Hotel Openings

🏨 Choice Hotels International opened three Cambria Hotels in Imperial, CA; Pigeon Forge, TN; Spokane, WA, and began construction on two more in O'Fallon, MO; Bend, OR. The brand has launched 18 new hotels in the last two years, with plans for a total pipeline of 62 properties, including one in New York Times Square set for 2025. Newly opened Cambria hotels feature 91-118 rooms and meeting spaces ranging from 738 to 2,050 square feet. The company aims to expand Cambria nationwide and has acquired Radisson Hotels Americas in 2022 to boost its upscale portfolio.

🏂 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.

🏡 IHG will open voco Maroochydore Sunshine Coast in 2028, featuring 153 rooms, wellness facilities, restaurants, bars, and event space. Accor's Grand Mercure brand has opened in Hangzhou Qingshan Lake, China, offering 177 rooms with lake views and extensive meeting space. IHG also plans to open Holiday Inn Ujjain in India by 2028, adding 100 rooms to its portfolio. Indian Hotels Co. will manage The Claridges, New Delhi from April 2025, an iconic hotel with 119 rooms and historic charm.

🏠 Accor partners with Jadran Hotels Rijeka to rebrand the 135-year-old Hotel Continental in Rijeka, Croatia, into Handwritten Collection, opening in 2026 with 75 rooms. Accor's boutique brand plans to expand to 250 hotels by 2030. Dalata Hotel Group plans a new luxury Clayton hotel in London's Tower 42 Estate with 154 rooms, opening in 2028, aiming for BREEAM excellent accreditation. LBA Hospitality adds two IHG hotels in Chattanooga, totaling 154 rooms. Bradford Allen Hospitality initiates a $25 million renovation of Hyatt Rosemont Chicago/O’Hare Hotel to become Hyatt Centric with 206 rooms, 12,000 sq ft meeting space, and a new restaurant.

🏨 IHG Hotels & Resorts introduced Garner brand in Europe, launching three hotels in Germany with NOVUM Hospitality. Garner Hotel Hamburg Nord, Elmshorn, and Augsburg—opened within 10 days—add to 90+ Garner hotels globally. The Hamburg Nord has 100 rooms; Elmshorn has 75 rooms; Augsburg features 132 rooms. Aiming for 500 U.S. hotels in 10 years and 1,000 in 20, the first Garner hotel opened in Auburn, Wash. in August 2023. Northern Europe anticipates over 50 Garner hotels, part of IHG's German expansion to over 200 hotels.

🏡 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.

🏦 Oberoi Hotels & Resorts enters the UK market with its first hotel, The Oberoi, Mayfair, in London. The 23-room luxury boutique hotel will be part of the South Molton development, after Grosvenor secured restoration permission in 2022 for the 33,000-square-foot Listed Building. Renovations started in November 2023, aiming for completion by 2027. Vikram Oberoi, managing director and CEO, sees it as pivotal for global expansion. EIH, Oberoi's parent company, set up a UK entity with £30 million share capital. The Oberoi Group, established in 1934, now operates 32 hotels in seven countries.

🏡 Virgin Hotels CEO James Bermingham, who joined in 2021, has expanded the brand further with the opening of Virgin Hotels London Shoreditch in August 2024, marking the ninth Virgin hotel. This London location is a conversion of the former Mondrian, aligning with Virgin's strategy to have properties in all destinations Virgin Atlantic flies to. Virgin Hotels started in 2010, launched its first hotel in Chicago in 2015, and currently has properties in the U.S. and U.K. Upcoming expansions include Virgin Hotels Denver Fox Park, scheduled for 2026. Virgin Group, founded in 1970, encompasses various ventures, including airlines, cruise ships, and space travel. Virgin Atlantic Holidays generates thousands of room nights for Virgin Hotels in key cities like New York and Las Vegas. Virgin Hotels operates largely under long-term management contracts and franchises, like the 1,500-room Virgin Hotels Las Vegas. Virgin Limited Edition, the luxury resort arm, includes nine properties with room rates averaging $2,000 per night, and was founded in 2009. Virgin Hotels and Virgin Limited Edition were combined under Virgin Hotels Collection in 2023, following Jon Brown's departure.

🍴 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.