8-15 July: Top 10 stories of the week…

Top 10 stories of the week
1024 584 Daniel Fountain
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From the news that Euro 2016 winner Cristiano Ronaldo opened his first hotel to tips for hoteliers in keeping up with guests’ technological demands, we collate the top 10 most read stories on Hotel Designs this week…

1. Euro 2016 winner Cristiano Ronaldo opens first CR7hotel in Madeira

The highly anticipated opening ‘kicks off’ of the partnership between Dionísio Pestana and Cristiano Ronaldo – who both hail from Madeira

2. Marriott acquisition of Starwood set to change travel buying forever

Carlson Wagonlit Travel’s (CWT) latest white paper, launched this week, shows corporate travel buyers need to start thinking about the implications now and start planning

3. Puente Romano, Marbella launches villas for summer 2016

Luxury resort Puente Romano Beach Resort & Spa in Marbella, has announced the launch of three deluxe new villas for summer 2016

4. Nadler Hotels to operate 110-room property in Manchester

Developer Allied London has confirmed Nadler Hotels will operate a 110-bedroom hotel in the heart of Manchester

5. AccorHotels reveals 2016 openings, future projects in Asia Pacific

Last year AccorHotels opened more than 70 hotels across Asia Pacific, meaning the group launched at least one new hotel per week in the region

6. W Goa to open in September

The new W Goa opens this September – it marks W Hotels’ first property in India and is located in the tropical paradise of North Goa’s coast

7. Sheraton Hotels introduces second Samoa resort

Sheraton Hotels & Resorts announced this week the opening of Sheraton Samoa Aggie Grey’s Hotel & Bungalows

8. Grand opening for citizenM Tower of London property

This July sees the grand opening of the new citizenM hotel in the heart of one of London’s most historical sites

9. Technology Focus: How to deal with guests’ connected devices

With the number of consumer internet enabled devices continuing to rise, one in ten (13%) hoteliers are still not happy with the Wi-Fi service they currently provide

10. Historic Royal Mile building to be converted into luxury boutique

An historic former school building next to Edinburgh’s Royal Mile is to be converted into a boutique hotel and restaurant

Daniel Fountain / 15.07.2016

Editor, Hotel Designs

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Fun fact: I’m usually the person friends rely on to organise trips, schedules, and group plans.

Workhighlights: Successfully coordinating events from planning through to delivery and seeing everything come together on the day.

Fun fact: I’m a keen cyclist and will happily bore people with copious amounts of cycling chat. My top cycling experience (so far) would have to be riding in the spectacular mountains of Crete.

Work highlights: Charles joined Forum Events in 2022. With a background in publishing, editorial media and events, Charles brings a wealth of experience to his role as Senior Production Manager. Having being involved with SPACE from the outset, he is excited to see the brand grow and develop.

Fun fact: People tell Sienna she gives off Bridget Jones vibes, and she loves to bake, always making sure there are shortbreads floating around the office

Work highlights: Sienna joined Forum Events & Media Group while studying Communications and Media, starting in the sales team where she managed and helped launch the first the PA Life Leading Venues of London SHOWCASE, where she built relationships with luxury venues across the capital. Drawn to the stories behind these spaces, she naturally transitioned into the editorial team, creating social media and editorial content. Upon graduating in June 2026, she is excited to be joining as Assistant Editor for Hotel Designs and SPACE.

Fun fact: When not working, Jess can usually be found tending to her kitchen garden in the Sussex countryside or foraging for herbs in the nearby woods. A keen grower, she recently studied a RHS Level 2 Diploma in the Principles of Horticulture during her spare time.

Work highlights: Jess joined SPACE magazine in 2022 and has since progressed from Assistant Editor to Editor. During this time, she has worked across many aspects of the publication – from shaping editorial strategy and overseeing operations to contributing to art direction and representing the brand on stage at industry events including Surface Design Show and WOW!house.

Alongside her role at SPACE, Jess has built a creative career spanning the arts, culture, design and travel sectors. Prior to joining the magazine, she spent more than a decade in the commercial art industry, in artist liaison, gallery management, and curating collections for the hospitality sector across hotels and cruise ships. During this time, she also worked on freelance projects as a writer, photographer, and creative content producer.
 
Jess studied photojournalism at London College of Communication and the Danish School of Media and Journalism and holds a first-class BA (Hons) in Culture, Criticism and Curation from Central Saint Martins.

Fun fact: Katy has spent years perfecting all kinds of accents and loves a good impersonation!

Work highlights: Katy has been with Hotel Designs since the beginning, way back in 2015 when Forum Events & Media Group acquired the brand.

During this time, she has fostered many meaningful relationships with clients from across the hospitality spectrum, as well as playing a pivotal role in the launch of The Brit List Awards, Hotel Designs MEET UPs, client-led roundtables and panel talks, brand and website redesigns, HD Wellness Sets, DESIGN POD podcast, Hotel Designs LIVE panel talk series, Accessible Design Talks and more. Katy is always on the lookout for the next opportunity to help grow the Hotel Designs brand even further.
 
Most recently Katy has stepped in to the role of Publisher at SPACE magazine, the printed bi-monthly publication focused on hotel design, architecture, and development.

Together these platforms offer a comprehensive 360-degree service encompassing digital media, print publishing, and live events – providing unparalleled value to advertisers, partners, and readers alike.