Hotel Openings

🏡 Orient Express opened its first hotel, La Minerva, in central Rome, located at Piazza della Minerva 69 near the Pantheon, in April 2025. The luxury hotel, developed in partnership with Arsenale Group, occupies a 17th-century palazzo with 93 rooms, including 36 suites. La Minerva features travel-inspired interiors, three food and drink venues, and five event venues. Orient Express is also expanding with a Venice hotel opening in 2025, and launching the Orient Express Silenseas ship, the Orient Express Corinthian, in 2026.

🏌️ Saddlebrook Resort in Tampa Bay, undergoing a $92-million transformation, includes redesigning a 480-acre property, its lobby, 451 guestrooms, event spaces, dining options, and golf courses. Rees Jones will overhaul the golf facilities, which will feature a new 27-hole layout. The resort offers a digital golf studio, 43 tennis courts, and over 215,000 square feet for events. The renovation, led by EoA Group and backed by Mast Capital and Amzak Capital, aims to blend tradition with innovation.

🏡 Peachtree Group, in partnership with TEKMAK Development Company, opened the 87-suite TownePlace Suites in Forney, Texas, 22 miles east of Dallas. The pet-friendly hotel, catering to short and long stays, offers full kitchens, complimentary breakfast, a 24-hour fitness center, and an outdoor pool. In 2023, Peachtree managed multiple Texas hotels, with a portfolio including several brands. The hospitality division now oversees 108 hotels, 28 brands, 13,440 rooms across 26 states, with 35 properties under third-party management.

🍕 Chef Sean Brock is opening Sho Pizza Bar in East Nashville’s Riverside Village on April 14, offering lunch and dinner. A collaboration with Nashville natives Mary Carlisle and Ben Gambill, Sho reflects their shared passion for Tokyo-style pizza. The restaurant features a 30-seat dining room, an outdoor patio, full bar, and a 12-seat chef’s counter overlooking a wood-fired pizza oven. The pizza dough undergoes a three-day fermentation for a lighter, more digestible crust. Chefs Trey Tench and John Woodward lead the kitchen, serving classics and signature pies like the Sho-Stopper, sourcing mozzarella from Italy and local ingredients for toppings. Other offerings include salads, appetizers, matcha soft serve, tiramisu, beer, Italian wine, sake, and cocktails. Brock and the Gambills plan to expand Sho Pizza Bar throughout the Southeast.

🏛 Seaton House's grand opening in St Andrews, Scotland showcased 2 destination restaurants and luxury accommodations just yards from the Old Course. Valor Hospitality Partners and Links Collection operate the hotel with 42 bedrooms, including 9 suites. Guests enjoyed food and drink from Ondine Oyster & Grill and The Board Room, complemented by local entertainment, including Madras College's music department and a pipe band. The event featured croquet, axe throwing, and archery as nods to local history.

🍴 Michael and Courtney Zentner launched The Drifter in Charleston, S.C., in April 2020. They’ve now expanded with Merci, a European-inspired bistro, which opened on March 22, alongside its sister market, Petit Merci. Set in a historic 1820s building, Merci features a 20-seat dining room, a six-seat bar, and plans for outdoor dining. Open Wednesday through Saturday for dinner, the menu includes seasonal dishes like focaccia stracciatella and beef Wellington. Petit Merci offers soups, breads, meals, and pastries from 11 a.m. daily.

🏠 SODIC, a top real estate developer in Egypt, collaborates with Rockwell Group to create Egypt’s first Nobu hotel and restaurant in Eastown District New Cairo (EDNC). The restaurant, featuring a 2,200m² area for 300 guests, opens Autumn 2025, with the hotel launching early 2027, offering over 50 rooms across 6,385m². The design blends Japanese minimalism with Egyptian culture, showcasing natural materials and geometric patterns. Amenities include a pool, spa, gym, and multipurpose spaces. Nobu Cairo reflects a fusion of cultural influences and contemporary luxury.