Hotel Openings

🍝 Tom Goddard is launching Southern Soul this week inside Canteen, a food hall at Greenwich Peninsula. Southern Soul features low ‘n’ slow smoked meats, homemade buns, pickles, and sauces. The menu includes oak smoked pork belly rib, Applewood smoked chicken thigh, smoked and pulled beef brisket, and oak smoked beetroot, all served with fresh buns and homemade dipping sauces. Canteen, which opened in summer 2021, hosts six street food kitchens and is part of Greenwich Peninsula’s Design District.

🍽 Hera, a Greek restaurant with a 200-cover dining room and cocktail lounge, will open in Stratford Cross development opposite the new V&A Museum in Spring 2026. The menu includes mezze like anchovies, Kalamata olives, and dips such as taramasalata; categories like The Garden, The Farm, and The Sea with options like vegetable moussaka and grilled octopus. The wine list highlights Greek producers. Opening date: 21 November on Arber Way in Stratford.

🏂 Ischgl’s 5-Star Elizabeth Arthotel, founded in 1976, will reopen on 28 November 2024 for the winter season. Offers ski-in/ski-out, 39 rooms/suites, 130 artworks, and a rooftop spa. Head Chef Thomas Zechner presents a six-course menu with 46 dishes weekly. Ischgl, ranked in the top 10 by Forbes (2024), provides snow from November to May; Ellie Goulding to headline concert on 30 November. The Aloys family has welcomed guests since 1963, creating a warm ‘Elizabeth Family’ environment.

🏡 Rixos Hotels opened the Rixos Tersane Istanbul, their 13th hotel in Türkiye, attended by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Located 41km from Istanbul airport and accessible via public transport including a ferry line and a local helipad, this hotel is part of a historic development in the Golden Horn estuary. Offering 432 rooms, 67 luxury suites, 55 terraces, dining, an infinity pool, and a 2,027m² ballroom, it aims to attract local and international tourists by blending culture, art, and sports.

🏡 Ace Hotel and Swim Club Athens, designed by French studio Ciguë, embraces Greek modernism with vintage furniture and local art. Situated outside the Athens city center near Glyfada, the 120-room hotel occupies the former Fenix Hotel, known for its brutalist architecture. Ciguë's interior design pays homage to the 1970s Athenian Riviera, combining a laid-back elegance with the contemporary Athenian art scene. The ground floor features an expansive public space, including a redesigned pool and a wooden walkway blurring indoor and outdoor boundaries. The design incorporates sandy-hued terrazzo flooring, white plaster facade with wood and greenery, alongside art by Claire Manent, Panos Profitis, and Bregje Sliepenbeek. Dionysos marble and vintage 1960s and 70s furniture add unique character, reflecting the studio's aim to echo the local seaside ambiance and cultural heritage.

🍴 Chefs Duncan Robertson and Kyu Jeong Jeon open contemporary Korean restaurant Dongnae in Bristol's Redland, succeeding their Bokman project. Dongnae features a £24 set lunch menu and £55 hanjungshik dinner option. Head chef Clarence Fung and front of house manager Rebecca Lewis join the team. Rooted in Jeong Jeon's Korean heritage, the menu includes dishes like Korean beef tartare and cold buckwheat noodles, supported by local suppliers like Rocketman Produce. Low-intervention wines by Vine Trail offered. Dongnae plans in-house fermentation for soy sauce and gochujang. Located at 5-7 Chandos Road, Bristol BS6 6PG.

🏦 Accor announces the signing of Sofitel Cairo Downtown Nile, the fourth Sofitel in Egypt, to open in January 2025. The luxury hotel, situated in Cairo’s Nile-front district, will become the largest Sofitel worldwide with 615 rooms and suites, over 2,000 square meters of event space, and proximity to landmarks like the Grand Egyptian Museum and Giza Pyramids. Ayman Abdelaziz, CEO of ICTI, highlights the partnership with Accor's luxury brand and the shared commitment to excellence. Jean-Baptiste Recher, Regional VP of Development at Accor, emphasizes the emotional connection and financial strength Sofitel offers to the Nile-front property.

🍱 The Savoy's new dining spot, Gallery, is opening on 23 November 2024, serving all-day dining options inspired by Auguste Escoffier, who worked there 135 years prior. The menu features Sole tacos, Cornish lobster rolls, grilled Cornish tuna tataki, Orkney scallop, homemade linguine with Devon crab, Vegan lentil bolognaise, and a variety of stonebaked pizzas. A British Negroni and a New Fashioned highlight the cocktail list. The Florist at The Savoy and a scone shop called Scoff are also opening on the same day.

🏩 IHG Hotels & Resorts prepares to open Crowne Plaza Podgorica, its seventh Montenegro hotel and second in the capital, by end of 2024. Owned by BIG CEE, the 122-key hotel will be part of the Capital Plaza, near Deloitte, PWC, and The World Bank. The hotel, offering meeting spaces and a restaurant, augments the brand's aim to hit 100 European hotels by 2025. Crowne Plaza Podgorica joins a Montenegrin pipeline with InterContinental Resort Cjan, Crowne Plaza Kolasin, and Holiday Inn Mojkovac slated for the next 3-5 years, contributing to a 19-hotel European and 146-hotel global expansion.

🍴 Lora, a Mediterranean-influenced restaurant, partners with Studio Paskin and will open in Barcelona this winter. It serves family-style dishes, featuring a wood oven and coal-fired grill, open from midday to late. Highlights include Whipped Feta and Spiced Lamb flatbreads, carabinero prawns, and Pata Negra Pork Chop, as well as a 12-hour Persian Shoulder of Lamb. The 330-seat venue, designed by AvroKO and Carte Blanched, boasts a central bar, sunray-effect tiled flooring, and a terrace overlooking the marina. Lora is part of SLS Barcelona's six new concepts at Port Fòrum.