Hotel Openings

🍴 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.

🏡 ARRIVE by Palisociety to open its fifth hotel, ARRIVE Albuquerque, in Albuquerque, N.M. in Q1 2025. The historic 1965 building on Central Avenue has been revamped to offer 137 reimagined rooms featuring a mix of 1970s and Southwestern styles, an oversized exterior mural by Nani Chacon, a seasonal pool, a fitness center, cocktail bar, lounge, and a pan-American cuisine restaurant. The design, led by Palisociety founder Avi Brosh and an in-house team, marks the brand's first entirely in-house designed property.

🍕 Miami welcomes international culinary influences with the opening of Momento by Ikaro, a Michelin-starred Spanish restaurant's outpost, in Downtown Miami mid-August. Chefs Carolina Sanchez from Ecuador and Iñaki Murua from Spain's Basque region unveiled their first U.S. establishment, merging their backgrounds. Momento spans 4,733 square feet, seating 80, and features a menu with seasonal ingredients, wood-fired branzino, and a bar with global wines. Ikaro Spain gained its Michelin star in 2018 while Michelin arrived in Florida in 2022.

🏖️ Hyatt Hotels Corp. expands its all-inclusive portfolio with a Dreams Resort & Spa in the Dominican Republic, set to open by the end of the year. Dreams Cap Cana Resort & Spa will offer 519 guestrooms, 40 villas, and 100 swim-up suites near Punta Cana International Airport. It joins other Hyatt properties on Juanillo Beach, within Cap Cana's gated community. The resort features 10 restaurants, six bars, a 11,000-square-foot spa, four pools, and various sports and entertainment facilities. Hyatt has opened Hyatt Centric Santo Domingo and Secrets Tides Punta Cana in 2023, with plans for nearly 20 properties in the Dominican Republic by 2025.

🏨 Fairmont Breakers Long Beach, part of Accor, opened in downtown Long Beach, California after a multi-million-dollar transformation. Established in 1926, the hotel features 185 rooms, including 22 suites, a luxury spa, pool terrace, rooftop bar, lobby bar, two restaurants, a fitness center, and nearly 10,000 square feet of event space. Fairmont's 89th property globally, it's the first in over 30 hotels under development, with openings planned in Prague, Udaipur, Tokyo, Hanoi, New Orleans, Spain, and the U.K. by 2025. voco The Darwin Hotel opened in Atlanta's Old Fourth Ward as voco hotels' new establishment, featuring 111 rooms, plant-based amenities, recycled material bedding, a courtyard, dog park, cocktail bar, restaurant, fitness center, and business center. Owned by Global SCR and operated by HVMG, voco hotels aims for over 200 open hotels globally by 2028. Scandic added two hotels in Helsingborg and Jönköping, Sweden, with a total of 199 rooms. The hotels will be renovated, rebranded as Scandic Go, and certified by the Nordic Swan Ecolabel, aiming to reopen in the first half of 2026. InterGlobe expanded in Europe, adding The Mansard, Gstaad in Switzerland to its portfolio. The Mans

🏖️ WorldHotels, part of BWH Hotels, is developing WorldHotels Kobuleti, set to open in 2028 in Kobuleti, Georgia. The luxury beachside resort will feature two 47-story twin towers with 1,100 rooms, restaurants, bars, a fitness center, spa, meeting spaces, a conference hall, private beach, cinema, and shopping facilities. Capitol HPS is the developer, with construction by GEUZ International. The project aligns with Georgia's tourism growth and government's promotion as an all-season destination.

🏖️ Alila Kothaifaru Maldives, a private island resort in Raa Atoll, invites guests for 'Festive Voyage' from December 22, 2024, to January 7, 2025. The event features a Tree Lighting Ceremony, Christmas Eve Dinner, activities supporting local causes, and a White Party on January 3. Wellness Manager Dr. Arjita Kumari introduces Ayurvedic treatments and wellness consultations at Spa Alila. The Sparkling Beauty package starts at £310 and the Detox Retreat from £750.

🏦 Accor announced the signing of Sofitel LEGEND pyramids GIZA, a luxury hotel opening late 2027 near the Giza Pyramids and the Grand Egyptian Museum in Egypt. This partnership with Abu Dhabi Tourism Investment Company (ADTIC) marks the second Sofitel Legend in Egypt, the eighth in the brand's luxury portfolio. The hotel, 500 meters from GEM, will offer 303 rooms and suites, a spa, fitness center, infinity pools, and dining options with views of the Pyramids. ADTIC, established in 1988, is known for landmark hotels and this collaboration aims to redefine Cairo's luxury travel and boost tourism.

🍕 HERA, a 200-seater Greek restaurant located at 4 Arber Way, Stratford, London, E20 1JS, opens on November 21st. The menu features mezze such as anchovies, Kalamata olives, Tarama, Tzatziki, and Melitzanao, dishes grown from the ground like Vegetable Moussaka and Gemista, as well as meat offerings including Grilled Baby Chicken and Lamb Chops. Seafood options include Grilled Octopus and Wild Sea Bass. Signature cocktails like Helen of Spice and Dates in Crete complement the dining experience, alongside a selection of Greek wines. Situated near the ABBA Arena and the upcoming V&A Museum opening in Spring 2026, HERA offers a Mediterranean escape in East London.

🍕 Reza and Mohammed Malekzadeh, co-founders of KIN Café, acquire adjacent site, formerly Cin Cin restaurant, on Foley Street, Fitzrovia. KIN Restaurant, their fifth venue, opens on 18th November, offering vegetarian and vegan lunch and dinner for 32 guests, plus six in a private space. Executive Chef Shayan Shams sources sustainable ingredients for the menu. Operating hours are 12pm – 10.30pm, seven days a week, with proceeds from house wines supporting Born Free Foundation. The Malekzadehs aim to expand the KIN brand across London, enhancing Fitzrovia's culinary scene.