Hotel Openings

🌆 Loews Hotels & Co announces the opening of Universal Helios Grand Hotel at Universal Orlando Resort for May 22, 2025, with reservations starting October 22, 2023. Joining two other hotels, Universal Stella Nova Resort and Universal Terra Luna Resort, the Orlando portfolio will reach 11 hotels and 11,000 guestrooms. The Universal Helios Grand Hotel, a 500-room property, offers park views and a dedicated entrance to Epic Universe. Earlier in 2023, Loews opened a $550 million, 888-room hotel in Arlington, Texas, highlighting the company's growth beyond Orlando.

🏛 Few & Far, co-founded by Sarah and Jacob Dusek, to open Few & Far Luvhondo eco-lodge in Limpopo, South Africa, in early 2025 within UNESCO’s Vhembe Biosphere Reserve. The lodge will feature six suites, a cable car system, a 40-kilometer treetop safari, and will offer activities like game drives, bush walks, and cultural excursions. Capella Hotel Group plans to open Capella Residences Seoul in Seocho-gu, Gangnam, Seoul, by 2027. Davidson Hospitality Group partners with AHED, appointing Crystal Beasley to the board, to promote hospitality diversity and inclusion. Extended Stay America opens a new 124-room hotel in Belgrade, Montana, with amenities like a fitness center and fully equipped kitchens.

🏡 Six Senses partners with Gruppo Statuto to open Six Senses Milan and Six Senses Lake Como, adding to Italy's portfolio following Six Senses Rome (2023) and the upcoming Six Senses Antognolla in Umbria. Six Senses Milan, located in the Brera quarter at Via Brera 19, will feature 68 rooms, including 15 suites and two with plunge pools, a restaurant, deli, spa, rooftop bar, and sky pool, set to open in 2025. Six Senses Lake Como, a transformation of the former Grand Hotel Cadenabbia, will have 102 rooms and suites, a spa, floating lake pool, and restaurants, expected to debut in 2028. These join IHG's expanded luxury presence in Italy, now totaling 30 open and eight developing hotels.

🏨 Studio Collective recently opened The Hotel at The Moore in Miami Design District, featuring 13 unique suites on the building's fourth floor, ranging from 700 to 1,000 square feet. The Moore building, completed in 1921, also houses the Elastika restaurant with a Zaha Hadid sculpture since 2005, and a private members club offering various themed dining rooms and lounges. The district continues to evolve with new architecture and boutiques.

🏦 Minor Hotels has partnered with Boulevard Hotel Co. Ltd. to open NH Bangkok Sukhumvit Boulevard, a 315-room hotel located near Sukhumvit Road and 200 meters from the BTS SkyTrain in Bangkok, featuring renovated rooms, dining facilities, and a pool. Pullman Hotels & Resorts launches Pullman Zagreb in Croatia with 193 rooms, targeting business travelers. Peachtree Group's credit team has hit over $1 billion in loan originations year-to-date, with hotels being the largest sector at $639 million, a 176% increase from 2023. Waterford Hotel Group now manages Killington Mountain Lodge in Vermont, adding to its 100+ U.S. properties.

🏨 IHG Hotels & Resorts' midscale brand Garner, launched in August 2023, signed four new hotels in Europe, targeting 500 U.S. hotels in 10 years. Garner has 79 properties signed and four open. Garner Hotel Reading Centre and Garner Hotel Preston Samlesbury in the UK will open later this year. Over 50 German hotels from NOVUM Hospitality will join Garner, with the first in Hamburg, Mannheim, and Berlin. Vienna and Maastricht will also see new Garner hotels. Turkey welcomes a 126-key Istanbul Garner hotel in 2025. Conversion activity represented 41% of IHG's openings and 55% of signings in the first half of the year.

📍 IHG Hotels & Resorts launched Garner in August 2023, a midscale conversion brand, signing 76 properties in the first half of 2024, 58 in Europe. Globally, 41% of IHG's openings and 55% of signings in early 2024 were conversions. Garner Hotel Reading Centre (53 rooms) and Garner Hotel Preston Samlesbury (80 rooms) in the UK are set to open by late 2024. Garner is expanding in Germany with over 50 hotels, including in Hamburg, Mannheim, Berlin, and a new 245-room property in Hamburg's Usedomstrasse. In Austria and the Netherlands, Garner debuts with a 106-room hotel in Vienna and a 165-room hotel in Maastricht, respectively. A 126-room Garner property will open in Istanbul, Türkiye, in 2025. As of June 30, 2024, Garner has 79 properties globally with four operational.

🍳 Wild Eggs, established in Louisville in 2007 with 16 locations, acquires St. Louis-based Crazy Bowls & Wraps (founded in 1994 with 16 stores). A Wild Eggs site in Louisville, KY, will serve as a Crazy Bowls & Wraps virtual kitchen from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., leveraging third-party delivery for bowls, wraps, and salads. PG Growth Opportunities Fund bought Wild Eggs in early 2023, aiming for regional presence and nationwide expansion. The merger offers new franchising opportunities in eight states for both brands.

🍴 CH Projects opened Leila, a 4,800-square-foot restaurant in San Diego's North Park, on July 31. Designed to resemble Marrakesh markets, it features a bridge over pools, hanging lanterns, and a starry ceiling. Arsalun Tafazoli, CH Projects founder, inspired by his Middle Eastern travels, aims to showcase regional flavors and communal dining. Leila's menu includes shareable mezze, breads, salads, and proteins like steak and salmon kebabs. The beverage program highlights regional flavors, offering shared cocktails and a two-person drink menu. CH Projects is also developing Baby Grand, a new hotel opening in early 2025.

🏨 Wyndham Hotels & Resorts partners with NILE Hospitality LLP to launch Microtel by Wyndham in India, planning 40 hotels by 2031. The brand, known for modern design and value, will expand in Tier II, III, and IV cities, starting in 2025 with facilities tailored to regional needs. This growth is part of Wyndham's strategy to increase its Indian portfolio by 25% within the next 18 months, building on its existing 60 hotels across the country.