Hotel Openings

🏦 The Ritz-Carlton enters Morocco, launching The Ritz-Carlton Rabat, Dar Es Salam; features 100 rooms, 17 suites, a 180-square-meter Royal Suite, dining venues, spa, and 2,200 square meters of outdoor space. Voco hotels opens voco Stockholm-Kista in Stockholm's tech hub, with 201 rooms and wellness facilities. Omni Hotels to manage a new 135-key hotel in Midland, Texas, including a rooftop pool and 15,000 square feet of meeting space. Hospitality America to manage the new Element by Marriott Charleston Airport, a 123-key hotel opening in Q2 2025, near Charleston International Airport.

🏨 Hospitality America to manage the Element by Marriott Charleston Airport, set to open Q2 2025 in North Charleston, South Carolina. The 123-room hotel, featuring a restaurant, fitness center, outdoor pool, and 500 sq ft meeting space, is the eighth Marriott managed by Hospitality America and the second owned by Contender Development. Located two miles from Charleston International Airport and eight miles from downtown Charleston, it targets extended-stay guests with in-room kitchens and spa-inspired bathrooms.

🏡 Glokal Group and Blue Road partner for $40 million Dolce by Wyndham Miami hotel in South Beach's Art Deco District. The 90-room hotel, catering to business and leisure travelers, is near Art Basel, Miami International Boat Show, Fashion Week, the beach, and Miami Beach Convention Center. Amenities include dining, an outdoor rooftop pool, minibars, smart TVs, and modern bathrooms. Managed by AADESA Hotel Management and Blue Road, the project will create over 45 jobs.

🌮 Jason Dady, a chef with over 20 years in San Antonio's dining scene, is set to open Mexico Ceaty, an Eataly-like immersive dining, shopping, and entertainment venue, early 2025 in the Shops at Rivercenter, San Antonio River Walk. The project, in partnership with Ashkenazy Acquisition Corporation, will overhaul a 21,000-square-foot space. Mexico Ceaty will feature a variety of new bar and restaurant concepts, including Tres Arcos, Dos Cantinas, El Ultimo, and Dulce Aroma, along with food stands and a marketplace named Mercado. The venue aims to capture part of the Rivercenter's 12 million annual visitors.

🏡 Hilton Garden Inn Gainesville in Florida finished a comprehensive renovation of its 104 guestrooms, lobby, fitness center, meeting spaces, and outdoor pool. General Manager Husani Parris expressed excitement over the updated facilities. Renovations include new sofa beds, ottomans, painted walls, upgraded carpeting, and lighted vanity mirrors in rooms. The lobby now features The Shop for grab-and-go items, and the 24/7 fitness center boasts new equipment and a hydration station. Outdoor and communal spaces were also refreshed. Owned by Apple Hospitality REIT and managed by McKibbon Hospitality, the hotel offers amenities like parking, WiFi, on-site dining, over 1,500 square feet of event space, and proximity to the University of Florida and Gainesville Regional Airport.

🏨 NewcrestImage acquired the DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Columbus Downtown in Ohio, represented by Hunter Hotel Advisors' Senior Vice Presidents Tim Osborne and Spencer Davidson. The 15-floor hotel, near Ohio State Capital and the Greater Columbus Convention Center, features 194 all-suite guestrooms with two rooms for separate living, sleeping, and kitchenette areas. Amenities include concierge services, a business center, a fitness center, a lounge, and a full-service restaurant, plus nearly 7,000 square feet of conference space.

🍴 Jason Atherton and Spencer Metzger's "Row on 5" set to open around 6 November on London's Savile Row, offering a 15-course meal at £195, with two extra courses as an option. Shanghai Me, a 1930s Shanghai-inspired restaurant, will replace Galvin at Windows on the London Hilton's 28th floor. AngloThai by John and Desiree Chantarasak, a 50-cover Thai-British cuisine venue, is coming to Marylebone’s Seymour Place. Brad Carter's "Undercroft" will feature British classics in the crypt of Mayfair's St George's Church. Boxpark unveils Boxhall locations in London and Bristol, with London's featuring 16 kitchens and Bristol's 7, both opening before year-end. Chris Denney's "Fantomas" in Chelsea promises a Modern European menu with Asian influence. Santiago Lastra’s "Fonda" will offer Mexican cuisine on Mayfair's Heddon Street. Jöro by Luke French and Stacey Sherwood-French relocates to Sheffield's Oughtibridge Paper Mill development in November. Mary-Ellen McTague's "Pip", part of Manchester's Treehouse hotel, focuses on low-waste cooking. Big Mamma Group's "La Bellezza" to open a 150-cover trattoria in Birmingham's former Vinoteca site before the year's end.

🍽 Simon Shand, former head chef at Michelin-starred Shoreditch restaurant Leroy, is leading Topa, a new 22-cover restaurant in London's Holloway Road, focusing on San Sebastian cuisine. Topa operates Thursday to Saturday in the Provisions kitchen, offering pintxos and Basque plates. Dishes include wild mushrooms with egg yolk, beans with tomatoes and garlic, and hake with orzo. Provisions Wine & Cheese, founded in 2015 by Hugo Esquerré, features over 100 cheeses and 120 wines, and collaborates with Shand for Topa, aiming to recreate the communal San Sebastian dining experience.

🍕 Ambassadors Clubhouse, a 140-cover Punjab restaurant, opens in Mayfair’s Heddon Street where Momo once stood. JKS Restaurants, known for Gymkhana and Brigadiers, is behind the venture with sibling founders Jyotin, Karam, and Sunaina Sethi. Menu highlights include rare Punjab recipes and sections like ‘papads and chaat,’ with feast menus at £85 (non-vegetarian) and £80 (vegetarian), and a lunch menu ranging from £35 to £40. The wine list starts at £45, with reds reaching £600. The location is 25 Heddon Street, London, W1B 4BH.

🍕 The Restaurant Group (TRG) saw its revenue increase to £824m in 2023, up from £717m in 2022. Pre-tax losses narrowed to £19.6m from £29.1m previously. TRG disposed of its leisure division, comprised of 75 sites, to Big Table Group and was subsequently acquired by Apollo Funds for £506m. Operating profit for continuing operations jumped to £29.8m in 2023 from £4.6m. Wagamama, part of TRG, experienced an 11% growth, while TRG plans to open 10 new Wagamama restaurants and grow its UK presence to 200-220 sites, with 20-30 in the US by December 2027.