Top five stories of the week: New hotel openings, living coral inspires Kaboom rug and Citizenm’s award-winning Dometic Drawer minibar

1000 658 Hamish Kilburn
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Following a swathe of new hotel openings, editor of Hotel Designs Hamish Kilburn, lists this week’s top stories…

As the year comes to a close and we head into 2019, the editorial desk at Hotel Designs has witnessed a major uplift in known hotel brands expanding into yet-to-be discovered areas this week.

This also coincides with the feature for January 2019, where we will have a key focus on new hotel launches and spas. If you wish to find out more, or know of a product that we should be talking about, please contact Zoe Guerrier on 01992 374059 or z.guerrier@forumevents.co.uk.


1) Curio Collection by Hilton opens in Canary Wharf

Lincoln Plaza London
Located for the curious traveller looking to explore the city, Lincoln Plaza London is a short distance from iconic landmarks such as the Tower of London, Big Ben, the London Eye, Buckingham Palace and The O2. The hotel echoes the sleek architectural cues of Canary Wharf, drawing inspiration from the area’s rich industrial heritage.

2) Illullian unveils Kaboom rug in living coral
Illulian unveil Kaboom ru
Kaboom depicts a great explosion that recalls the action painting, a highly-charged, impulsive style of abstract gestural painting during which paint is energetically splashed, spilt or dribbled onto a canvas. The outcome? A veritable work of art: Kaboom is the distinctive, irreverent sign of a splash of colour, enhanced by the use of blue & living coral.

3) Citizenm agree to use award-winning Dometic Drawer minibar

Lifestyle hotel brand CitizenM has selected Dometic to equip its rooms with stylish Noiseless Drawer Minibars and sleek in room Top Opening Safes. Dometic, a brand widely associated for providing products for use in recreational vehicles and premium car are devoted to trying to enrich people’s experiences away from home.

4) Four Seasons opens its first Greece Hotel
Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel
Long a favoured playground of Athenians and international celebrities, the Astir Palace Hotel is now being transformed into the first Four Seasons experience in Greece. Following a significant renovation and reinvention, a new generation of travellers is poised to fall in love with this very special seaside enclave.

5) Longevity Wellness worldwide takes state-of-the-art Wellness Hotel to Portugal

June 2019 will witness the grand opening of the five-star Longevity Health & Wellness Hotel, located in Alvor, Portugal. The state-of-the-art wellness centre is the first of its kind in the region, where it will boast modern, integrative and regenerative medicine with advanced wellness and preventative diagnostics, therapies and programmes.

Hamish Kilburn / 21.12.2018

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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.