into a boutique hotel. It will create 125 construction jobs and 90 permanent positions, totaling 215 new jobs. Additionally, the project will feature a 60-seat heritage hub and a 120-seat music arts centre, enhancing connectivity with the nearby UNESCO World Heritage Site at Gracehill.

🏨 Whitbread PLC has applied to the North Norfolk District Council to build an 81-bedroom Premier Inn in North Walsham, at a former Fruehof factory site. The £10m project includes 80 parking spaces and sustainable energy features. If approved, it will create 20 permanent jobs. North Walsham currently lacks branded hotels, with the nearest Premier Inns in Norwich and Great Yarmouth. Whitbread aims to expand its Premier Inn rooms from 85,500 to 125,000 across the UK and Ireland.

📈 Marriott's EMEA region saw "exceptional growth" in 2025, adding 170 properties and nearly 24,000 rooms, a 7.8% net room growth. The company secured over 230 signings, representing 31,000 rooms. Key growth markets included Germany, Italy, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and the UK. Nearly 50% of signings were conversions or adaptive reuse projects. Marriott's luxury segment hit a record with 40 deals, including sites in Bodrum, Jeddah, and Cape Town. The acquisition of citizenM added 19 hotels and 4,000 rooms.

🏨 In Berlin's Charlottenburg district, Rachael Gowdridge transformed a 19th-century building into The Dean hotel, featuring 81 guest rooms. The design integrates historic elements with bespoke and vintage details, offering a contrast of raw materiality and contemporary interventions. This German debut for The Dean brand includes vibrant public spaces like a bakery and restaurant, and an intimate library with locally-sourced design titles. Artworks by local artists, selected by Thom Oosterhof, enhance the eclectic interior.

🍴 ilili, a Lebanese-Mediterranean restaurant group, led by executive chef Philippe Massoud, opened its second New York location in Midtown Manhattan. The 5,630-square-foot space, designed by Nasser Nakib Architect, reflects Lebanon’s landscape through its design with earth-toned materials and Mediterranean craftsmanship. The space includes a bar, lounge, main dining room, and a flexible private dining area. The design incorporates natural influences like pine forests and coastal horizons, creating a warm, inviting atmosphere.

🌴 Treehouse Hotels, a brand by Starwood Hotels chairman Barry Sternlicht, is coming to Miami Beach, Florida, in early 2029. The project revamps 1940s Art Deco landmarks, Haddon Hall and Campton Apartments, into a nostalgic, beachside hotel designed by Rottet Studio. Key features include a rooftop with ocean views, a lush courtyard, multiple dining options, and wellness amenities. Treehouse Hotel Miami Beach aims to embody Miami's vibrant, carefree spirit.

🗺 Regent Bali Canggu has opened its first location. Future suite locations are planned in Jeddah, Kuala Lumpur, and Kyoto.

🏨 Hotel Indigo London K West Shepherd’s Bush will open in March near Shepherd’s Bush Green. With 231 rooms, including Signature Suites and Garden Rooms, the hotel incorporates reclaimed materials. Flock restaurant, led by Chef Sami Saygi, offers an open-kitchen layout. A spa, opening in 2026, will feature extensive wellness facilities. Local partnerships will enhance its offerings. Located near Westfield London, room rates start at £253 per night. The hotel links its creative heritage with modern design.

🏨 OTH Hotels Resorts expands with new management contracts in Pennsylvania and Ohio. In Williamsburg, Virginia, they announced adding DoubleTree by Hilton Pittsburgh Greentree and DoubleTree by Hilton Youngstown Downtown to their portfolio. The Pittsburgh location has 460 rooms and 40,586 sq ft of event space, while the Youngstown property offers 125 rooms and over 15,000 sq ft of meeting space. This marks OTH's first Ohio hotel, located near Youngstown State University.