Hotel Openings

🏖️ Bvlgari Hotels & Resorts to open the Bvlgari Resort & Mansions at Cave Cay in the Bahamas by 2029. Expanding into the Caribbean, the resort will join a global portfolio of 13 hotels. It will offer 64 luxury suites, seafront villas, 48 private mansions for purchase, a spa, sports enclave, kids’ club, and a Michelin-starred restaurant. Cave Cay, a 220-acre private island, features white sand beaches and natural caves. The project is advised by Servotel and aims to enhance the Exumas as a high-end tourist destination.

🍝 The Lao Food Movement, started by Chef Seng Luangrath in 2013, catalyzed the rise of Lao cuisine's popularity in the U.S. Chef Jeff Chanchaleune, a two-time James Beard finalist, opened Ma Der Lao Kitchen in 2021 and Bar Sen on February 4 in Oklahoma City. Lao'd Bar in Austin was a James Beard Award semifinalist for best new restaurant. These establishments join others in Washington, D.C., Minneapolis, Nashville, and more, serving both traditional and fusion dishes. Ma Der and Bar Sen, both seating 48, offer Lao specialties in Oklahoma City's Plaza District. Ma Der made The New York Times’ 50 best restaurants list in 2022 and was recognized by Bon Appetit.

🏠 Meliá Hotels International and Summum Hotel Group to open Ronda's first 5-star hotel in 2026, located in the 16th-century former Madre de Dios convent with 27 rooms, gardens, and spa. The alliance aims for 500 rooms by 2029. Additionally, they plan to launch a hotel in Santa Ponsa, Mallorca, in 2026, renovating the Hotel Golf Santa Ponsa with 88 rooms and amenities including a rooftop bar and pools, marking their fourth collaboration in Mallorca.

🏠 San Antonio's historic Continental Hotel has been renovated into The Continental, offering 28 furnished units for short-term stays, starting March. The project, a partnership between Placemakr and Weston Urban, is part of a 1.9-acre redevelopment including 290 mixed-income housing units and 22,000 square feet of retail space. Weston Urban announced the Continental Block Development in August 2023, featuring the renovation of two historic buildings alongside a new 16-story residential tower. The initiative complements other investments in downtown San Antonio.

🏦 Between October 1 and December 31, 2024, Preferred Hotels & Resorts incorporated 11 new member properties worldwide, from Panama to Spain. I Prefer Hotel Rewards program participants can gain 2,500 bonus points on eligible stays for a limited time. Highlighted properties include Gamboa Rainforest Reserve with 166 rooms in Panama, Hotel Magnolia with 40 rooms in Chile, Aurika Udaipur with 139 rooms in India, Hotel Kitzhof with 160 rooms in Austria, and César Lanzarote with 20 rooms in Spain. The expansion underscores the brand's growth since 2019, now encompassing over 600 properties in 80 countries.

🏕 Marriott International's Autograph Collection debuts its first resort in Phuket and third in Thailand with the opening of Veranda Resort Phuket, situated 12 kilometers from Phuket Town on the Cape Panwa peninsula. Overlooking the Andaman Sea, the resort offers 159 rooms, suites, and pool villas with private terraces and views of Ao Yon Bay. Featuring Sino-Portuguese inspired design, dining venues, a spa, a pool, and excursions to Phuket Town, Autograph Collection now boasts over 320 hotels globally in nearly 50 countries.

🏨 Hospitality ON's editorial team mapped new hotel openings worldwide from the past 10 days, focusing on group, chain, and network hotels. Colors indicate status: yellow for recent openings, blue for announced future openings, green for rebranding and reopened, and orange for signed projects awaiting future opening. The map includes locations, photos, and essential information for a quick weekly overview.

🏨 Hyatt to open two hotels in Leeds on March 10, 2025, with a £62.7 million investment. The Hyatt Place and Hyatt House brands will feature a combined 305 units – 217 rooms and 88 studios/suites. Facilities include a fitness center and meeting space, located at Sovereign Square near the train station.

🏨 The Shelborne by Proper in Miami Beach, set to reopen on May 1 after a $100 million renovation, operated by Proper Hospitality, features 251 rooms including ocean-view suites and villas. The property, originating from 1940, has been updated with Miami Art Deco and Miami Modernism designs by ADC Atelier. The highlight includes a 1,700-square-foot penthouse suite. Partnering with Michelin-starred Chef Abram Bissell, the hotel offers a signature restaurant and various bars, alongside 30,000 square feet of event space.

🏡 The Social Hub opens its second Florence location on February 1. The Social Hub Belfiore, costing €150 million and spanning 80,000-square-meters, offers a rooftop garden, Olympic pool, and Tuscany's largest coworking space. Located in San Jacopino near the historic center, the 550-room hotel blends hotel, coworking, and event spaces, including a 7,000-square-meter rooftop garden and 300+ guest conference facility. It also features gym, shopping, and 3,500 plants on the rooftop. The Social Hub is a B Corporation, hosting 600+ events yearly and aiming to revitalize neighborhoods.