Hotel Openings

🏡 Accor opened the Mercure Ponta Delgada Azores in Ponta Delgada, Portugal, situated in the historic Pensão Central building. The hotel features 75 rooms, two outdoor pools, a spa, and meeting facilities for 60 guests. Aiming for an authentic Azorean experience, Accor’s property includes the Bruma Bar with local cuisine and curated insider recommendations like visiting the Porto Formoso Tea Factory. Celebrating Mercure’s 50th anniversary in 2023, Accor now has 38 properties in Portugal and plans to surpass 1,000 hotels globally by 2024.

🏫 Blenheim Palace is undergoing a £12 million restoration over 2 years, with bookings for events and weddings contributing to the effort. The Orangery and Long Library offer event spaces for up to 120 and 220 dining guests, respectively. New experiences, like the Rooftop View platform, provide panoramic views of the Capability Brown landscape. Bespoke packages include private tours, dining, and activities such as archery and treasure hunts. Special rates for corporate and private bookings are available.

🏨 Italy's luxury hotel group Starhotels has acquired Hermitage Hotel & Resort in Tuscany, set to join Starhotels Collezione post-2025 summer. The Forte dei Marmi property spans one acre, boasting 59 rooms, a vegetable garden, and future plans for a new spa. This acquisition marks Starhotels' expansion into resorts, 45 years after its Tuscan origins. Recent openings include Hotel d’Inghilterra (Rome, September 2024) and upcoming Hotel Gabrielli Venezia and Teatro Luxury Apartments Firenze.

🏡 The Donatella Boutique Hotel & Restaurant, linked to Versace Mansion, is set to open in May 2025 in Miami’s Art Deco district at 1350 Collins Avenue. Owned jointly by Nakash Group and Vida & Estilo Hospitality, who acquired the 1922 Wallace Tutt-designed building in 2022, it offers six rooms, a 170-seat Italian restaurant by chef Alessandro Morrone, and a 15-person private dining area. Nakash Group also owns The Setai Miami Beach and Villa Casa Casuarina.

🏨 IHG Hotels & Resorts partners with Pınarlar Kurumsal Hizmetler Turizm A.Ş. to open the first voco hotel in Türkiye, voco Antalya Konyaaltı, in summer 2025. Located in the heart of Antalya, known as the 'Turkish Riviera', voco Antalya Konyaaltı will offer 120 rooms. The city annually attracts millions of tourists to its Mediterranean coastline. The hotel will feature a restaurant, bar, meeting rooms, spa, gym, and outdoor pool. IHG currently has 33 open hotels in Türkiye across five brands and 12 pipeline properties across six brands in the country, with 19 voco hotels in Europe.

🏨 Mohamed Elbanna appointed as Executive Vice President of Global Operations for Auberge Resorts Collection, bringing over 20 years of experience. His previous roles include COO at Fort Partners US and leadership positions at Citadel and Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. Auberge Resorts Collection opened Collegio alla Querce in Florence and The Woodward in Geneva in Q1 2025, with upcoming openings such as Cambridge House in Mayfair, London, and urban locations like The Shore Club in Miami Beach, The Knox in Dallas, and The Birdsall in Houston. Elbanna will lead operational strategies to ensure the brand's success in luxury hospitality.

🏨 Travelodge opens a new 111-room hotel in Aston, Birmingham, targeting both leisure and business travelers. Located near cultural sites, the hotel is 10 minutes from Birmingham Football Club and closer to Villa Park. Business travelers benefit from nearby M6 and M42 junctions, and Birmingham Airport, 20 minutes away by car. The brand's UK expansion includes 20 hotels in Birmingham, with recent openings in London Chiswick and nationwide acquisitions.

🏖️ Starhotels acquires Hermitage Hotel & Resort in Forte dei Marmi, Italy, marking its first resort in the luxury Starhotels Collezione. Founded in the 1970s, renovation by architect Vittorio Maschietto, the resort will join the portfolio by summer 2025. It features 59 rooms, suites, a restaurant, a pool, and a dedicated vegetable garden. Upcoming enhancements include a new spa and extended seasonal openings. This strategic addition bolsters Starhotels' presence in Italy's high-end hospitality sector. Further expansion includes reopening Hotel d’Inghilterra in Rome and launching Hotel Gabrielli Venezia and Teatro Luxury Apartments in Florence by 2025.