Hotel Openings

🍴 Brooklyn-born Chef Eric LeVine debuted two restaurants at the 42 Hotel in Williamsburg last month. Blackbird is an 85-seat gastropub, offering breakfast, dinner, and weekend brunch with dishes like burgers, fried chicken, and braised short rib ravioli. Evolution, a 35-seat tasting menu restaurant, presents a $175-per-person menu inspired by LeVine's Brooklyn childhood. LeVine operates five other concepts including 317 Main Street in Farmingdale, N.Y., and studied at The Culinary Institute of America.

🍴 Goose + Berry's new restaurant, Seventy Five at Liberty, is now open on Regent Street's second floor. Head Chef Joe Holness offers a British menu with items like goat’s cheese & almond croquettes and Swaledale chicken breast. The £50 Bollinger afternoon tea includes treats like pistachio crème choux. Cocktails are inspired by Liberty's LBTY fragrance collection, and the decor features Liberty prints. The Artist in Residence series debuts with Sir Quentin Saxby Blake's work.

🎭 Capella Hanoi, located in the heart of Hanoi near Hoan Kiem Lake, is a luxury hotel designed by Bensley reflecting the Roaring Twenties and Vietnam's cultural heritage. The 47-room boutique hotel features a neoclassical and Art Deco façade, interior design inspired by European opera houses, and themed suites based on opera characters. Amenities include the Diva's Lounge, Backstage restaurant, and Auriga Spa, all adhering to the theatrical opera theme. Bensley's design includes handcrafted furniture, bespoke wallpaper, and curated artworks incorporating European and Vietnamese craftsmanship, merging historical elements with local culture.

🍕 Kahani London, an award-winning Indian restaurant, partners with the refurbished Cheval Phoenix House in Chelsea to offer a ‘Luxury Stay with a Dining Experience at Kahani’ package starting at £595. This includes a two-night stay, four-course dinner for two, and a deli hamper. Chef Patron Peter Joseph, formerly of Michelin-starred Tamarind, leads Kahani. The package reflects Indian hospitality and Cheval Collection's commitment to luxury. Available for a limited time, the experience can be booked directly through Cheval Collection's website.

🎁 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.