Hotel Openings

🏡 Angelo Cappellini, known for classic and contemporary furniture designs, inaugurated a 100 square meter showroom space in Baku, Azerbaijan, showcasing products in three settings: living room, dining room, and bedroom. The Avenue showroom features the Louis XVI dining room Cezanne with a 3.2-meter table, Esedra sofas, Louis XVI coffee tables, and the Sissi Bedroom collection. This expansion strengthens Angelo Cappellini's market presence and facilitates connections with local architects, designers, and private clients.

🍸 St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel's The Hansom presents "A Taste of Timelessness" cocktail collection, inspired by Victorian era & modern London. New signature cocktails include St. Pancras Royale, Mariachi Paloma, Rum Rita, Raffinato Bianco, and The Empress, starting at £17. Venue Manager Alex Kovac highlights the fusion of history and modern flavors. Collection available to public and guests at https://www.thehansom.co.uk/.

🏕 Jumeirah partners with Thanda Group to open two properties in Africa: Jumeirah Thanda Island (Tanzania) and Jumeirah Thanda Safari (South Africa). Exclusive-use villa on Shungimbili Island Marine Reserve and residences in KwaZulu Natal's Big Five nature reserve respectively. First guests expected later this year. Thanda Island, accessible via helicopter or speedboat, features a five-suite villa, Swahili Bandas, and water activities. Thanda Safari offers 386 acres of wilderness, concierge service, and wildlife adventures on 16,500 hectares. Bookings open later this month, with future lodge and tented camp by 2027. Jumeirah's portfolio includes 28 properties worldwide since 1999.

🏦 Radisson Hotel Group will convert Madrid's Generali building into a Radisson Collection luxury hotel, opening in 2027. Located on Alcala Street, Canalejas area, the building will feature 154 hotel rooms, premium retail spaces, a signature restaurant, a rooftop bar, and wellness facilities. Radisson has eight operational hotels in Spain, and the Madrid project, developed with Lamela architecture studio, will join around 65 others globally in the Radisson Collection. Generali Real Estate sees this as an expansion of their European hospitality investments.

📌 The Social Hub to open three new hubs in early 2025: Porto, Florence, Rome. The expansion in Portugal and doubling in Italy increases its European footprint to 21 hubs in 19 cities. The Porto hub is the brand's first in Portugal, with plans for Lisbon next. Florence's second Social Hub opens February 2025, featuring a 7,000 sqm rooftop park and 550 rooms. Rome's Social Hub opens March 2025, with 392 rooms and a 24,000 sqm area, including a 10,000 sqm public park. Porto's 310-room hotel opens spring 2025, introducing long-stay apartments. The Social Hub has 23 properties in total, with 18 hotels and over 10,000 rooms since its 2012 founding.

🌍 In 2025, the travel industry will feature nostalgia, personalization, and destination hotels. Europe's Eurocamp sees a significant booking uptick for 2024, with a 9% revenue increase in adult summer camps, while Delta Air Lines aims to offer global fleet-wide free Wi-Fi by 2025. Asia's travel is expected to reach pre-pandemic levels, with outbound travel from Chengdu rising 66% to 35.2 million passengers (2016-2023) and Delhi's outbound traffic up 31% to over 30 million. Solo leisure travel increased by 15.6% in 2023 and a further 9.2% in 2024.

🏠 Ennismore teams up with Tilal Real Estate Co. to sign the 25hours Hotel Heart of Khobar in Saudi Arabia, offering 170 rooms, suites, and 80 serviced apartments within the Heart of Khobar development. The hotel, featuring multiple restaurants, a pool, gym, and an analog-themed circus, will also introduce the co-working brand Working From_, spanning 2,000 square meters with various membership perks. The 25hours hotel aims to enhance connectivity in the Dammam Metropolitan Area, aligning with Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030.

🍴 Washington Street Hospitality, known for Pasta Beach in Boston and Rhode Island, opened Legami in Charleston, S.C. on October 9. Eldredge and Tyler Ropolo, whose parents launched Pasta Beach in 2002, lead the family-operated venture. Legami serves Italian cuisine with a modern twist, offers a two-story dining experience, seating 180 guests, and features a menu crafted by Michelin-starred veteran chef Andrea Congiusta. Beverages are curated by James Ruggiero, including signature items like the Legami Martini.

🏡 Wyndham opens the first Wyndham Garden hotel in India, the Wyndham Garden Sonipat Murthal in Haryana, operated by Rajdhani Realcon Pvt. Ltd. The 81-room hotel features amenities like a restaurant, lounge, fitness center, spa, pool, and event spaces, emphasizing midscale brands for quality accommodations. Wyndham's expansion includes a partnership with NILE Hospitality LLP for 40 Microtel hotels by 2031, targeting tier II, III, IV cities, with the first openings expected in 2025. Each Microtel will have 50 rooms. Wyndham now operates under nine of its 25 brands in India.

🍴 Executive Chef Freddy Vargas opened Aitana in New York City's Virgin Hotels on Nov. 15. Aitana offers Latin-Mediterranean cuisine with views of the Empire State Building and features geometric chandeliers and a curated wine selection by sommelier Andrew McFetridge. Vargas, with Ecuadorian and Puerto Rican heritage, infuses his family recipes with fine dining experience, offering dishes like tostones with caviar and a 24 oz. dry-aged ribeye. Inspired by chef Emeril Lagasse, Vargas pursued a culinary career after a brief college stint. Aitana is Vargas’s ninth restaurant venture, reflecting his philosophy of elevating traditional dishes with modern techniques.