A quick roundup of global hospitality news.
ENNISMORE’S SO/ TO OPEN IN DUBAI: Ennismore’s SO/ Hotels brand will make its debut in the Middle East with the launch of SO/ Uptown Dubai. Located in the DMCC’s Uptown Dubai district, the luxury hotel will be linked to the fashion industry through partnerships and programming developed to support local talent. Situated within Uptown Tower, the 340-meter-high building has been designed by architects Adrian Smith and Gordon Gill. The hotel will feature 188 rooms and suites with views of Dubai’s skyline and 227 signature SO/ branded residences. The residences will occupy the top 28 floors of the Uptown Tower, with residents enjoying exclusive access to an indoor pool, gym, lounge, private cinema and a kids club and creche. The hotel will include several dining options, wellness facilities and conference spaces.
TIVOLI HOTELS VENTURES INTO ITALY: Minor Hotels has launched its Tivoli Hotels & Resorts brand in Italy, with the addition of a hotel in the mixed-use development of Portopiccolo near Trieste in northern Italy. The luxury, 58-room Tivoli Portopiccolo Sistiana Resort will open later this month. Located in the Duino Cliffs Nature Reserve on the Gulf of Trieste, the property includes 73 branded residences. The hotel is a former member of the Marriott Luxury Collection and is part of the Portopiccolo complex, which is owned by the Porto Piccolo Fund and managed by Investire SGR. The Portopiccolo complex offers four restaurants, two bars, six swimming pools, a beach club, an in-hotel wellness and fitness center and a spa. The hotel also includes 1,200 square meters of meeting space.
US PERFORMANCE FOR MAY: The hotel industry in the U.S. posted a higher performance in May compared to the previous month, according to the latest data from STR.
- Occupancy: 64.8% (-0.2%)
- ADR: $156.25 (+3.8%)
- RevPAR: $101.31 (+3.7%)
Among the top 25 markets, New York City saw the highest occupancy level (84%), up 3.6% YOY, driven by NYU’s commencement at Yankee Stadium and Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour. Minneapolis (59.1%) and Houston (60.2%) were among the markets with the lowest occupancy. Reflecting continued improvement in business travel and groups, the top 25 markets reported increased occupancy and ADR than other markets.
HILTON DEBUTS IN GHANA: Hilton has signed a management agreement with High Street Development Co. Ltd. to open Hilton Accra Cantonments. The newly-built hotel will be Hilton’s first hotel in Ghana and is expected to open in December. The hotel will have 145 rooms, an all-day dining restaurant, lobby lounge, pool bar, gym, spa, pool and more than 900 square meters of event space. Currently, Hilton has three hotels in the pipeline in Ghana and 43 overall across Africa, with 65 more under development.
HOTEL JAL CITY IN BANGKOK: Hotel JAL City Bangkok, the first JAL City hotel to open outside Japan, is set to open on July 3. This will be the 16th hotel to operate under the Japan-based JAL City brand. Located in Bangkok’s Thonglor district, the existing Hotel Verve Bangkok will be rebranded as Hotel JAL City Bangkok. The hotel features 324 rooms, a restaurant and three meeting rooms with a total space of over 300 square meters. Guests will be able to use the swimming pool at the adjacent Hotel Nikko Bangkok for a charge.