Mandarin comeback. After a fire in June closed the newly renovated 181-room Mandarin Oriental London, the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group has announced that Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, Bar Boulud, London, The Rosebery, Mandarin Bar, The Spa at Mandarin Oriental, London and all event spaces will reopen on December 4. Guest rooms and suites are expected to reopen this coming Spring.
Marriott mixed-use to Colombo. One Transworks Square, Sydney, has announced a plan to bring The Ritz-Carlton and JW Marriott to Colombo, Sri Lanka, set within a new mixed-use complex. “The One” luxury project will be composed of three glass towers set on four million square feet of property at Transworks Square, Colombo 1. The 200-room Ritz-Carlton with 187 residences, and the 250-room JW Marriott Colombo with 218 resdiences will be built in the third tower slated to be South Asia’s tallest building at 376 metres high and 92 floors.
Nashville tower reimagined. Hotel Equities and Hilton plan to transform Nashville’s iconic United Artists Tower into an upscale, 185-room boutique hotel under Tapestry Collection by Hilton brand. The property, expected to open in 2020 and owned by Sai Ram 009, is located at 50 Music Square West in the heart of Nashville’s famed Music Row. It was originally constructed in 1974 by two members of Elvis Presley’s backup band, The Jordanaires, and served as office and recording studio space for decades. The hotel will fall into Hotel Equities’ full-service and resort division of hotels.
Rocking Madrid. Hard Rock International has announced plans to open the 159-room Hard Rock Hotel Madrid in 2019 in collaboration with European real estate specialists ActivumSG Capital Management Ltd. The hotel will be located opposite the historic Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía in the Atocha district of Madrid. ASG acquired the site when it was a municipal office building and is leading an extensive €25 million program to reposition the property.
Novum rolling in Germany. Together with S&P Commercial Development, an associated company of the Sontowski & Partner Group, Novum Hospitality has signed for the development of its 170th hotel, a Niu branded projected located in Paul-Gossen-Strasse/Koldestrasse in Erlangen, Germany. The start of construction of the 130-room Niu Cure is planned for the end of 2019 and with an opening set for 2021.
Ozo set for Maldives. Onyx Hospitality Group, Bangkok, has signed an agreement with a joint venture company led by Panchshil Realty to launch Ozo Maldives. Scheduled to open in the third quarter of 2020, the 200-villa private island resort will occupy a secluded island in the Raa Atoll, located northwest of the Maldivian capital of Male.
Rotana leadership. Abu Dhabi-based hotel management company Rotana has announced that its current President and CEO Omer Kaddouri willv step down from the role at the end of 2018. Current COO Guy Hutchinson will become acting president and CEO in the New Year. Kaddouri, who assumed his current position in January 2014, will be relocating to Amsterdam, where he will explore developing and investing in restaurants and hospitality projects.
Global tourism thriving. According to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)’s latest barometer, international tourist arrivals grew 6% in the first six months of 2018 after a record year of growth in 2017. The increase was fueled by strong demand from major source markets, supported by an upswing in the global economy. It comes after record year-round growth of 7% in 2017. By region, Europe and Asia Pacific led growth with a 7% increase in arrivals each. Southern Mediterranean Europe and Southeast Asia had the strongest results in these regions, both welcoming 9% more international tourists. The Middle East and Africa also recorded sound results with arrivals growing at 5% and 4%, respectively, according to still-limited information available for destinations in these regions. The Americas saw 3% growth in arrivals over the six-month period, driven by South America (+7%) and North America (+5%). The United States continued to fuel much growth in the region and beyond. On the demand side, France, the United Kingdom and the Russian Federation all reported double-digit increases in outbound spending in Europe. India and the Republic of Korea drove growth in Asia and the Pacific, while the world’s top source market China reported similar spending as in the same period last year.
Yet another alternative. A tech-driven hybrid concept being described as a cross between a boutique hotel and Airbnb called The Guild has launched with US$9 million in funding led by Maveron with participation from Convivialite Ventures and Corigin Ventures. The Guild works by partnering with building owners to operate hotel accommodations in commercially-zoned or mixed-use buildings. The Guild’s room offerings range from a mix of traditional hotel rooms to more apartment-style accommodations (think studio, 1 BR and 2 BR apartments). The startup is also officially expanding into Miami, Cincinnati and Denver. Based in Austin, The Guild has a handful of properties in Austin and Dallas. Right now, The Guild leases the 290 units across its five markets, but the company is open to revenue-share and other types of financing structures down the road. By the end of next year, The Guild expects to operate in 1,000 units across up to 10 markets.
Expedia dabbles in voice. Expedia.com has announced the launch of the Expedia Action for the Google Assistant, giving customers the ability to manage their travel plans through hands-free, natural voice commands on any Google Assistant-enabled device. After linking their Expedia accounts to the Action, travelers can get personalized assistance with existing itineraries, they can check Expedia Rewards balances, get packing lists, and much more.
Legend passes. Neil Ostergren, CHME, a longtime ‘master of hotel marketing’ and past chair of the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI), died October 6 in New York. He was 84 years old. Neil held marketing positions with Roger Smith Hotels, Hilton International, Americana Hotels, and Wyndham Hotels; consulted internationally for Quatro Rodas Hotels in Brazil and the Ministry of Tourism in the Dominican Republic; and was involved with a variety of hotel and travel clients at two marketing agencies, Chenault and Robinson, Yesawich & Pepperdine.