Crown scores Melbourne tower: Casino giant Crown Resorts got the go ahead to build Melbourne’s tallest building – a A$1.75 billion (US$1.3 billion), 90-story hotel and apartments development. The property will contain 388 hotel rooms, 708 residential apartments, in addition to a publically accessible restaurant and pedestrian sky bridge. As a condition, Crown agreed to invest up to $A100 million (US$76.3 million) in tourism amenities to benefit the local area.
Nashville Disney-ish hotel: A father-and-son duo who are distant relatives of Walt Disney are leading efforts to build the World One Hotel, a $500 million-plus project that could include a 40-story, 829 room hotel and a shopping center in downtown Nashville. If built, it would be the downtown area’s largest hotel and could include a 2,500-seat 3-D holographic and live theater and a rooftop water park.
Michelins for George V: Three restaurants at the Four Seasons Hotel George V, Paris – Le Cinq, Le George and L’Orangerie – have collectively been awarded five Michelin stars, making the hotel the first luxury hotel in Europe to be home to three Michelin-starred restaurants.
Mantra Group: Luxury property developer Gurner sold the building management rights to its A$600 million (US$458 million) Brisbane-based ‘FV’ project to Mantra Group’s high-end ‘Peppers’ brand. The management rights span 970 apartments across the project’s three towers, as well as portions of the commercial space and leisure facilities.
W Prague: Marriott International will open W Prague in 2020. Owned by PPH Evropa s.r.o, W Prague marks the brand’s debut into the Czech Republic and will be located on Wenceslas Square.
Westin, North Carolina: Downtown Greensboro, North Carolina will get a Westin hotel, a project that’s been on the drawing board for years. Local businessman Randall Kaplan will build the hotel and a construction date will likely be announced in spring.
The Current: A historic building in downtown Davenport, Iowa will undergo renovations to become a project, The Current, Iowa, which will partly contain a luxury boutique hotel. Developers Amy & Amrit Gill are behind the project, which will feature 28 market rate luxury apartments.