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.

🍕 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.

🏨 Manga Hotel Group opened TOOR Hotel, its first upscale TOOR brand property, in downtown Toronto, Canada. Located in Toronto's Garden District, the hotel features 232 rooms, 181 residential units, 55” TVs, Nespresso machines, and smart lighting. Amenities include a fitness center, yoga studio, valet parking, event space, and the two-story Muse Bistro & Bar. TOOR Hotel is part of Manga’s portfolio of 33 hotels and more than 6,000 rooms. A second TOOR Hotel is set to open in New York City's Soho later in the year.

🏠 Rosewood Residences Beverly Hills launches as Rosewood Hotels & Resorts' first standalone residential offering in Los Angeles, California, developed by Nahla Capital and GPI Companies. The property has 17 residences, ranging from 3,000 to over 7,000 square feet, with pricing from $10 million to $45 million. Each residence features private elevators, floor-to-ceiling windows, kitchens with Greek marble, and state-of-the-art appliances from Sub-Zero and Wolf. Six homes include private pools and spas, and the four penthouses offer private rooftop retreats. Amenities include a 50-foot rooftop pool, jacuzzi, fitness center, lounge, bar, and dining room. The dedicated Rosewood Residential team manages the property, offering services like Residential Butler Service, Exclusive Pet Services, Rotating Art Program, Health & Wellness, Exclusive Dining & Events Access, Community Engagement, Private Delivery & Security, and the Rosewood Reserve membership program for global privileges. Sales are led by Compass Development Marketing Group, Sally Forster Jones of Compass, and Tomer Fridman of Christie’s International Real Estate SoCal.

🎭 Haii Keii, a restaurant in Houston's River Oaks/Upper Kirby neighborhood, opened on February 18 offering a 3,000 square foot indoor space with an additional 1,000 square feet of outdoor patio seating. The design by Gin Braverman and Gin Design Group channels "Blade Runner" and "Kill Bill". Executive chef Jeffrey Taylor and sushi chef Jose Espinoza crafted a menu with cold plates, hot plates, vegetables, fried rice, nigiri, maki, and steaks. Managing partner Jarred Tosto emphasizes Haii Keii as an immersive, vibrant dining experience.

🏢 Shiko Group, launched in April 2024, boasts eight venues in Manchester and Leeds including Side Street, Courts Club, The Lawn Club, The Dome, The Stables, Foley’s, Fearns, and The Canary. Side Street accommodates 360 guests; Courts Club has a capacity of 450 and features a court; The Lawn Club seats 440 patrons; The Dome is a unique rooftop space; The Stables is ideal for various events; Foley’s offers specialty coffee; The Canary and Fearns both provide waterside views in Leeds, with Fearns able to host 500 people.