ANANTARA GROWS LUXURY PORTFOLIO IN MIDDLE EAST: Minor Hotels is expanding to its Middle East portfolio and has announced the addition of a new resort and residential project in Sharjah, the U.A.E. Located along the Arabian Gulf coastline, the Anantara Sharjah Resort and Anantara Sharjah Residences are slated to open in late 2027. The new-build property is owned and being developed by Arada and situated along the north-eastern side of the Al Heerah Beach. The property will have a signature gateway to highlight the path of the sun. Featuring 110 guestrooms, the property will offer 128 one-four-bedroom residences. The four-bedroom penthouses will include rooftop pools. The property will also have a spa, an infinity pool, gym, five restaurants, 400-square-meter meeting space and outdoor venues for events. The upcoming resort is the latest entrant to Anantara’s collection of 10 properties in the Middle East, which include the two recently launched properties in the U.A.E., two resorts in Oman and one in Qatar.Â
VOCO ADDS IN FLORIDA: IHG Hotels & Resorts has opened voco Sarasota, following a recent rebrand and renovation. Located in the Rosemary District in Sarasota, Fla., the 95-room hotel features an outdoor pool, a fitness center and 1,190 square feet of meeting and event spaces. The hotel will soon open a restaurant and bar concept. Managed by Aimbridge Hospitality LLC, the hotel is voco’s second property in Florida.
AHLA DISAPPOINTED OVER BIDEN’S VETO OF JOINT-EMPLOYER RULE: The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) expressed disappointment over President Biden’s vetoing of the legislation which would have overturned the National Labor Relations Board’s joint-employer rule. In a statement, AHLA Interim President & CEO Kevin Carey said in vetoing the “dangerous” rule, the president ignored the concerns of AHLA’s over 30,000 members, the courts and Democrats and Republicans in Congress. “Thankfully, a federal court has already intervened and is blocking the administration from implementing its job-killing joint-employer rule following a lawsuit from AHLA and other business groups. We stand ready to fight any attempt by the NLRB to appeal the court’s decision,” Carey said.
AC HOTELS ADDS IN CHINA: AC Hotels by Marriott, part of Marriott Bonvoy’s portfolio, has opened AC Hotel Chengdu North. This marks the brand’s maiden property in Southwest China. Located at the junction of Chengdu’s Jinniu District and Xindu District, the new hotel is situated in Phoenix Mountain Sports Park, a multi-functional Sports Park. The hotel consists of 240 rooms and suites, an all-day dining restaurant, a lounge at the outdoor terrace, gym, function room and a boardroom. At present, AC Hotels has more than 225 hotels across 33 countries.