Hotel Openings

🎁 Hotel Savoy celebrated its 25th anniversary by unveiling two new spaces in Florence's Piazza della Repubblica. Irene Restaurant, inspired by Lady Forte’s Italian recipes, opens with a redesigned interior and veranda, featuring walnut paneling and marble floors. Chef Fulvio Pierangelini leads the culinary offerings, focusing on Tuscan cuisine. Next door, Bar Artemisia’s design, inspired by artist Artemisia Gentileschi and Caravaggio, offers a unique experience with Salvatore Calabrese and Federico Pavan's innovative cocktails, local wines, and Tuscan small plates.

🍽 SINO, a Ukrainian-inspired restaurant by Polina Sychova and chef Eugene Korolev, opens in Notting Hill on May 21, 2025. The menu features reimagined Ukrainian dishes using British and Ukrainian ingredients, with starters like Hay infused wild mushroom broth and mains such as Cherry glazed BBQ catfish. The 52-cover venue includes a 30-cover main room and 10-cover PDR. Polina designed the interior with Ukrainian motifs, and Eugene, a former Bocuse D’Or Ukraine president and Ukrainian special forces member, leads a Ukrainian chef brigade. Bookings start on May 7, 2025, at sinorestaurant.co.uk.

🏨 Jumeirah, a luxury brand, plans to open three Dubai developments: Jumeirah Asora Bay (completion in 2029), a hotel/residential complex in La Mer South, and Jumeirah Residences Emirates Towers in the business district. Jumeirah Asora Bay will offer 103 hotel rooms, 20 villas, and 29 residences, while Jumeirah Residences will have 754 units. This expansion is part of Jumeirah’s Mission 2030 to double its portfolio, with a diversified offering including Jumeirah Icons, Privé, Hotels & Resorts, and Residences.

🏨 OYO is expanding its Sunday brand in the UK, signing leases for six former Mercure hotels in Cardiff, Warwick, Dorking, Staines, Exeter, and Winchester. These will be refurbished and rebranded. The company expects to host approximately 65,000 international guests annually, with over 30% being overseas visitors. This expansion complements OYO’s existing Lansbury Heritage hotel in London and its presence in Asia and the Middle East.

🍴 Chef Ton is set to open "Sood", a restaurant in Penang, aiming to become a culinary hub with local and international chef collaborations. Penang's status as a luxury and lifestyle destination with rich heritage enhances this vision. Additionally, Chef Ton plans to launch "As I Am", a new restaurant and bar concept in Kuala Lumpur in a few months, promising affordable yet delicious dining. Sood's opening signifies Chef Ton's venture into Malaysia, blending Thai and Penang flavors, and emphasizing sustainable practices in the food industry.

🍴 Osteria Angelina, a new pasta and grill restaurant by the Angelina, Dalston team, opens on May 20th in Norton Folgate. Pre-opening vouchers offer dining at double the purchase value, with a chance to win a year of free dining. The founders, Joshua Owens-Baigler, Amar Takhar, and Laura Horta, unveil a large, converted warehouse space on the border of Spitalfields, Shoreditch, and the City. Executive chef Usman Haider presents a relaxed à la carte menu with fresh pastas with a Japanese twist and 'big cut' Binchotan grill dishes. The menu includes eight regularly changing fresh pastas, Binchotan fired grill cuts for sharing, and more than 300 Italian wines plus a selection of Sake and cocktails. The 75-cover restaurant features an open kitchen, chef counter, table seating, bespoke tableware, furniture by Anna Owens Designs, and a private dining room for up to 18 guests. Bookings are now open.

🍴 The Stratford, an East London hotel, debuts Kokin, a Japanese fire-led, omakase-style restaurant by Chef Daisuke Shimoyama, on May 1, 2025. Located on the hotel's seventh floor, Kokin features a 140-seat dining area, two terraces, and a sushi bar. The design-led hotel, part of Marriott's Autograph Collection, is near Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Kokin emphasizes seasonality, tradition, and a zero-waste ethos with dishes like Woodfire x Charcoal Grilled Turbot and sustainable bluefin tuna from Spanish and Portuguese waters. Reservations start May 1, 2025, at 20 International Way, E20 1FD.

🏫 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.