Hotel Operations

🍴 In the Mediterranean, aïoli is made with garlic and olive oil. In the U.S., aïoli has evolved to include various ingredients and is often used synonymously with mayonnaise. Truffle aïoli, notably made with truffle oil, is trending in the U.S. and is present on 1.7% of restaurant menus, marking a 22% increase over four years. This variety is sought-after for its rich aroma and creaminess, complementing dishes from French fries to highly acidic meals.

🏨 Criterion Capital acquires former Debenhams store at 109-112 Princes Street, Edinburgh, to open the first Zedwell hotel in Scotland. Occupying over 116,500 square feet, the Edinburgh Zedwell is positioned near Old Town, the Royal Mile, and offers views of Edinburgh Castle and Princes Street Gardens. Criterion plans a UK-wide expansion with a pipeline of 22 hotels and over 7000 rooms, aiming for assets under management to exceed £6 billion. JLL advised Criterion on the acquisition. Edinburgh is considered the best performing hotel market in Europe.

🏡 Titanic Hotel Liverpool celebrates its 10th anniversary in July 2024 with month-long festivities including a special cocktail "Captain’s Farewell," giveaways, a photo gallery of its history, and a 10th-anniversary newspaper edition. Opened in 2014, the hotel is a multi-award winner, recently named Large Hotel of the Year in VisitEngland’s Awards for Excellence 2023. Guests can win prizes like Prosecco afternoon tea or a stay in a Presidential Suite in an Instagram giveaway starting 22nd July.

🏦 Auberge Resorts Collection will manage the luxury Cambridge House in London, set to open in late 2025 at 94 Piccadilly. Reuben Brothers are investing £1 billion ($1.3 billion) in the project, as part of the Piccadilly Estate regeneration, which includes One Carrington and Shepherd Market. Cambridge House will feature 102 rooms, a private members’ club, a spa with hydrotherapy facilities, two pools, seven treatment rooms, and a ballroom. Jean-Louis Deniot and Laura Gonzalez are responsible for the design of the hotel and club respectively.

🏨 Aqua-Aston Hospitality, founded in 1948 with 25 properties in Hawaii, expands into Tempe, Arizona, with dual-branded Fairfield Inn & Suites and TownePlace Suites. Hotel Equities enters U.S. Virgin Islands with a new Hampton by Hilton, the first development there in 30+ years. Hyatt introduces Hyatt Studios in the upper-midscale, extended-stay category. Hilton enters five new markets, including Bermuda and Paraguay. Coury Hospitality's Vin hotels launch in Grapevine, Texas, and Rogers, Ark. Hotel Equities grew from two to over 40 hotels in Canada since 2018, with a plan for similar expansion in the Caribbean and Latin America.

📢 Aqua-Aston Hospitality, established in Hawaii since 1948 with 25 properties, expanded to Tempe, Arizona, opening a dual-branded Fairfield Inn & Suites and TownePlace Suites. Hotel Equities, based in Atlanta, recently took on a new Hampton by Hilton hotel in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, marking the first development there in over 30 years. Hilton entered five new markets including Bermuda and Nepal. Key factors for entering new markets include demand, area renaissance, and historical performance. Aqua-Aston Hospitality's managing director Andrea Mue emphasizes targeting locations with growth potential. Hotel Equities only commits to new markets after extensive research, exemplified by over a year of study before expanding into Canada and the Caribbean/Latin America. Marriott International, Hyatt Hotels, and Coury Hospitality also employ strategic analyses for expansion, focusing on guest demand, infrastructure, and differentiating their brand in the market.

🍴 The Braywood, a contemporary restaurant, is set to open in November on the historic site of Royal Oak in Paley Street, near Bray. It will feature a 70-cover dining area and a cocktail bar, with Sam Brennan as head chef. WSH Restaurants expands its portfolio to six with this opening and another in London's Fitzrovia. The company, known for its high training standards, celebrates over a decade of career development for its talent.

🍽 Spanish chef José Pizarro plans to open an all-day dining restaurant named Lolo on Bermondsey Street in London. Revealed in April, Lolo reflects Pizarro's love for the UK and Spain. The menu includes a ‘bikini’ sandwich, pastries, eggs with PX sherry-cured salmon, fresh salads, tinned fish like Anchoa Catalina Gran Reserva, and a variety of Bloody Marys. The Mediterranean-inspired venue transforms from café to wine bar and will feature local art, with 46 covers and counter seating at the bar.

🍴 Created by Alan Yau, Yamabahçe in Central London serves Turkish street food with an average lunch spend of

📚 Danielle Brustman designed the interiors of Harbour Early Learning Centre in Sydney's Vaucluse suburb, focusing on themes of the sea and sky to connect children with nature and the community. The project spans three levels and features graphic elements inspired by the seaside, with rooms named Sky, Sunset, Rainbow, Under the Sea, and Boat. Collaborating with SJB, Supercontext, Fiona Robbe, and Citizen, Brustman emphasized sustainable materials and a robust furniture selection from Australian designers. The design also references Piet Mondrian's work and incorporates a vibrant blue staircase reminiscent of Sydney Harbour.