EU recommends dropping U.S. from safe list: The European Union has recommended that Americans be banned from nonessential travel to its member states after a spike in COVID-19 cases in the U.S. Countries within the 27-nation bloc have been advised to reinstate COVID-related restrictions and halt the arrival of tourists from the U.S., Israel, Kosovo, Lebanon, Montenegro and the Republic of North Macedonia. The guidance, however, is non-binding for EU member states and each EU member country can decide whether or not to allow nonessential travel to the EU for fully vaccinated travelers. Calling it a “disappointing development,” U.S. Travel Association Executive Vice President of Public Affairs and Policy Tori Emerson Barnes said in a statement: “It’s a setback despite the uptake in vaccinations — the tool that’s highly effective against the variants — which are on the rise on both sides of the Atlantic. We encourage the E.U. to remain open to vaccinated Americans, and likewise urge the United States to take immediate steps to begin welcoming vaccinated individuals and restoring our travel economy.”
Fasano trying Miami again: An affiliate of Brazilian developer JHSF has acquired for a reported US$70 million in cash the 74-key Como Metropolitan Miami Beach resort with plans to reposition it as a Fasano-branded property. JHSF acquired a percentage of the Fasano brand in 2014 from founder Rogério Fasano. The off-market deal for the Art Deco building built in 1939 and formerly known as the Traymore hotel, was brokered by The Susan Gale Team and One Sotheby’s International Realty. This will be the brand’s second attempt to land in Miami after a previous opportunity to reposition the Shore Club was scuttled in 2017.
Kempinski forays into Brazil: Kempinski Hotels, Geneva, will debut in Brazil by resurrecting the historic Laje de Pedra Hotel & Residences in Canela. The hotel features 360 residential suites and is slated to open in 2024. Ranging in size from 54 to 290 square metres, the units will be partially sold, with future owners able to use all of the hotel’s services or rent out their apartment temporarily when they are not on site. LDP Canela is a joint-venture of Brazilian real estate investor and developer José Paim de Andrade Jr., hospitality consultant José Ernesto Marino Neto, and Marcio Carvalho, a local developer. The trio have a few billion dollars invested or managed in the country.
Crown Resorts’ deal with Oaktree falls through: Crown Resorts, the Australian casino operator, reported an annual loss and said it was no longer in discussions with private equity firm Oaktree Capital over its proposal to buy out founder James Packer’s US$2.3 billion stake. Its net loss for the year to June was A$261.6 million (US$191.2 million), compared with a A$79.5 million (US$58.1 million) profit a year earlier, while its revenue slipped by nearly a third. Crown Resorts has been under regulatory scrutiny amid multiple Royal Commission enquiries. While it lost the license for its Sydney casino after an inquiry found it permitted money laundering on its premises for several years, its properties in Perth and Melbourne are also under regulatory scrutiny.
Manhattan performance improves: Increases in occupancy, ADR and RevPAR accelerated across Manhattan in the second quarter, fueled by the vaccine rollout in Q1 and early Q2, according to the Manhattan Lodging Index: Q2 2021 by PWC. RevPAR in Q2 saw a year-over-year (YOY) rise of 103.4%. Year-over-year increases in occupancy were highest in June – up 54.6%. With overall occupancy for the quarter at 52% and ADR at US$183.95, Manhattan RevPAR doubled from US$47.02 in Q2 2020 to US$95.65 in Q2 2021. Luxury properties saw the most notable YOY increase in RevPAR to US$209.42 – up 584.9% for the quarter, driven by a 230.8% increase in occupancy from 12.9% in 2020 to 42.7%, and a 107.1% increase in ADR from US$236.72 to US$490.20.
Hotel Grand unit sells Australia hotel: Hotel Grand Central, through its wholly-owned unit, has sold Hotel Grand Chancellor in Palm Cove, Queensland in Australia for A$10.9 million (US$7.96 million) to a third party. The property was last valued by Colliers International on December 2020 at A$9.3 million (US$6.79 million). The group said the sale allows it to realize its investment in the property, which hadn’t been performing well and had a challenging outlook. The property incurred a net loss of A$814,000 (US$595,059) in 2020.
Eagle Hills Diyar launches serviced apartments: Abu Dhabi-based private real estate investment and development company Eagle Hills Diyar announced the launch of residential serviced apartments — Addresses Residences, Marassi Vista — in Marassi Al Bahrain, one of the eight artificial islands being planned in Bahrain. Spanning 33,000 square meters and comprising 210 units, ranging from studio to three-bedroom apartments, Addresses Residences, Marassi Vista will be managed by Address Hotels and Resorts. The beachfront project will offer high-end, fully furnished units and is the most recent addition to the Marassi Al Bahrain community.
Crestline adds to portfolio: Crestline Hotels & Resorts announced that it will be managing the 178-room AC Hotel Portland Downtown/Waterfront Maine. After the Residence Inn Portland Downtown/Waterfront, this is Crestline’s second hotel that it is managing in Portland. Currently, Crestline manages 126 hotels, resorts and conference centers with nearly 18,500 rooms across 28 states.
Anantara resort in Bali: Anantara Hotels, Resorts and Spas, Bangkok, announced the launch of Anantara Ubud Bali Resort, its latest addition in Bali, Indonesia. Scheduled to open in mid-2022, the 85-room resort will have guest rooms and one and two-bedroom pool villas along with 15 Anantara residences for guests who prefer an extended stay. The resort is designed by EDC International Sdn. Bhd.
Singita launches carbon offset levy: In an effort to weave carbon-neutral stays, Singita, the conservation and ecotourism brand based in South Africa, introduced a carbon offsetting levy, that will automatically be included in every new booking. The funds generated from this will be used to purchase verified carbon credits from accredited service providers across regions. The funds generated from the levies are tracked and the average carbon footprint of a one-night stay was converted into a carbon offset cost for every stay. The estimated cost per tonne of carbon offset is US$10 per tonne and the monetary value of the offset will appear on guests’ invoice.
Mandatory hotel quarantine in Ireland to continue: The mandatory hotel quarantine in Ireland will continue on as “long as is considered necessary,” the country’s Department of Health said. More than 10,000 visits to Ireland have spent two weeks in supervised hotel quarantine due to the system, which was introduced in March. The number of hotels used for the system will be reduced from eight to three, including the Holiday Inn Express in Santry and Crowne Plaza hotels in Santry and Blanchardstown. The numbers in hotel quarantine have dropped from a high of 2,672 in May to just 929 so far this month.
NYU hospitality launches innovation hub: As part of its new Hospitality Innovation Hub, the NYU School of Professional Studies Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality has launched the Hospitality Innovation Hub Incubator, which will provide NYU affiliated start-up businesses and young entrepreneurs with core services — planning, launching, managing and growing their businesses with the help of industry professionals to mentor them. The incubator is envisioned as a community of NYU affiliated start-up founders, who have an active MVP in the travel, tourism or hospitality industries. Additionally, leading hospitality technology industry travel companies will partner with the incubator to help them implement solutions, including product development, marketing, M&A, tech talent recruiting, etc. Travel industry experts and start-up specialists who want to support the development of travel, tourism and hospitality solutions will also a part of this community. Applications are open and those seeking to start a new business venture in the hospitality industry can apply here.