A quick roundup of global hospitality news.
RAFFLES OPENS HOTEL, RESIDENCES IN BOSTON: Raffles Hotels & Resorts, part of Accor, has opened Raffles Boston. Located in Back Bay, the hotel features 147 rooms, a three-story lobby on the 17th floor, a grand staircase, four dining venues, a writer’s lounge, a gym, a 20-meter indoor pool with views of the city and a Guerlain Spa. The 35-story sustainable new-build hotel includes Raffles Residences, currently available for sale. The hotel is Raffles’ first hotel and residence in North America. The Architectural Team has designed the hotel’s exterior architecture, while hospitality design company Stonehill Taylor designed the guestrooms and multiple amenity spaces. The fitness center, spa and Raffles’ Residences were designed by Rockwell Group. The development team was a partnership of locals Jordan Warshaw of The Noannet Group and hotelier Gary Saunders of Saunders Hotel Group. Along with their global development and equity partner Cain International, Madison Realty Capital provided construction financing.
ALOFT HOTELS OPENS ITS BIGGEST HOTEL IN SINGAPORE: Aloft Hotels, part of Marriott Bonvoy’s 31 hotel brands, has announced the opening of its first property in Singapore — Aloft Singapore Novena. The property also marks the largest Aloft hotel globally. Located in the Balestier neighborhood and close to Little India, the hotel is designed by KKS International. The hotel entrance features a 2.5-meter crescendo sculpture inspired by musical notes, while the lobby has an 85-inch video wall showcasing electronic art. The hotel has two towers offering 781 rooms and four suites, multiple dining venues, a gym, a splash pool, five meeting spaces and an outdoor event lawn. Aloft Hotels currently includes 220 hotels across 30 countries.
IHCL FORAYS INTO CONTINENTAL EUROPE: Indian Hotels Co. Ltd. (IHCL) is venturing into Continental Europe and has signed Taj Hotel Hessischer Hof Frankfurt in Germany. The former Grandhotel Hessischer Hof will undergo extensive renovations to join Taj’s global portfolio of properties. The hotel is scheduled to reopen in 2025 and has been signed under an operating lease arrangement. Built in 1952 on the site of a former city palace, the hotel was owned and operated by the Prince of Hessia as a member of The Leading Hotels of the World. The hotel features 134 rooms and is close to the Frankfurt Trade Fair grounds. As part of the refurbishment, the hotel will have a new design while preserving the original architecture of the historic building. The hotel will feature a restaurant, bar, fitness center, spa, banqueting spaces, winter garden and The Chambers, an exclusive business club.
MCR ADDS TO NORTH CAROLINA PORTFOLIO: MCR has acquired the Canopy by Hilton Charlotte Southpark in Charlotte, N.C. The five-story, 150-key hotel was built in 2020. Closed with new financing in place, the hotel was acquired at a 20% discount to MCR’s estimated replacement cost. This is MCR’s sixth hotel in North Carolina and its first Canopy by Hilton-branded hotel. Located in the Charlotte suburb of Southpark, the hotel includes a farm-to-table restaurant, fitness center, business center and 9,000 square feet of meeting space.
HOLIDAY INN & SUITES OPENS IN AUSTRALIA: IHG Hotels & Resorts and Franzé Developments have opened a new Holiday Inn & Suites in Geelong, Australia. The opening of Holiday Inn & Suites Geelong marks a milestone as the first major, new-build hotel in the area in nearly 20 years. The hotel is located within the Geelong Quarter, Franzé Developments’ $200-million mixed-use project, and is among the largest hotels in the Geelong and Bellarine region. The hotel features 180 rooms, including 23 suites, a signature open lobby, all-day dining, meeting and event spaces, a gym and a heated indoor pool. Many of the rooms offer views of the Geelong waterfront and balconies.