Ouvertures d’hôtels

🏥 Grasse, a city renowned for perfume-making, hosted over 2.5 million visitors and generated approximately €50 million in tourism revenue in 2024, despite only having 20 hotels, including a singular five-star hotel with 16 rooms. Courbet Héritage is addressing the luxury accommodation gap by offering an unparalleled ultra-luxury experience, aiming to attract discerning clients and boost the region's economic and cultural appeal. The Hôtel Victoria, a 19th-century architectural gem, is central to this vision, with plans for it to become Grasse's premier ultra-luxury hotel, complete with a spa and restaurant, merging timeless elegance with modern innovation.

🏨 The Corinthia Grand Hotel du Boulevard, featuring 30 exclusive suites, is set to open in March 2025 in Bucharest's most prestigious district. Online bookings for stays starting from March 10, 2025, are now available. This historical building, first opened in 1873, was the Romanian capital's pioneer hotel with electric lighting and an elevator. Managed by General Manager Jean-Pierre Misfud, the national monument hotel is revamping to offer a blend of elegant design, modern amenities, and anticipative high-level service. Dining options include the French-Romanian fusion restaurant Boulevard 73, Mediterranean SASS’ Restaurant & Lounge, and the Heritage Bar. A boutique spa, well-equipped fitness center, and thermal treatments provide a full well-being experience, complemented by partnerships with local artists.

🏨 Whitbread, parent company of UK's largest hotel brand Premier Inn, added over 1,000 new rooms to its UK network since March 2024, marking the fiscal year FY24/25. The 137-room Premier Inn at London Waterloo (North Lambeth) surpassed 1,000 new rooms early in the month, being the third new hotel in London since last spring. In total, Whitbread launched seven new Premier Inn and hub by Premier Inn hotels in the past eleven months in London, Cambridge, Bristol, York, and Torquay. Whitbread now offers over 85,500 hotel rooms to UK customers and sees potential for 125,000 rooms in the UK and Ireland, capitalizing on a favorable supply context and the continuous decline of independent hotels and guesthouses.

🏨 Hilton, throughout a year, announced new strategic partnerships and acquisitions, accelerating global hotel development. Over 1,430 hotels with 154,000 rooms signed for 2024, increasing the pipeline to roughly 3,600 hotels and over 498,500 rooms—an 8% year-over-year growth. In 2024, construction began on 88,500 rooms, marking Hilton's highest construction level in history, maintaining the lead with about one in five hotel rooms under construction worldwide set to join the company's portfolio.

🏖️ Mandarin Oriental Esencia, set to open in 2028, will be the third Caribbean property of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, located on the southwest coast of Puerto Rico in the bay of Boquerón, Cabo Rojo. Developed as part of the Esencia seaside estate project by Reuben Brothers and Three Rules Capital, it will offer 106 rooms and suites with private balconies, terraces, or gardens. Guests will have immersive experiences within Puerto Rico's biodiverse natural environments, access to renowned beaches, local gastronomy, and wellness activities.

🏨 Marriott acquired Starwood for $13 billion in 2016, creating the world's largest hotel group. Barry Sternlicht originally formed Starwood in 1991 with a $20 million initial investment. Starwood brands included St. Regis, W, Westin, and Luxury Collection, with a popular loyalty program, SPG. In February 2025, SH Hotels & Resorts will be rebranded as "Starwood." Sternlicht's current Starwood Capital Group owns Baccarat, 1 Hotels, and Treehouse, with ambitions to expand. The original Starwood had 1,300 hotels in 100 countries; the new Starwood has 14 establishments in 5 countries and 22 development projects planned by 2028, including 1 Hotels in Austin, Crete, Riyadh, and Seattle, and Baccarat hotels in Dubai, Maldives, Riyadh, and Rome.

🏡 Pyramid Global Hospitality and Tribute Portfolio by Marriott Bonvoy announced the opening of the Midland Hotel, Chicago, formerly W Chicago City Center. Located in the Chicago Loop, the hotel is steps away from attractions like Millennium Park and the Chicago Theatre. It features a phased reinvention, with the first phase enhancing the entrance and common areas, and the second phase to transform 403 rooms and suites. The hotel offers a local culinary experience at Midland Social Club and MSC Bar, and boasts 12,589 square feet of meeting space.

🏖️ SAMANA Developers and ELIE SAAB unveiled SAMANA Ocean Views interiors at Madinat Arena, Dubai. The AED 2.2 billion Maldives project, first real estate venture by ELIE SAAB in the area, scheduled for completion in 2029, spans 507,651 sq ft, featuring 190 luxurious seaside villas, overwater bungalows, and sophisticated poolside apartments, a 20-minute speedboat ride from Hanimaadhoo Airport or 45 minutes by seaplane from Malé.

🏘 Prestige Villa Rental, after 8 years of existence, launched its new version on October 1, 2024. Founded by Manuel Reuff, an expert in luxury hospitality and real estate, the platform offers elite travelers the opportunity to rent prestigious villas directly from owners. Each villa undergoes a rigorous 300-point quality control process. Currently established in the French Antilles and Europe, PrestigeVillaRental.com plans to expand to over 2000 luxury homes in 40 international destinations.

🏨 A 4-star hotel by Gogaille group to open in Charleville-Mézières at Place Ducale in 2027, featuring around 50 rooms, seminar spaces, and a restaurant, targeting business and tourist clients. The city remains the owner, Gogaille to manage and pay €400,000 annual rent. Le Havre city calls for applications to run 17 beach platforms for seasonal food services from March 1, 2026, to October 31, 2032, prioritizing public space enhancement and sustainable tourism. Application guidelines available via email from [email protected] until February 21, 2025; submissions due by April 28, 2025.