Choice Hotels EMEA adds four Scandinavian hotels: Choice Hotels EMEA has added four boutique Scandinavian hotels to its upscale Ascend Hotel Collection portfolio. The addition of the historic hotels is part of an agreement between Nordic Choice Hotels and The Fortress Hotels. The hotels include the 86-room Oscarsborg Fortress, Kongsvinger Fortress and Reenskaug Hotel (all in Norway), and the 26-room Torreby Castle in Sweden. This comes soon as Choice Hotels EMEA commenced the recently-announced refresh of its Ascend Hotel Collection in EMEA, which consists of more than 70 independent hotels. Comprising more than 70 hotels in the Nordic region, Italy, Spain, Ireland and Turkey, Choice Hotels EMEA portfolio includes Clarion, Quality, Comfort, Sleep Inn and the Ascend Hotel Collection.
Ashore Resort opens after renovations: Certares and its partners have announced the opening of Ashore Resort & Beach Club in Ocean City, Md. The newly-renovated upscale resort sits on a beachfront location. Extensive property-wide renovations will be completed this spring. The property offers panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean and Assawoman Bay, a new 3,000 square feet deck, 250 renovated rooms and suites including 15 multi-room suites, five new dining venues, 14 meeting rooms with 40,000 square feet of flexible event areas, a ballroom with 7,500 square feet which can accommodate up to 1,000 persons and a beachside pavilion for outdoor events. Formerly known as the Ocean City Fontainebleau Resort, the property was acquired in 2022 by a joint venture between an affiliate of Certares Real Estate Management LLC and affiliates of Monomoy Property Venture LLC and Highlands Investments LLC. The owners have selected HEI Hotels and Resorts to manage the resort.
RCU announces a new hotel in AlUla: The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) has announced Dar Tantora by The House Hotel, a hospitality experience in AlUla Old Town. RCU is restoring the property by using multiple historical mud-brick buildings using modern engineering methods and traditional techniques. Dar Tantora by The House Hotel, a Kerten Hospitality brand, will have 30 rooms. The rooms and facilities will be decorated with authentic designs and materials from AlUla’s past. The property will also include a pool, spa, restaurant and a café.
Whimstay raises $10M in equity: Whimstay, Inc., the vacation rental booking platform for last-minute vacations, has secured $10 million in equity funding. The investment will help fund new hires and the development of new features and products focused on search experience, more integrated dynamic pricing, guest engagement, flexibility for guests, loyalty and rewards programs, multiple conversion initiatives and ancillary fintech products. Investors were not disclosed.
Radisson Collection Hotel in India: Radisson Hotel Group has signed the first Radisson Collection-branded hotel in India in Hyderabad. The 300-room Radisson Collection Hotel, Hyderabad Financial District, will be close to the city’s financial district and is expected to open by Q2 2026. The hotel will include an all-day dining restaurant, specialty dining outlets, a tea lounge, a rooftop bar, a spa and a health club. The hotel will also offer over 12,500 square feet of banquet space and a business club spanning around 7,000 square feet. Currently, Radisson has more than 150 hotels in operation and development across India. Radisson Collection, the luxury lifestyle brand, was launched in 2018 and presently has more than 50 hotels operating and under development across the U.K., Germany, Spain, Italy and Turkey.