Briefs: Accor to Iceland; Luxury, eco-resort to open in Sri Lanka

ACCOR TO DEBUT IN ICELAND: Accor is expanding its global network and has signed its first hotel in Iceland. The hospitality group has partnered with Icelandic Hotels & Resorts/Hotels & Resorts – Investment & Development to open an ibis-branded hotel in Reykjavik in Q2 2024. The existing 57-room Hótel Múli will rebrand and undergo extensive renovations to reopen as ibis Styles Reykjavik. This is Accor’s second market entry in the Nordic region, following the opening of the ibis Styles Copenhagen Ørestad earlier this year.

LUXURY, ECO-RESORT IN SRI LANKA: Kotiyagala Luxury Villas, located in Sri Lanka’s Yala National Park, has announced it will open its doors in March 2024. Owned by ENR Holdings and designed by Sri Lankan architect Mano Ponniah, the 12-villa, all-pool eco-resort is located between Yala’s forest and the Indian Ocean. The property includes an Ayurvedic spa, a signature restaurant and bar and a fitness center. Each one-, two- and three-bedroom villa features a private deck with a freshwater infinity pool and a rain shower. The resort buildings are connected in timber pathways, which stretch 400 meters in length and are elevated above the canopy level of the surrounding forest.

IHG ADDS VOCO IN INDIA: IHG Hotels & Resorts is expanding its voco portfolio in India and has signed a management agreement with A.R. Resorts & Hotels Pvt. Ltd. to develop a new hotel in Amritsar in Punjab. The 139-key voco Amritsar Airport is expected to open in December 2024. This will be the fifth voco-branded hotel in India and the first in Punjab in northern India. Located close to the airport, the hotel will feature three dining venues, an outdoor pool, a spa, gym and 805 square meters of meeting space spread across five venues, including a ballroom. Currently, IHG has 45 hotels operating under five brands in India and anticipates opening 45 more hotels in the next three to five years.

CITIZENM LAUNCHES IN ITALY: citizenM has opened its first hotel in Italy, citizenM Rome Isola Tiberina. This marks citizenM’s 33^rd hotel in its portfolio. citizenM Rome Isola Tiberina is close to the Trastevere neighborhood and the city’s cultural sites. The hotel building was originally built in the late 1950s by architect Eugenio Montuori and spans 7,000 square meters. The five-story building was acquired in 2020 through a fund managed by independent asset management Colliers Global Investors Italy and renovated to convert it into a modern, commercial-use building. The hotel features 162 rooms with XL king-size beds, widescreen TVs and rain showers. Amenities include a meeting room, large Living Room space, a 24×7 canteenM and a rooftop terrace with views of the city. The hotel’s interiors and exteriors have been designed by Amsterdam-based concrete in collaboration with local architecture company ARTELLA.

ST. REGIS TO OPEN IN RED SEA: The St. Regis Red Sea Resort will open in January 2024. This will be the first resort to open on a private island in The Red Sea, Saudi Arabia’s luxury regenerative tourism destination. The St. Regis Red Sea Resort will have 90 beachfront and overwater villas with one- to four-bedroom units, each with a private pool and sun deck. Each stay will have a St. Regis Butler service and a selection of signature rituals. The resort will also feature five restaurants, two outdoor swimming pools, a fitness center, a spa and a children’s club. Guests can enjoy various water activities, snorkel against preserved coral reefs and visit nearby discovery sites and wrecks, including the Blue Hole, a natural marine cavern adjacent to the property. The resort will be fully powered by renewable energy generated by solar energy and one of the world’s largest battery storage on the mainland.