Hotel Openings

🍳 Rò Steakhouse launched on October 27 in Coral Gables, Florida, marking ViCa Hospitality Group's first U.S. venture. The restaurant seats 130 indoors, with an outdoor terrace opening soon. Designed with a natural, cave-like ambiance by Arkham Projects, Rò features a menu curated by Chef Marcelo Palacios, including seafood, tacos, and fire-cooked steaks ranging from 8-ounce filets to a 36-ounce tomahawk. The restaurant also offers private wine lockers for guests. ViCa plans further U.S. expansions.

🍴 Yamashiro, established in the Hollywood Hills in 1914, expanded to a new Miami location on October 29, after 111 years. Boulevard Hospitality Group leads the expansion with a 9,000-square-foot rooftop restaurant at Gale Miami Hotel. The menu, crafted by chefs Charbel Hayek and Gustavo Montes, blends Japanese and Miami flavors. Features include Japanese-inspired design and cocktails. Future expansions are planned for the East Coast by late 2026, with two new locations in development.

🍴 In San Antonio, Texas, Esencia, a new restaurant at the St. Anthony Hotel helmed by Leo Davila, will open this winter. The 130-seat venue blends Spanish, Mexican, and Asian culinary influences, offering Texas beef, Gulf seafood, and more. The design mirrors San Antonio’s history, featuring a cantera stone fountain and other Spanish elements. Esencia offers private dining spaces for up to 40 guests, with a drink menu highlighting Asian spirits and Texas whiskeys. Local partners contributed to its creation.

🏖 CHARLOTTE and CHICAGO—Barings and Waterton recapitalize two Outbound Hotels: The Virginian Lodge in Jackson, Wyoming, and Outbound Stowe in Vermont. Poco Diablo Resort in Sedona, Arizona, acquired in December 2024, will reopen as Outbound Sedona in Q2 2026. The Virginian Lodge offers 165 rooms in Jackson Hole; Outbound Stowe has 76 rooms in Vermont's Green Mountains. Management by CoralTree Hospitality includes Outbound Mammoth and Outbound Yosemite.

🏨 Clare Smyth and Daniel Boulud will open two signature restaurants at Waldorf Astoria London Admiralty Arch in 2026. Smyth will lead Coreus, focusing on British seafood in the former First Sea Lord's residence, featuring a Whiskey and Seaweed bar. Boulud’s Café Boulud will offer French cuisine with a terrace overlooking The Mall and Buckingham Palace. The hotel will feature 100 rooms and suites and 17,500 sq ft of residences, located in a Grade I-listed landmark.

🏠 A £200m hospitality complex in Edinburgh is planned by The Social Hub on the Fountain Brewery site, vacant for 20 years. Part of a redevelopment by Buccleuch Property and Cruden Homes, it will include a 560-bed facility with extended-stay rooms, coworking spaces, and wellness amenities. Public consultations are set for December 8 and January 26 in Fountainbridge. The Social Hub opened in Glasgow in 2024, hosting over 600 events annually.

🏨 November 2025, New York City: Sofitel New York unveils its extensive renovation, inspired by Art Deco elements from Manhattan and Paris. The hotel, featuring 398 accommodations (346 guestrooms, 52 suites), showcases redesigned interiors with French-inspired aesthetics. Highlights include the 28th-floor Penthouse, Social 45 Bar & Bistro, and updated meeting spaces. Nearly 30% of Sofitel hotels globally are undergoing revitalization, reflecting the brand's commitment to excellence and modern French luxury, blending elegance with New York's vibrancy.

📍 The Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne, Miami, reopens December 8, 2025, post $100 million renovation. 🏨 The overhaul includes 421 guestrooms with Atlantic views, revamped lobby, and enhanced leisure amenities. 🏖️ Upgrades feature the new Ritz-Carlton Spa, expanded water sports, and Cliff Drysdale Tennis Center. 🍽️ Culinary experiences boast six dining venues, including Luma and Paralía. 🥗 Wellness offerings align with Tremble fitness. 🌴 This is the first major update in nearly 25 years.

🏨 Choice Hotels International plans to enter Africa in early 2026, starting with three franchised locations in Kenya. An Ascend Collection hotel in Maasai Mara and two under the Clarion and Quality Inn brands in Nairobi are announced. At least 15 more sites are planned across sub-Saharan and southern Africa by 2030. The company aims to double its international profitability by 2027, with current gross rooms revenue at $3 billion.

🏨 Peachtree Group opened a 98-room Tru by Hilton in Huntsville, Alabama, near Boeing, NASA, and the FBI’s Huntsville campus. This is Peachtree’s sixth hotel opening in 2025. The hotel, located close to key government contractors and Redstone Arsenal, features open social spaces, complimentary breakfast, a 24/7 market, a fitness center, and lounge areas. Peachtree’s hospitality division manages the hotel, emphasizing the area's robust aerospace and defense industries.