Ouvertures d’hôtels

🏦 Whitbread PLC plans to convert Capital House, near Lothian Road, Edinburgh, into a new Premier Inn hotel, targeting cost-conscious quality seekers among business travelers and tourists near Edinburgh Castle and the congress district. The ambitious project entails a 6071 m² transformation, adding an extension to create 195 modern rooms and a ground-floor bar-restaurant. With a £21 million investment, the project expects to attract over 56,000 visitors annually, create 30 jobs, and generate an estimated £8.1 million yearly economic impact for the city, benefiting local businesses. Whitbread's acquisition director for Scotland, Jill Anderson, cites the growing demand for budget hotels as the driving force behind this development. The location boasts accessible transportation, being close to tram, bus, and train networks, and main attractions. Whitbread already operates 14 Premier Inn establishments.

🎭 Disney plans to open its seventh global Disneyland park on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, after Universal's announcement of a UK theme park. The Yas Island waterfront location is already popular for entertainment. Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, chairman of Miral, emphasizes the combination of heritage and innovation in Abu Dhabi. Miral will construct and operate the complex with design and operational guidance from Disney's Imagineers, ensuring a blend of contemporary architecture and advanced technology to create immersive experiences.

🏖️ Pierre & Vacances expands in Spain, opening a hotel in Torremolinos with 243 rooms and new apartments in Ibiza with 22 units. The Torremolinos hotel features an outdoor pool, buffet restaurant, and rooftop bar. The fully renovated Ibiza apartments are located 50 meters from the beach and include a kitchen and outdoor pool with solarium. These openings mark the company's growth to 50 establishments in the region, targeting destinations with low seasonality and high demand.

🏨 Meliá Hotels International targets strategic growth in the Mediterranean by adding Hotel Corte Rosada, Affiliated by Meliá, in Sardinia, set to open in summer 2025. This expansion raises their Italian presence to 15 hotels by 2027. The 152-room hotel, nestled in Porto Conte Natural Park and 15 minutes from Alghero airport, features a wellness center and dining spaces, enhancing Meliá's footprint in the key Italian market. Further openings are planned in Venice and Milan in 2025.

🏨 Montreal-based RIMAP Hospitality expands its Canadian market presence with the opening of two new Marriott-branded hotels: AC Hotel by Marriott Ottawa Downtown and Moxy Montréal Centre-ville. The AC Hotel, featuring 159 rooms, offers minimalist, elegant design in Ottawa's ByWard Market near top attractions, including UNESCO-listed Rideau Canal. Concurrently, the boldly designed Moxy Montréal Centre-ville opened in Quebec's metropolis. RIMAP's growth continues with Moxy Ottawa Downtown and Renaissance Hotel Ottawa slated for early 2026 and 2027, respectively.

🏕 Jumeirah Capri Palace unveils five new suites designed by architect Patricia Urquiola, offering stunning views of the Bay of Naples and the hotel's elegant pool, capturing the essence of Capri with local color, texture, and craftsmanship. Urquiola's design, deeply rooted in nature and cultural heritage, features a color palette of terracotta, soft whites, and vivid blues, with plaster Cimento creating wave-like textures and organically curved furniture. Palladian flooring pays homage to Capri's architectural heritage, while handmade Vietri tiles adorn walls, floors, and furniture, celebrating the region's artisanal tradition. Urquiola also reimagined the hotel's outdoor spaces, including a lush Caprese garden, the Bar degli Artisti, the pool bar, and a newly furnished lounge terrace, all unified by the Palladian flooring.

🏦 IHG Hotels & Resorts expands luxury portfolio in Europe with the opening of Kimpton Main Frankfurt, the first Kimpton in Germany. Located in Frankfurt's financial district with 155 rooms and suites, the hotel reflects Bauhaus-inspired design. Nestled in the FOUR Frankfurt complex, it offers a refined atmosphere combining modernist aesthetics with comfort. General Manager Ronald Hoogerbrugge highlights the unique experience of lively social spaces, a rooftop bar, and restaurants. The gastronomy includes MAY for cocktails, ANNI for European-German cuisine, and LAZULI rooftop for panoramic city views.

🏠 Hyatt announces opening of Casa Duhau, Mendoza, Argentina, by the end of 2027. This luxury establishment is the only one from The Unbound Collection by Hyatt in the country, located within Reserva Alto Agrelo's 1,000 acres. Casa Duhau will feature 52 villas and suites, Bodega Agrelia vineyard, and Casa David – Wine & Horses equestrian club. The hotel, 30 minutes from Mendoza and 35 from El Plumerillo International Airport, offers Andes mountain views and facilities like two restaurants, a spa, fitness center, pool, and outdoor event spaces.

🏨 Marriott International Inc. has partnered with VERKEHRSBUERO HOSPITALITY to launch five new hotels in Austria, adding over 1,100 rooms. Four will become Four Points Flex by Sheraton, a first in Austria, while Parkhotel Schönbrunn joins the Tribute Portfolio. Key figures like Jérôme Briet and Martin Winkler highlight the strategic growth and exceptional service. Notable openings include AC Hotel by Marriott Vienna Naschmarkt, with the first hotels set to open in Q3 2025 after major renovations.

🏖️ Kerten Hospitality and Azure United Properties announced The House Residence Azure Zanzibar, a luxury resort slated for completion by end of 2026 in Michamvi peninsula, during the Arabian Travel Market event in Dubai. The presence of Mudrick Ramadhan Soragha, Zanzibar's Minister of Tourism, underscored the project's significance. The resort will feature 93 ocean-view villas, including 16 overwater villas, embodying modern elegance with local authenticity, Swahili design elements, and sustainable practices like renewable energy use. High-end amenities include coworking spaces, destination dining with an overwater restaurant, wellness center, adult and family pools, and immersive cultural activities such as "Mama Moves" dance classes and "Earth-to-Table" picnics with local producers, reflecting the island’s growth as a top East African tourist destination.