CONRAD OPENS IN BAHRAIN: Hilton has introduced its luxury brand Conrad Hotels & Resorts in Bahrain with the opening of Conrad Bahrain Financial Harbour. Situated within the SAYACORP Tower, the hotel is located in downtown Manama and sits close to popular attractions. The hotel features 98 rooms, including one-, two- and three-bedroom residential suites along with four-bedroom penthouses with private outdoor pools. The hotel offers a restaurant, café, library-style bar, a rooftop infinity pool, fitness center, sauna and steam rooms and meeting spaces. Currently, Conrad has 48 open properties totaling 17,383 rooms across five continents, with 14 more hotels in development.
HOTEL EQUITIES EXPANDS INTO CALA: Hotel Equities has been selected to manage the Hampton by Hilton hotel in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. Located in in Charlotte Amalie, the property is the first new hotel development in the U.S. Virgin Islands in more than 30 years. The 126-room Hampton by Hilton St. Thomas is developed by Shaun Miller of Haven Development and is the first Hilton focused service hotel in the area. This is the inaugural property under Hotel Equities’ Trust Hospitality vertical, marking the hotel management firm’s launch in the Caribbean and Latin American markets. Located adjacent to the West Indian marina and overlooking downtown Charlotte Amalie, the hotel features Danish colonial architecture. The hotel is expected to open in Q1 2025 and will offer an indoor/outdoor bar and a restaurant. Hotel Equities’ portfolio comprises 300 hotels and resorts across the U.S. and Canada, of which 20 are Hampton by Hilton-branded properties.
HYATT DEBUTS IN ZIMBABWE: Hyatt Hotels Corp. has debuted in Zimbabwe with the opening of the Hyatt Regency The Meikles. Originally opened in 1915, the hotel has recently been rebranded to Hyatt Regency. The luxury hotel features 312 rooms in its north and south wings, each overlooking the Africa Unity Square. Amenities at the hotel include multiple dining venues, a spa, fitness center, pool deck and more than 21,527 square feet of meeting spaces.
SONESTA ESSENTIAL EXPANDS PORTFOLIO: Sonesta International Hotels has opened Sonesta Essential Fairmont in Fairmont, W. Va. Located between Morgantown and Clarksburg, the upper-midscale hotel features 62 rooms and marks Sonesta Essential’s second location in the state. Sonesta Essential provides guests with the essentials during their stay, including the brand’s sleep program, complimentary WiFi and hot breakfast, a fitness center and all-day coffee.
SOUTHERNMOST BEACH RESORT REDEVELOPS GUESTHOUSES: The Southernmost Beach Resort in Key West, Fla. has unveiled its $12.5 million transformation of The Guesthouses. The luxury, adults-only retreat consists of four restored 19th century-styled Victorian homes – La Mer, Dewey, Avalon, and Duval Gardens. Each guesthouse is overseen by its own innkeeper. Miami-based Big Time Design Studios led the transformation. Guests staying at The Guesthouses can access Southernmost Beach Resort’s amenities, which include three pools, bars, retail spaces, a spa, private beach and the Southernmost Beach Café. The resort completed extensive refurbishments to its façade, breezeways and 243 rooms in 2022, preceded by a renovation of the lobby, pool and bar and the addition of an exterior patio at the beach café in 2021.