Hotel Openings

🏨 Accor partners with Select Group to bring Mövenpick to the UK in late 2027, transforming the Old Thorns Estate in Hampshire. The 194-room property will include a championship golf course, four restaurants, a spa, and 2,500 sqm of meeting space. The ballroom will host over 500 guests. Joining Accor’s 200+ UK hotels, this renovation echoes Mövenpick’s culinary and environmental ethos. Select Group, based in Dubai, has developed over 20 million sq ft globally.

🌴 MGallery Collection is expanding into the Maldives, opening V Villas Maldives at Mirihi by early 2026. Located on Mirihi Island, South Ari Atoll, the resort will be the brand's first in the Maldives. The existing Mirihi Island Resort will undergo renovations led by Studio Gronda, featuring 42 villas. VIE Maldives Pvt Ltd, part of Major Cineplex Group, owns the resort. Access is via a 25-minute seaplane from Malé International Airport. Sustainability and luxury are key focuses.

🏨 Rocco Forte Hotels will open Masseria del Cardinale in Fasano, Puglia, by 2028, expanding their presence in the region after Masseria Torre Maizza's 2019 debut. The estate, featuring 86 rooms, a spa, and pool, is being developed with PGIM and Dekus, with design overseen by Olga Polizzi and Luigi Fragola Architects. This marks part of a broader expansion, with four new Italian openings planned by 2027, reinforcing Italy's importance to the brand's growth.

🍣 Seven Sushi & Robata, launched on November 20 in Houston's Chinatown at Dun Huang Plaza, offers a 4,000 sq ft space seating 160. Guests enjoy all-you-can-eat sushi and robata with two pricing tiers: $37 for core items and $57 including premium additions. Open until midnight, the menu features both Japanese and Chinese architectural elements. Grace and Leo Xia, also known for Duck N Bao and Hongdae 33, manage the restaurant, which includes a full bar with unique cocktails.

🍴 Gavin Kaysen opened three new restaurants in three weeks. Bellecour in Edina, Minneapolis, opened on November 18, offering French-style breakfast and lunch. A North Loop Minneapolis location followed on December 6, adding bistro-style dinners. The Merchant Room, a New American brasserie, opened December 8 at Naples Beach Club, Florida. These expansions are supported by a strong team, including Alexandra Motz, pastry director, and Zachary Byers, head sommelier.

🏖 MOAB, Utah—In 2025, Hilton unveiled the Slackline Moab hotel, part of the Outset Collection. The 138-room establishment welcomes explorers with features like outdoor fire pits, pet-friendly rooms, and a gear shop. Guests can engage in guided hiking, biking, and stargazing. Amenities include the Little Station Coffee + Kitchen and an outdoor pool. Designed for outdoor enthusiasts, Slackline Moab aims to connect visitors to the spirit of Moab’s red rock country.

🏡 Highstay is transforming Hôtel Vintimille into a premium long-stay accommodation in Paris. This project highlights two growing trends: the reconversion of heritage buildings and increased demand for upscale extended-stay options.

🏨 Procaccianti Companies will renovate the Hyatt Regency Lexington, Kentucky, starting next summer. The project, approved by Kentucky’s Tourism Development Incentive Program, involves refreshing 366 guestrooms, guestroom corridors, and public areas, plus redesigning the restaurant and bar, adding a marketplace, and expanding the fitness center. TPG Hotels & Resorts will manage the hotel, while TPG Development & Construction will handle the renovation. The upgrades aim to enhance guest experience and support Lexington's downtown growth.

🏠 McKays Hotel, part of Turas Hotels, expanded in Pitlochry with a £250,000 conversion of an Italian café into a townhouse. Opened recently, it offers seven en-suite rooms and two self-catering apartments. This follows a £1.25m investment three years ago. Pitlochry, attracting 500,000 yearly visitors, benefits from tourism boosts like Alan Cumming's role at Pitlochry Festival Theatre. McKays aims to meet demand for upscale lodging, appealing to longer-stay guests.