Hotel Openings

🦒 Chester Zoo's new luxury lodge, The Reserve, opens August 2025, welcoming guests starting mid-August with bookings from 29 January. The UK destination features safari-style accommodation, exclusive animal encounters, and supports conservation efforts for endangered species. The Reserve offers 51 sustainable lodges, variously accommodating 2-6 people, with lakeside and savannah views, and includes a restaurant, bar, and private zoo access. TROO Hospitality manages the guest experience. Contact reservations@thereservechesterzoo.com for booking.

🏡 Mason & Fifth will start bookings on January 28th for its Westbourne Park location, set to open in June 2025 in London. This largest location offers 332 studios, including kitchenette-equipped and 'Out & About' options. Design collaborations include Jan Hendzel chopping boards and Jay Achillies furniture. Nicholas Daley is styling the House Team. Amenities include The Grounding wellness facility with a pool, sauna/steam rooms, and gym, complemented by a cultural programme and partnership with Dazed Club for artist residencies. Meadow, a workspace for 120 creatives, opens in June with affordable memberships for local groups. Canal restaurant & bar will feature seasonal, sustainable dishes. Additional local partnerships aim to foster a community ecosystem. An all-new guesthouse will also launch in Belsize Park.

🏡 Dunluce Lodge, Northern Ireland's latest five-star hotel, is set to open in February after its handover this week. The hotel, located on the Causeway Coast near Portrush, was constructed by Ballymena's Martin & Hamilton Construction starting November 2022. It features 35 luxury suites, a restaurant, wine vault, private dining, and a spa. Overlooking Royal Portrush Golf Club, it will be near the 153rd Open Championship venue in July. Dunluce Lodge will employ 80 staff and has partnered with local suppliers such as Lamont Stone, Ulster Carpets, and Abbey Upholstery.

🍸 The Mirror Bar at the Landmark London partners with Courvoisier for a winter hideaway offering a limited-edition cocktail menu featuring Courvoisier's VSOP cognac. Cocktails, like L'Hiver en Rose and French 125, start from £20. The menu also includes upscale small plates and British cheeses. The heated outdoor terrace adds comfort with city views and cigars. This indulgent experience is available until 6th April.

😋 Richard Blais, a "Top Chef" alum, launched Tiki Taka on January 7 at the Grand Hyatt Scottsdale. Blending Japanese and Spanish flavors, the restaurant features 30 indoor and 108 outdoor seats, and offers a menu with cold plates, hot dishes, pintxos, yakitori, sushi, and desserts. Emphasizing a fusion of sushi and tapas bars, Tiki Taka's drinks menu combines Spanish and Japanese beverages, including wine, sake, and original cocktails like the Osaka Sour.

🏡 Paris-based Atelier du Pont and Menorca-based Aru Arquitectura transformed two old farm buildings into a four-bedroom summer house in Menorca, named Estancia San José, spread over 76 hectares. The renovation preserved traditional elements while adding contemporary features like pivoting glass doors and an acid-yellow kitchen. The home includes a hammam and outdoor pool, with materials and colors reflecting the owners' global influences from places like Africa and Patagonia. The property will be available for holiday rentals.

🏖️ HQ Hotels & Residences announced the opening of its first resort, Hodges Bay Resort and Spa in Northern Antigua. The company plans to open 50 hotels by 2031, with half in the U.S. The Hodges Bay Resort will join the Registry Collection Hotels brand through an alliance with Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. Transition into the Wyndham system is expected within 90 days. The HQ Montreux Hotel & Spa in Switzerland will open in 2025 with 155 rooms and 42 residences. The U.S. will see the conversion of The Park Avenue House into HQ Detroit Hotel & Spa with 174 guestrooms. Hodges Bay Resort features 79 rooms within eight acres, offering dining and nightlife options. The $100 million resort was opened in 2019 by Jeff Wellemeyer's JSN Development Group and offers luxury residences and an Instagram-popular beach club.

🏖️ Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group to open Mandarin Oriental Esencia in Puerto Rico by 2028, marking their third Caribbean property. Located in Cabo Rojo's Boquerón Bay, the luxury resort will feature 106 rooms and suites, 83 residential villas, and 200 private residences. Amenities include five dining venues, a beach club, a spa, an 18-hole golf course, and an adventure center. Studio MK27 leads the sustainable design. The property is part of the Esencia community, developed by Reuben Brothers and Three Rules Capital. Mandarin Oriental currently operates 41 hotels and 37 residences worldwide.

🏠 Twenty-one Westgate Resorts properties across the U.S. can now be booked through ChoiceHotels.com, integrating into Choice's upscale offerings like Radisson and Cambria. The partnership enhances the Choice Privileges loyalty program, benefiting its 68 million members with additional options for point redemption. Choice Privileges program improvements include a 50-week reward night booking window and a new Choice RewardSaver for redemptions starting at 6,000 points. Locations include Orlando, River Ranch, Cocoa Beach, Las Vegas, Park City, New York City, Branson, Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge, Myrtle Beach, Williamsburg, and Mesa.

🏦 Al Qimmah Hospitality and Amwaj Real Estate Company will open the world's largest Courtyard by Marriott in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, with 2,179 rooms, a restaurant for 1,800 guests, and a 'Grab n’ Go' market in 2026. The development aligns with Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 to attract 30 million religious tourists. In December 2024, Marriott will add over 1,200 rooms across three brands in Madinah, contributing to the Kingdom's goal as a global hub for religious tourism.