Ouvertures d’hôtels

🏡 Ritz-Carlton opened its first hotel in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, China, blending luxury with local culture and heritage. Located in the heart of the city, the hotel features 190 rooms and suites, including 306 m² suites with panoramic views. KPF Architects designed the hotel, incorporating both modernity and Suzhou's traditional elements. The hotel includes 4 restaurants, a 508 m² ballroom, 3 reception rooms, and exclusive access to Tadao Ando's architectural masterpiece at China Central Place, Suzhou. General Manager Nicolas Kassab highlights the hotel as a dynamic hub for commerce, culture, and social life.

🏡 Michelin unveiled its first selection of MICHELIN Clefs in Greece, featuring 68 top lodging experiences. The selection includes 1 hotel awarded three MICHELIN Clefs, 7 hotels with two Clefs, and 60 establishments receiving one Clef. MICHELIN aims to become the leading independent booking platform globally, offering exceptional restaurants and hotels. MICHELIN Clefs are awarded based on anonymous stays or visits by the MICHELIN guide’s inspectors, independent of any existing labels, tourism stars, or quotas.

🏎 On March 5, the Nièvre Department and Courbet Héritage inked a 70-year emphyteotic lease for an exceptional hotel project at the Nevers-Magny-Cours circuit. This partnership aims to develop a must-visit destination combining sports and local vitality. The agreement includes a 3.37-hectare area for a hotel and entertainment hub, starting with the transformation of an old agricultural school into a 100-room 3-star hotel.

🏨 Hyatt Hotels Corporation announced the opening of Hyatt Place Leeds and Hyatt House Leeds earlier this month, expanding its UK portfolio, the third-largest in EAME after Germany and Spain. The dual-branded project offers 217 rooms at Hyatt Place for practical travellers and 88 rooms at Hyatt House for extended stays with kitchenettes and apartment-like amenities. Facilities include a 24/7 gym, bar, marketplace, shared meeting spaces, a rooftop bar Azotea, and Zoom restaurant.

🏡 Adrien Feltz and Alexia Courtois unveil "Domaine les Terres Bleues", a new exceptional address located on a preserved 1-hectare site in the heart of the Vallée des Lacs, Vosges. Designed by architect Gérald Klauss and built by Decobois, the domain features two luxury chalets each accommodating 2 people, with materials blending indoors with outdoors, 50m2 south-facing private terraces with jacuzzis, wood fireplace, freestanding bathtub, sensory shower, and king-size bed.

🏨 Esprit de France, part of Compagnie Lebon, has 11 owned hotels and 3 under management, also involving 25 properties in Club Esprit de France. CEO Jérémie de Fombelle, leading for 18 months, aims to expand. After a shaky start pre-summer, the Olympic period helped the group match its brilliant 2023 results. 2023 saw €54 million in revenue, with 9 Parisian hotels contributing €40 million. Similar figures expected for 2024 in Paris, with steady performance in Lens. Le Pigonnet in Aix-en-Provence will reopen in spring 2025 for its centennial celebration.

🏨 Hyatt Hotels Corporation opens Hyatt Place Leeds with 217 rooms and Hyatt House Leeds with 88 rooms, featuring a 24/7 gym, a bar, marketplace, meeting spaces, a rooftop bar Azotea, and Zoom restaurant. Hyatt plans a 30% portfolio increase in the UK by 2026, adding over 1,000 rooms. Upcoming: Hyatt Place London Paddington (87 rooms), Hyatt Regency London Olympia (200 rooms), and Park Hyatt London River Thames opening in October 2024. Since 2017, Hyatt doubled room numbers and tripled hotel count in the UK. The 2023 acquisition of Mr & Mrs Smith boosts the World of Hyatt program, adding over 1,000 hotels.

🏨 🏨 Radisson Hotel Group signed four new hotels in Bergen, Norway, with Magic Norway AS, adding 519 rooms to their portfolio, featuring Radisson Individuals brand's Nordic debut. The Magic Kloverhuset Harbour Hotel, a Radisson Individuals member, offers 157 units (137 rooms and 20 apartments) at Strandkaien street, with amenities like a restaurant, wine and cocktail bar, and rooftop bar. These strategic expansions showcase Bergen’s cultural heritage and natural landscapes.

🏖 Pierre & Vacances expanded in Catalonia by adding two hotels: Hotel Port Salins in Empuriabrava and Hotel Pirineos in Figueres, increasing their regional presence to 15 properties. Hotel Port Salins features 41 rooms, proximity to the beach (400m), and a Mediterranean restaurant. Hotel Pirineos near the Dalí Museum offers 56 rooms and 3 apartments. These additions strengthen the group's strategy to focus on key tourist destinations in Spain.

🏨 Indian Hotels Company (IHCL), India's premier hotel group, is expanding into the Middle East with Taj Wellington Mews in Al Marjan Island, Ras Al Khaimah, a partnership with luxury real estate giant BNW Developments. This marks Taj brand's entry into the rapidly developing emirate. Puneet Chhatwal, CEO of IHCL, highlighted Ras Al Khaimah's tourism potential due to its cultural heritage, natural beauty, and growing infrastructure investments. Arch. Abdulla Al Abdouli, CEO of Marjan, noted that BNW Developments is the largest private real estate developer in Ras Al Khaimah, and Taj's arrival will significantly redefine the hotel and real estate landscape.