Hotel Designs

Carlson Hotels has announced its first Radisson Blu hotel in Asia Pacific. Located in the Philippines, Radisson Blu Hotel Cebu is estimated to open in September 2010. Carlson Hotels plans to grow the global Radisson brand portfolio from 422 hotels at the end of 2009 to at least 600 hotels by 2015.

Radisson’s growth plans follow a tiered strategy with a combination of its upscale Radisson and upper-upscale Radisson Blu brands. Both share the same contemporary brand essence, style and many of the service concepts. Radisson Blu features flagship properties in prime locations and in major cities, airport gateways and leisure destinations around the world.

Located in Cebu’s premier information technology hub, the 400-room Radisson Blu Hotel Cebu, owned by SM Investments Corporation, will be positioned as the city’s leading international upper upscale hotel designed to will be targeted towards both the business and leisure traveller.

Premier Inn has begun building its first hotel in Abu Dhabi – its fourth hotel in the United Arab Emirates. This expansion comes as research suggests that three in five business travellers in the UAE expect their travel budgets to increase this year.

The new hotel is being developed at a location within ADNEC’s Capital Centre – a mixed-use development of 23 residential, commercial and mixed-use towers adjacent to the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre – with an investment of AED120m.

It will open in September 2011 with 242 rooms.

Premier Inn Middle East, managing director, Darroch Crawford said: “We are delighted to be expanding into Abu Dhabi and have secured a prime plot in Capital Centre. Capital Centre’s excellent infrastructure and proximity to Abu Dhabi’s superb new events facility makes it an ideal location for Premier Inn.”

All rooms in the new hotel feature en-suite bathroom and can accommodate a family of four.

The hotel will also offer a contemporary restaurant (Bedouinns), a bar (The Retreat), and a Costa Coffee outlet. A sundeck will feature a swimming pool and whirlpool spa.

Premier Inn already has three other hotels in the UAE, at Dubai Investments Park, Dubai Silicon Oasis and Dubai International Airport.

Palmerston Hotels and Resorts has confirmed their latest long term Management Contract for their first project in Sardinia, Italy.The Palmerston Santa Teresa Golf Resort & Spa, neighbouring the world famous Emerald Coast and close to the beautiful Maddalena islands, is a 45 minutes drive from Olbia international airport or a six minutes helicopter ride to the resort’s private helipad.

Set among 220 hectares of landscape, this deluxe secluded resort comprises a five star boutique hotel, an exclusive 18 hole golf course, a deluxe Spa, leisure facilities and luxury villas and residences.

Palmerston, chairman, Dieter Klostermann said: “The ambiance of the resort will authentically reflect the local architecture which will be sympathetic to the typography of the landscape and genuinely reflect the Sardinian lifestyle where outdoor living is as important as the indoors.”

The planning phase has been completed and outline construction permits obtained. The first construction phase, including the Hotel, golf course and villas is due to begin in late 2010. The Resort is due for completion in 2013.

In addition Palmerston have recently launched its new prestigious mixed use development concept – Palmerston Club & Residences.

Palmerston are currently in advanced negotiations for suitable sites in London, Hamburg, Geneva, Moscow and Seoul, Korea.

The leader of the Council, Councillor Simon Tagg and the Mayor of Newcastle-under-Lyme and Councillor Ann Heames officially opened Travelodge’s first hotel in Newcastle-under-Lyme town centre yesterday.The £3 million, 82-room budget hotel which is located on Lower Street has created 20 new jobs within the community.

To mark the opening of Newcastle-under-Lyme first Travelodge, the hotel chain commissioned 15 budding artists from Wolstaton High School to design and create artwork to highlight the town’s famous landmarks.

At the hotel’s official opening, the Mayor of Newcastle-under-Lyme, Councillor Ann Heames and Patrick Gossage, Newcastle-under-Lyme Central Travelodge Hotel Manager judged the 15 entries and selected their top five wining designs.

Hotel manager, Patrick Gossage said: “I am very proud to be given the opportunity to manage Travelodge’s first hotel in Newcastle-under-Lyme. There has been a desperate need for branded budget accommodation in the town centre for a while.”

The Travelodge features the contemporary room design from the budget chain. To aide a good nights sleep, each room offers a luxury king size bed, with mood lighting. The room also has en-suite facilities, a flat screen TV with 18 free digital channels, Wifi and free tea / coffee making facilities.

Holiday Inn Palm Springs has become one of seven lodging properties in Palm Springs, California to receive the Green Eco-Leaf Rating.Currently seven hotels in Palm Springs have been rated environmentally friendly, and Holiday Inn Palm Springs is one of seven lodging properties to complete the comprehensive environmental audit administered by iStayGreen.org. The property earned two Green Eco-Leafs, which is a ‘Good’ rating.

All Green Eco-Leaf Rated properties are committed to environmentally friendly initiatives.
iStayGreen.org, founder Richard Varner said: “Simple changes helped Holiday Inn Palm Springs earn their 2 Green Eco-Leaf Rating and become one of 7 lodging properties rated. It’s great to see they’re intent on insuring a more sustainable future in travel.”

To insure a more sustainable future some of the eco-initiatives put in-place at the property include low energy lighting initiatives are in-place, sheets reuse option for multiple night stays, towels reuse option for multiple night stays, eco-initiatives are actively promoted to the public, water conservation initiatives are in-place, water conserving devices are installed when replacing old fixtures, reusable food and beverage service is used in lieu of disposable service items, and more.

Hotels in Palm Springs are becoming progressively greener. In addition to the Holiday Inn Palm Springs, the other seven lodging properties awarded are Holiday Inn Palm Springs, Renaissance Palm Springs, Hyatt Regency Suites Palm Springs, 7 Springs Inn and Suites, Best Western Inn at Palm Springs, Travelodge Palm Springs E Palm and Desert Vacation Villas.

The Rezidor Hotel Groupis to open another hotel in Russia, the Park Inn Voronezh.The property featuring 164 rooms is scheduled to open its doors in 2013.

Rezidor, president and CEO, Kurt Ritter saidL “With this signing, we have reached the impressive number of 15,000 rooms in operation and under development in Russia/CIS and the Baltics, and are able to strengthen our pole position.”

Ritter continued: “I’m also delighted to see our young and dynamic mid-market brand Park Inn growing further. The brand’s pipeline now comprises 93 hotels with more than 17,200 rooms in operation – and further 51 hotels with a total of 9,000 rooms under development.”

Besides 164 modern guest rooms, the Park Inn Voronezh will offer an all-day-dining restaurant, a lobby lounge, a fitness room, meeting rooms and private parking.

The location of the building is within the city centre, and near the sports stadium and the main train station.

The hotel forms part of the strategic development agreement between Rezidor and the Russia-based Regional Hotel Chain LLC (RHC).

The agreement comprises 20 future Park Inn properties spread across major cities in Russia. The firm list of development includes 10 confirmed locations, and another 10 sites have been earmarked as potential future locations.

Wyndham Worldwide has announced that its Wyndham Hotel Group business unit has agreed to acquire the Tryp hotel brand from Sol Meliá Hotels and Resorts. In addition, Wyndham will enter into a license agreement with the current 91 Tryp hotels located throughout Europe and South America that will continue to be owned, operated, managed or licensed by Sol Meliá.

Wyndham Hotel Group and Sol Meliá will form a strategic alliance to work together to develop the Tryp brand globally and market the hotels cooperatively through their central reservations systems and loyalty programs.

The brand, expected to be renamed Tryp by Wyndham, is a select-service, midmarket brand representing approximately 13,000 rooms and caters to business and leisure travelers in cities including Madrid, Barcelona, Paris, Lisbon, Frankfurt, Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo and Montevideo.

The acquisition price is approximately US$43m, subject to adjustments. The all-cash transaction is anticipated to close by the end of the second quarter, subject to satisfaction of customary closing conditions. Sol Meliá will continue to operate hotels, resorts and vacation clubs under its seven other owned brands.

The Tryp by Wyndham brand would join Wyndham Hotel Group and its 11 other hotel brands, which encompass nearly 7,100 hotels and 593,300 rooms in 65 countries.

Churston Court Hotel is in Churston Ferrers, part of Saxon Wessex, which has long been regarded as the heart of England. Here Saxons fought Viking invaders and forced Celts back into their Cornish and Welsh heartlands. Saxon Kings Æthelred and Alfred fought to establish a unified England before Harold lost their kingdom to Norman William the Conqueror in 1066. In 1087 William drew up the Doomsday Book to list all that was his, including the buildings that now form the heart of Churston Court Hotel.

Churston Court Hotel, where room names such as the Walter Raleigh room are redolent of England’s past and a reminder that from here Englishmen saw the Spanish Armada torn to shreds by the nascent English navy in an England that showed a piratical dash and vigour. This is now alas seemingly lacking from our featherbedded England today.Suits of armour line corridors that are nowhere flat or level, where walls alarmingly reverse their angles as the oak bows with the load of time. Having stood for over a thousand years their new use helps to ensure that maybe another thousand can be envisaged. Here history is still being written – Agatha Christie worked here and donated a stained glass window to the 11th century church next door, a Great Train Robber hid from the law in the hotel. Open fires still crackle with burning logs in the evenings and candles still add the scent of hot wax to the smell of burning wood. Alongside cask conditioned English ales there are French wines and brandies still for sale, although probably no longer smuggled over Devon or Cornish beaches in defiance of ‘the Revenuers’.

Here people speak with a soft Devon burr and sit beside items once owned by men who claimed Newfoundland for the Crown in the sixteenth century, their accent one of the building blocks of the American accent, for it was from neighbouring Brixham that many of the founders of the English colonies in the Americas came. In this hotel are encapsulated age and inheritance problems that are faced by many English hotels in continuing to attain standards appropriate to the 21st century.

Scheduled to open in September 2010, Hotel Missoni Kuwait is the second property to be launched by the new hotel brand by Rezidor.Combining the style of the fashion interiors house, with the expertise of the Rezidor Hotel Group, Hotel Missoni will be a luxury lifestyle hotel.

Designed to give guests a taste of the Missoni way of life, Hotel Missoni Kuwait is aiming to be one of Kuwait’s leading hotels.

Hotel Missoni Kuwait is part of the Symphony Centre, an adjacent luxury boutique shopping mall.

Arranged over the eighteen floors of the property, guests will discover pieces of design, some of which Rosita Missoni has in her home, such as Hans J Wegner’s Wishbone Chair. The oversize trademark Hotel Missoni urns adorn the entrance and is decorated in the colour scheme of gold, turquoise and beige of the individual property.

Hotel Missoni Kuwait will also offer guests The Six Senses Spa, located adjacent to the hotel’s outdoor pool, tiled in the signature Missoni stripe and will have views overlooking the Arabian Gulf.

There will be a Hotel Missoni ‘Dry Bar,’ where an expert mixologist will create aperitifs. The hotel will also feature Cucina Restaurant, with an authentic menu.

The Southampton hotel where Jane Austen danced the night away for her 18th birthday has been re-launched as the Mercure Southampton Centre after the completion of a major refurbishment and upgrade.It was in 1793 that Jane, her family and friends took over the ‘Assembly Room’ at the then Dolphin Hotel to celebrate her birthday.

Jane subsequently lived in Southampton between 1805-09, and visitors today can retrace her connection with the city and the surrounding Hampshire countryside through organised tours.

The Mercure is housed in a Grade II listed heritage building that has stood in the heart of Southampton since 1423, and the High Street hotel has survived Nazi bombers and architectural scars of modern development to be one of the city centre’s most cherished landmarks.

Jane Austen’s legacy lives on in the hotel with the Jane Austen function suite, where she held her 18th birthday.

The function space contains two bay windows, reported to be the largest in Britain, as well as two stone carved fireplaces, facing one another across the length of the room. The venue is capable of hosting dinners for up to 100, as well as for weddings.

The atmospheric 90-bedroom hotel is a significant addition to the Mercure network in the UK.

Mercure Southampton Centre is the 33rd hotel to join the Mercure UK network.

The hotel group said the extensive refurbishment undertaken by Mercure has been sensitive to the historical qualities of the building, ensuring the hotel offers a modern and contemporary feel, whilst retaining its historic charm.

Mercure Southampton Centre Hotel also features a contemporary restaurant. Using locally sourced produce for its menu, the menu is has a selection of wines specially selected for Mercure hotels.

Fairmont Hotels & Resorts has opened Fairmont Zimbali Resort, an exclusive 154-room property, located along the eastern coast of South Africa. Fairmont Zimbali Resort joins the Fairmont Zimbali Lodge, a 76-room property set nearby along the beach.

’Zimbali’ is the Zulu word for ‘Valley of Flowers’. The hotel is located between a 700-hectare forest reserve and the beaches of Kwa-Zulu Natal’s Dolphin Coast on the Indian Ocean.

The resort is 15 minutes from the new King Shaka International Airport (KSIA). Soccer fans will appreciate being just a short drive away from Durban, one of the nine host cities of the 2010 FIFA World Cup that kicks off in mid-June.

The hotel features a lounge, steakhouse, beach club, tapas bar, pool and cocktail bar. There is also a ballroom that can hold 180 guests, as well as a chapel for weddings.

Images credit: Fairmont Hotels & Resorts

Starwood has opened the Sheraton Batumi
Hotel, a Black Sea Resort, in Georgia.
The 203-room Sheraton Hotel is the first internationally branded hotel in the emerging Black Sea destination of Batumi and is part of the brand’s strategic expansion that will add approximately 50 new hotels and over 20,000 rooms to the Sheraton portfolio over the next
three years.

The Sheraton Batumi was designed to appeal to both business and leisure travelers and features 43 suites including one penthouse with views of the Black Sea.

The property is the second Sheraton hotel in the Republic of Georgia, joining its sister property the Sheraton Metechi Palace in Tblisi.

Located on the eastern coast of the Black Sea, close to the centre of Batumi and near the international airport has a the white lighthouse tower, designed in the style of the Batumi lighthouse of Alexandria built by Alexander the Great in 290 B.C.

The property offers one all-day dining restaurant on the ground floor and a lounge restaurant and bar with views of the Batumi skyline.

The hotel’s ballroom is the largest in Batumi at over 3,000sqm and is to be used for weddings or corporate events.

For smaller meetings and conferences the hotel has six other state-of-the-art meeting rooms and a fully equipped business center.

Leisure amenities include an 2,500sqm Shine Spa for Sheraton as well as indoor and outdoor swimming pools and a fitness centre.

Nestled in the heart of one of China’s last ancient cities with its maze of canals, is the Hotel Soul, a member of Epoque Hotels. Its thematic décor makes this 225 room hip hotel a place where little miracles happen. Hotel Soul opened in April 2010.Future and history meet at the Soul: the modernist exterior and interior design of the Hotel Soul blends effortlessly into the traditional neighbourhood of Ping Jiang. Guest rooms are warmly lit and offer a full set of in-room designer amenities to refresh both body and mind. All rooms include high speed Internet connection, LCD flat TV, Electronic Room Safe with Power Socket, Stylish Bathroom Amenities, Designer Tea & Coffee Set with Mini Bar facilities.

Hotel Soul meets business guests’ needs: three well designed meeting rooms are equipped with the latest in AV technology to aid seamless presentations and forums, while providing reliable in-meeting support. The Hotel also offers expert advice and service for weddings and other banquet requests. Both business and leisure guests will find services for their desires: Wi-Fi throughout the Hotel, concierge, limousine & shuttle bus, car rental & ticketing, laundry & valet, foreign exchange, child care service, facilities for disabled, gym, juice bar, a French brasserie offering healthy yet gourmet cuisine and a charming Suzhou-style rooftop garden.

The Rezidor Hotel Group has announced a new name for their mid market brand Park Inn, to change to Park Inn by Radisson.The hotel group said Park Inn has been developed as a fresh and dynamic mid market winner – bringing colour to life and priding itself on mastering the essentials better than the competition.

In 2009, Park Inn won the prestigious J. D. Power and Associates for the highest guest satisfaction in Europe in its category. Also Rezidor’s design- and service concept conscious First Class- and Full Service brand Radisson has been awarded recently: In spring 2010, it overtook Hilton as Europe’s largest upper upscale brand.

The re-naming process will start in the United Kingdom, a key home market for Park Inn, and be a gentle evolutionary process across Europe, Middle East and Africa.

CEO, Kurt Ritter said:“We will implement Park Inn by Radisson on a gradual basis, avoiding unnecessary waste of signage and collateral, and will make sure that any disruption of the operational business will be minimal.”

A dedicated marketing and sales campaign will support the transition of all Park Inn hotels to Park Inn by Radisson which will be completed by the end of 2011.

Four Seasons Hotel Hangzhou at West Lake, China scheduled to open in late summer 2010.The hotel group said that the hotel may be mistaken for a traditional Chinese village at first glance, with its series of pagoda-like buildings that edge out onto lagoons among nine acres of meandering walkways and bamboo groves.

Inside, the centuries-old Jiang Nan aesthetic inspires modern interiors created from sleek woods, fine silks and polished stone.

The hotel will offer 81 guest rooms, including seven suites and three residential-style villas.

Serving Shanghainese and Cantonese cuisine presented by Four Seasons staff, Jin Sha will be a bar for pre-dinner drinks, a restaurant suitable for business meetings and social occasions and an opportunity to entertain discreetly in one of eleven private dining pavilions.

Terraces afford lagoon views and willow-veiled glimpses of West Lake.

In addition to the private dining rooms, the hotel will have several meeting spaces, including a ballroom with separate entrance and outdoor reception lawn.

Natural Therapies Meet Therapeutic Science
Inside the Four Seasons Spa, each of nine couples-size suites have massage tables and showers for steam and aromatherapy.

An infinity-edge pool that appears to float above the lagoon will feature within the hotel, while a second swimming pool, a fully-equipped fitness centre and private pathways for walking will also feature.

Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts in China
Four Seasons Hotel West Lake at Hangzhou will join three existing sister properties in China, as well as the soon-to-be opened Four Seasons Hotel Guangzhou, and seven additional properties in development.

Carlson Hotels has expanded the Country Inns & Suites By Carlson in Virginia. The opening of Country Inn & Suites, Virginia Beach, US marks the brand’s accelerated expansion in the region as part of its Ambition 2015 growth strategy.The hotel will be managed by Landmark Hotel Group, LLC. Landmark is a leading hotel management and ownership group based in Virginia Beach.

The non-smoking hotel features an indoor pool, fitness center and meeting space for up to 110 guests.

The 114-room hotel offers studio suites, one-bedroom suites, extended stay suites, executive king rooms and guest rooms featuring complimentary wired and wireless high-speed Internet access, microwave, refrigerator and flat screen televisions.

The boutique Brickell Bay Beach Club on Aruba’s Palm Beach recently completed a major renovation, which saw the upgrade of the hotel’s 100 rooms and suites, the Intermezzo Spa, as well as its fitness and business centres. The 100 Superior Rooms and Suites, all either with two double beds or with one king size bed, were specially designed, from the choice of carpeting or tiles to the curtains and furniture, blending harmoniously contemporary style with a tranquil ambiance.

The Aruba Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino has now finished the last phase of its US$50 million (£33 million) renovation. The Resort’s fully renovated rooms are the most spacious (400sq feet) on the island, each offering Marriott’s Revive bedding, contemporary bathrooms, 37’’ LCD flat-panel TVs and large private balconies.

Occupying the entire 8th floor of Marriott’s Aruba hotel, the exclusive Tradewinds Club is an upscale hotel-within-a-hotel concept: designed to indulge discerning guests with upgraded amenities, it offers five daily dining presentations in the private lounge, a member-only beach area and full access to the Tradewinds Concierge Service.

As part of the hotel’s extensive refurbishment, the newly reopened 180,000-gallon free-form pool has been resurfaced, with its rock formations restored, new LED energy-efficient lighting installed and the pool bar upgraded.

All images copyright Marriott International 2010.

Luxury hotel brand Ritz-Carlton has announced plans to open an exclusive 320-room oceanfront resort situated on Aruba’s famed Palm Beach. The Ritz-Carlton, Aruba will bring a new level of elegance in accommodation and amenities to the island. It will offer several restaurants, a luxurious spa, two swimming pools and a 24-hour casino. In addition to spacious rooms and suites, the hotel will include The Ritz-Carlton Club Level, a private floor accessible only by elevator key.

The Ritz-Carlton, Aruba is projected to open in late 2012 and will be the seventh property in The Ritz-Carlton portfolio in the Caribbean.

Business travelers and conference participants can now convene in style at the new conference centre of the five-star Swissôtel Krasnye Holmy. The Moscow hotel is located in one of the business and most upscale areas of the Russian capital.The new convention centre is one of the most modern in the region and matches the hotel’s seven multi-functional meeting rooms and two banquet halls.

The deluxe contemporary meeting facility incorporates the Grand Ballroom (557sqm) and a range of five flexible breakout spaces, including a spacious balcony just near the main entrance and a garden nearby.

The meeting and banquet rooms were designed without pillars for unobstructed viewing and provide therefore flexibility to the format of each event.

In addition, the Swissôtel conference centre offers technological advanced meeting and conference facilities for small, medium and large meetings, seminars, conferences, weddings, receptions and cocktails.

The Grand Ballroom with its modern and elegant décor can accommodate up to 500 people in reception style. A car or bulky equipment can be lifted up right to the ballroom by an elevator creating a perfect opportunity for product launches and gala events in distinctive contemporary surroundings.

Three of the seven meeting rooms can be divided into functional areas, and the pre-function area (all together 583sqm) has natural daylight.

Centara Hotels & Resorts is to open the Centara Grand Beach Resort Phuket in October 2010, a newly-built resort property at Karon Beach on the island of Phuket, Thailand.Designed in a colonial style with Sino-Portuguese architecture, the five-star resort is Centara’s fourth property in Phuket.

Centara has taken key elements of its resort properties at Krabi and Pattaya to create the new resort.

Accommodation will consist of 262 guestrooms and villas, with 108 Deluxe rooms, 81 Deluxe Spa rooms, 45 Pool Premium rooms, 18 Pool Suites, six One-Bed Pool Villas and four Two-Bed Pool Villas.

All guestrooms have a balcony with sea view and Deluxe Spa rooms have a Jacuzzi on the balcony.

Guests staying in the Villas, Pool Suites and Pool Premium rooms are entitled to Club privileges, which include the Club Lounge with 200sqm of indoor and outdoor terrace space and five complementary meals a day.

Leisure facilities include a tennis court, a fitness centre with 144sqm of space, and a spa offering Vichy treatments, steam rooms, relaxation lounges, manicure and pedicure rooms and 10 single and double treatment rooms.

Children’s facilities include two playrooms, one for ages four to 10 years and one for 10 to 16 years and a playground.

The Cove is the all-day dining restaurant, located on the beachfront and featuring open kitchens that serve international and Asian melting-pot cuisines. Seating is for 250, with indoor space and an outdoor covered terrace.

Mare Italian restaurant and bar overlooks the beach and serves pasta and pizza during the day with classical Italian cuisine in the evenings. The restaurant has its own bar and wine room. Seating is for 262 guests.

The Luna Chill-Out Bar and Lounge is located above Mare and features a large outdoor terrace with lounge-style seating and an indoor bar and lounge. Light meals including Mediterranean and Asian tapas are served. Seating is for 50 indoors, 60 outdoors and 19 at the bar.

The Beachcomber Beach Bar is situated on the beach, while the Splash Pool Bar is a swim-up bar at the edge of the main pool. The Lobby Lounge & Bar has ocean views, with live piano music in the evenings.

Centara Grand Beach Resort Phuket is fully equipped for meetings. The Phuket Grand Ballroom has a capacity of 820 persons seated theatre-style, with 576sqm of space that is divisible into two equal parts. There is a pre-function area of 240sqm. Two breakout rooms can accommodate 50 persons each, seated classroom style.

Carlson Hotels has opened its 14th Park Inn property in North America and the second of two hotels joining the brand in Texas. The opening of the Park Inn Dallas Fort Worth South, Texas, and a second hotel which opened recently in Houston, are part of Carlson’s Ambition 2015 growth strategy.

Internationally the brand has achieved major milestone recognition. In 2009, J.D. Power and Associates rated Park Inn number one in Europe for guest satisfaction in the mid-scale segment.

With 110 hotels in operation globally and 60 hotels currently in development, Park Inn provides affordable accommodations.

The non-smoking hotel features an indoor pool, a fitness center, business center, free Wi-Fi access and all-day dining at the Atrium Café.

The 200-room hotel has over 3,600sqm of meeting space, audio-visual equipment, catering, and a professional meetings and events team.

The good weather arrives and the Grand Hotel Central Barcelona welcomes the reopening of the Sky Bar, as every summer, with its magnificent viewpoint-terrace.This year it has been expanded with new lounging area and a renewed illumination. Its spectacular panoramic views, stylish and cosmopolitan atmosphere and good chill-out music makes this pool bar one of the most amazing places in the world.

The terrace, of more than 350 m2, offers a stunning panoramic view of Barcelona and will be open from June 1st to September 30th 2010, from 11:30 am to 11:30 pm.

Grand Hotel Central Barcelona is located next door to El Born, Barcelona’s most fashionable area with its boutique shops, designer bars and restaurants scattered throughout its narrow streets. Las Ramblas, Plaza Cataluña, the museums and the sea front are just minutes walk away.

Starwood Hotels has opened the Sheraton Brooklyn New York hotel. The 25-story contemporary, full-service hotel is owned by The Lam Group and features 321 guest rooms offering modern design and a 360 degree view from the rooftop lounge. The Sheraton Brooklyn marks the first full-service hotel to open in Brooklyn in more than 12 years and is part of the brand’s strategic expansion that will add approximately 50 new hotels and over 20,000 rooms to the Sheraton portfolio over the next three years.

The hotel also marks the first of two Sheraton hotels that will make their New York debut this year — The Sheraton Tribeca New York Hotel will open in the autumn.

The hotel’s 21 suites include a choice of one or two bedrooms or hospitality suites equipped with wet bar and refrigerator. Select suites feature over-sized private terraces.

Special Club rooms are also available on private key-access floors giving guests access to the Club Lounge, which offers daily complimentary continental breakfast, afternoon hors d’ oeuvres and non-alcoholic beverages.

Grubstake, a full-service restaurant with bar combined with a separate Lobby Lounge, provides a martini and cocktail hangout with a strong focus on seasonal drink lists.

There is also 1,300sqm of flexible meeting space.

Carlson Hotels has announced the further expansion of Country Inns & Suites by opening a new hotel in Alabama, US.The opening of Country Inn & Suites, Montgomery at Chantilly Parkway marks the brand’s expansion in the region as part of its Ambition 2015 growth strategy.

The non-smoking hotel features an indoor pool, whirlpool and fitness center and meeting space for up to 40 guests. The 82 room hotel offers studio suites, one bedroom suites and guest rooms featuring complimentary wired and wireless high-speed Internet access, microwave, refrigerator and flat screen televisions.

Country Inns & Suites By Carlson, executive vice president and chief operating officer, Steve Mogck said: “With 10 Country Inns & Suites hotels in the state and more than 150 locations in the Southeastern United States, the brand has established a strong footprint in the region. We are focused on building momentum in North America and India as we increase our portfolio of hotels over the next five years.”

Carlson Hotels has announced that it has signed a landmark agreement to develop the first Radisson Blu hotel in the United States. This US$125m development in Chicago is scheduled to open in the autumn of 2011. It marks the company’s most important investment so far as part of Carlson Hotels’ Ambition 2015 growth strategy.

Carlson, president and chief executive officer, Hubert Joly said: “Our ambition is to establish flagship hotels in major cities in the U.S., and the Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel is a major step towards realizing that goal.”

Ambition 2015 is fueled by an investment program of up to US$1.5bn focused on positioning Radisson in North America as a powerful, globally consistent first-class brand. Recognized for its contemporary design, Radisson Blu delivers upper-upscale hospitality.

A joint venture between Carlson Hotels and Aqua at Lakeshore East LLC owner and developer, Magellan Development Group, Chicago’s Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel will be located on 18 floors of the 81-story tower. The mixed-use residential property received the 2009 Skyscraper of the Year Award for its shape, the appearance of which changes dramatically depending on the perspective.

Carlson Hotels, The Americas, executive vice president and chief operating officer, Thorsten Kirschke said: “This venture is part of the moves we are making to align our U.S. brand with our global standards.”

ODonnell Furniture Makers is proud to have been chosen as the casegoods supplier in the City Inn Tower hotel in London which is to open at the end of the year.City Inn, CEO, David Orr, opened the hotel at a traditional topping out ceremony at the 583 bedroomed property that overlooks the River Thames and some of London’s most iconic landmarks.

In a speech to gathered contractors, guests and dignitaries, Orr acknowledged the thousands of people that are involved in a project of this scale and the vision of the planning authority and banks in backing the company through difficult economic times.

He expressed his hope that the special relationship between City Inn and Laing O’Rourke would continue into the future.

The Dolce Munich Unterschleissheim, a modern conference centre and hotel that weaves contemporary style with Bavarian culture has opened in Munich, Germany.As the Munich property is the first to be built from-the-ground-up with Dolce’s new design standards, JOI-Design helped to design brand’s ideology when creating the interiors.

The design of the new Dolce Munich draws on both the masculine and feminine symbols of Bavarian culture.

Upon entering the hotel lobby, guests are greeted by a life-sized sculpture of a cow.

Natural materials such as the honey coloured oak of the reception desks, the hammered copper of cowbells hung above and the speckled terrazzo floor help create the ambience.

Bridging the reception lobby with the conference area, high-sided sofas offer a degree of privacy during one-to-one breakout sessions. In front of the windows, a series of fabric panels screened with a meandering floral trellis allows sunlight to filter through.

The opposite side of the reception lobby leads to the hotel’s lounge and bar, a contrast of rough and smooth textures in a colour palette derived from Bavaria’s natural environment.

Various diameters of timber logs are assembled like a jigsaw puzzle inset within bronze panels, while a mosaic of tumbled stones forms a simple rectangular housing for the fireplace.

Extending from one end of the bar area to the other is a communal table and stools carved from rough hewn oak.

Adjacent to the bar is the gourmet restaurant Redox with white tablecloths, antler chandeliers and rich tones of light and dark stained oak, as well as a backlit ‘wine wall’.

As the city’s main conference hotel, the Dolce Munich also features a large, all-day dining restaurant that seats up to 220 people.

In the 255 guestrooms and suites, a neutral, earth-toned palette serves as a canvas for the spaces’ design accents. Stone cladding is used for the bathtubs and showers as well as for the saunas which are exclusive to the suites, while stone floor tiles are used in all room types.

Dolce Munich

The new Meliá Coral and Meliá Istrian Villas are two company properties that have reopened on the Umag coast in Croatia.Sol Meliá has shown its commitment to improving the quality of its hotel portfolio in Croatia with the reopening of two resort hotels in Umag: the Meliá Coral and the Meliá Istrian Villas, both previously operated under the Sol Hotels brand.

The changes have required the adaptation of the hotels to the Meliá Hotels brand standards and its focus on customer service.

The new Meliá Coral provides 244 rooms, six luxury suites, a range of different options for corporate events, and a choice of additional facilities including a spa, swimming pool, solarium, tapas bar and Mediterranean tavern.

Its multi-purpose outdoor areas are also used for social events along with the creation of two new leisure areas for fun and relaxation: the Club Elite Automat and the Beach Club.

The Meliá Istrian Villas is an oasis of apartments alongside the sea yet only two kilometres from the centre of Umag, which combines traditional architecture with modern design and superior comfort. This year the hotel also inaugurates a new restaurant named O Grill.

Starwood Hotels, Inland American Lodging Corporation and Alliance Hospitality Management LLC have opened the Aloft Chapel Hill.
The 40th Aloft hotel worldwide, this brand new destination is close to the Research Triangle Park and features 130 spacious, loft-like rooms and 487sqm of meeting space.

Inland American Lodging Corporation, Craig Lambert said: “We are really excited to be opening our second Aloft hotel within the Inland American Lodging Corporation’s portfolio. In addition to its ideal proximity to the University of North Carolina, the hotel is perfectly situated in Chapel Hill and will appeal both to people working in or visiting the greater tri-city market.”

Aloft Chapel Hill, general manager, Rob Cote said: “Aloft Hotels introduces a compelling blend of urban style and social interplay to Chapel Hill. Bold and stylish, Aloft Chapel Hill targets both sophisticated travelers and area professionals with its eclectic and
electric experience, lively remix lounge
and a w xyz bar.”

Located at 1001 South Hamilton Road, the property is located adjacent to the UNC campus with a Chapel Hill transit stop directly at the hotel and part of the new East 54 Village, a new urban community of luxury condos, shops and dining.

Hyatt Hotels has opened Hyatt Miami at The Blue, US.The 17-acre hotel property in Doral, Florida is adjacent to golf courses and close to Miami International Airport.

The tropically landscaped hotel includes 15-three story villas, each with 16 hotel suites comprised of studios with more than 200sqm, one bedroom units with over 300sqm and two-story, three bedroom units with more than 600sqm of space.

All suites have a terrace and a golf fairway view, and feature fully equipped kitchens with stainless steel appliances, marble bathrooms with rain showers and separate bathtubs, large LCD flat-screen televisions, DVD players and iPod docking stations.

At Hyatt Miami at The Blue, guests can enjoy a fitness centre, Spa Azul, a full-service spa, and a heated swimming pool with private cabanas, overlooking the golf course.

Dining options include 5300 Chop House, the hotel’s signature restaurant and business lunch destination, as well as a poolside café and bar.

For business and social events, the Clubhouse at Hyatt Miami at The Blue offers more than 500sqm of flexible meeting space along with a boardroom providing a setting for small gatherings and executive retreats.

The hotel is owned by ING Clarion Development Ventures II (CDV II), a fund advised by ING Clarion Partners. Davidson Hotel Company is the hotel’s operator. The hotel is Davidson’s first with ING Clarion and its third hotel managed under the Hyatt flag.

The Best Western Honest Lawyer hotel in Durham, UK has just re-opened its doors after a multi-million pound refurbishment programme following last years floods.All the 52 bedrooms have been restored using a contemporary style and modern facilities.

A palette of warm red, brown and purple has been chosen and the rooms now also have 40 inch televisions and six have four poster beds.

The 175 cover restaurant has been reopened and offers a selection of traditional and modern cuisine. The head chef, Harry Bailie who trained at The Ritz in London, aims to make the restaurant a destination in its own right and offers his twist on British classics such as Black Sheep Battered Fish and Chips.

The lounge areas have been opened up to create an open plan area downstairs that is separated into smaller seating areas featuring open fires and traditional furniture.

Externally, two terraces have been created in the fully landscaped gardens.

The hotel is located just two miles south of Durham. Best Western Honest Lawyer Hotel, general manager, Chris Bowron said: “The hotel has had a major cosmetic facelift, but this is not just style over substance. Our restaurant will become a destination in its own right and we aim to offer the very best customer service in the North. We will be a unique hotel as it has a stylish boutique style but also very family friendly offering personal service.”

A new meeting room has also been added to the first floor, the Bridge Suite, which accommodates up to 50 delegates theatre style.

Sani Resort in Halkidiki, Greece, has just opened its third spa, which is situated in the five-star family hotel.The new Club Spa offers an all natural, contemporary spa experience which complements the resort’s existing two spas.

With the opening of its third spa, Sani Resort now offers a health and wellbeing experience.

Constructed using local sandstone and incorporating the whites, blues and muted greys used in the hotel’s guest rooms, the new Club Spa is cutting edge in design and features six treatment rooms and a cabin dedicated to Thai and Asian treatments.

A Couple’s Suite has been designed to offer the utmost privacy and features a double seated Steam Room heated to 45 degrees to warm and prepare the body before a treatment, and two treatment beds enabling couples to enjoy therapies at the same time.

The Club Spa’s extensive treatment menu draws upon therapies from around the world designed to give guests an opportunity to enjoy the therapeutic benefits of ancient and modern remedies from all corners of the globe.

Therapies include Thai Massage, Indian Shirodhara, Oriental Reflex-Therapy, Mediterranean Salt Exfoliation and an array of modern European therapies from the Parisian skin experts Anne Semonin, including facials, scrubs, wraps and massages.

Carlson Hotels has opened its 13th Park Inn property in North America and the first of two hotels joining the brand this month in Texas. The opening of the Park Inn Houston North Hotel & Conference Center and a second hotel in Dallas, are part of Carlson’s Ambition 2015 growth strategy.

The non-smoking hotel features two outdoor heated pools, a fitness center, complimentary breakfast, free Wi-Fi access and American and Tex-Mex dining at Sam Houston’s Grill. The 220-room hotel has 5,180sqm of meeting space, audio-visual equipment, catering, and a professional meetings and events team.

Park Inn, executive vice president, Steve Mogck said: “Park Inn, a leading, award-winning mid-scale brand in Europe and the Middle East, has great potential in North America. The strong visual identity and contemporary design of the brand provide a fresh approach to the mid-scale segment.”

Internationally the brand has achieved major milestone recognition. In 2009, J.D. Power and Associates rated Park Inn number one in Europe for guest satisfaction in the mid-scale segment. The group has 107 hotels in operation globally and 59 hotels currently in development.

A £56m mixed-use development creating 250 jobs in Liverpool city centre has secured planning permission in the UK. The scheme, which comprises two hotels and post-graduate studio accommodation on Oldham Street, has been put together by Northern Ireland-based property company Tara House Ltd.

It represents an investment in the Liverpool economy and will help improve the city’s tourism offer with the addition of an extra 270 hotel bedrooms.

The developers have secured a major international hotel operator for both hotels and expect to be able to announce the identity of the operator later this month.

The key components of the scheme, which has been designed by Liverpool architects Falconer Chester Hall, will be a 140 bedroom three-star hotel and a 130 bedroom budget hotel, 113 post-graduate studio units and a basement car park of 247 spaces available on either a long or short stay basis.

Tara House Ltd, managing director, Murray Twinn said: ““We are very excited about our scheme which should help to promote further regeneration in this important and strategic city centre location. The mixed uses will bring vibrancy and life to the Oldham Street area whilst creating jobs and giving a boost to the local economy.”

Falconer Chester Hall, Mark Doohan said: “We are delighted to be part of this significant regeneration project. The design unifies the broad mix of uses and creates a family of buildings and a dynamic city, street and roof scape. A two tone mix of high quality cladding materials subtly subdivides the facades and gives the building a unique appearance which is striking in this context.”

Work is expected to start on site in the third quarter of 2010 with the first phase expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2011, and the rest of the development early in 2012.

Sahl Hasheesh International Resort is to become the biggest resort in Egypt when it is completed within the next 18 months, at a size of 10,000 acres.The resort is to feature 5,800 hotel rooms, as well as a gold course, convenience stalls, restaurants and apartment buildings. The location is situated 18 kilometres from Hurghada International Airport, adjacent to the Red Sea.

Hotels within the resort that have already opened include Pyramisa Hotel, Palm Beach, Premier Le Reve and Old Palace, which is currently being renovated and changed into a Marriott branded hotel. Hotels under development include Lana Hills, Little Buddha, Ocean Breeze and lots more.

Infrastructure and civil works in the resort are expected to cost EGP 220m. The development will be so large that it will even feature a university.

Land within Sahl Hasheesh is being developed by Egyptian Resorts Company, with each plot of a different size and configuration being offered to third party sub-developers. Numerous sub-developers are involved in the project, including El Sharkia for Hotels, Prime Estates International and Carols Bridge.

Sol Meliá hotel group is to add a new hotel in Lisbon, Portugal to its portfolio under a franchise agreement with the Tryp brand, and a second hotel in Frankfurt, Germany to be added to the Innside brand portfolio under a lease agreement. Both hotels will be newly built and will open in 2013 with a total of 330 rooms.

The four star Tryp Lisbon Airport Hotel will begin construction this year and will be located next to the arrivals terminal at the airport in the Portuguese capital.

The hotel will be perfectly adapted to the design standards of the Tryp city hotel brand and will provide 168 rooms, six flexible meeting rooms for events for up to 700 people, a gym, a restaurant and a cafeteria.

The four star Innside Frankfurt Hotel will be located opposite the future new headquarters of the Central European Bank, and will provide 162 rooms, 350sqm of meeting space, a restaurant, cafeteria, gym, spa and gardens.

This new hotel reaffirms the Sol Meliá commitment to Germany, the country with the second largest number of hotels in the company portfolio, now with 21 hotels.

There are currently nine Innside hotels in the most important German cities; the latest being the Innside Dresden Hotel, which opened in January.

The Rezidor Hotel Group is to open the Radisson Resort Rosa Khutor (180 rooms) and the Park Inn Resort Rosa Khutor (200 rooms) in Russia. Both properties are scheduled to welcome their first guests in Q4 2012. The Rosa Khutor development is within Russia’s most famous ski region of Krasnaya Polyana and 50 km east of the city of Sochi, where the XXII Olympic Winter Games will be held in 2014.

The two hotels will be located within the 537 hectare Rosa Khutor Alpine Ski Resort Development, which is nearing the completion of Phase One. Upon completion, the US$1.4b development will include 40 ski runs, 14 ski lifts and a capacity for 10,500 people.

Other facilities will include a ski school, multiple restaurants, a child care centre and retail outlets.

The development is in accordance with the Russian government’s grand scheme to make Sochi a world class winter and summer resort.

Besides 180 rooms, the Radisson Rosa Khutor will feature multiple restaurants, a spa and fitness centre and meeting space. Just 200m away, the Park Inn Rosa Khutor will offer 200 guest rooms and a restaurant. Guests will have access to the leisure and meeting facilities of the nearby Radisson.

Rezidor, president and CEO, Kurt Ritter said: “These hotels further underline our commitment to Russia where we now have 36 hotels in operation and under development with a total of over 9,000 rooms and which is one of our most important emerging markets for future business development. At the same time, these signings bring our portfolio of young and stylish resorts in operation and under development to almost 50 properties with more than 10,000 rooms across Europe, Middle East and Africa.”

The Trump Tower in Toronto, Canada, is making progress on its construction, with the hotel floors of the building nearing completion.The construction crews are currently working on level 27 and the granite and glass curtain wall is being installed. Work is also focusing on placing the exterior panels on the twelfth floor and installation is gathering pace. In addition, the interior dry walling of the eighth, ninth and tenth floors is now under way.

The hotel is set to be completed next year and is aiming to be the most luxurious residential building in Canada. The tower is to feature 118 luxury residences as well as 261 hotel guest rooms and suites. The hotel’s rooms will be situated on the lower floors of the building, on levels 11-29 and there will be more than 60 floors in total.

Deluxe studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom suites, ranging from approximately 160sqm to over 600sqm, will offer guests the largest accommodations in the city. The top floor of the hotel, level 29, will offer five exclusive suites with additional services and amenities.

The commercial areas of the building will serve both hotel guests and residents. A sushi and martini bar will welcome guests as they enter the first floor lobby. An exclusive dining establishment on the 30th floor will offer patrons gourmet food and wine, as well as views of Lake Ontario and the CN Tower. A private dining room will also be available.

Construction work will soon be focused on completion of the hotel floors and starting the development of the mechanical floors on levels 30, 31 and 32.

Yesterday HotelDesigns reported that Les Suites Orient had opened in Shanghai and now we can report that another luxury hotel has opened in the same city – The Guoman Shanghai hotel.The five star hotel is the first of two new properties to launch under the Guoman brand in Asia, the second venture being a hotel in Beijing.

Following a substantial investment, the launch of the 442 room property sees the Guoman group spreading its wings overseas, transferring the group’s ethos within the Asian market.

Positioned within the business-hub of the Putuo district, Guoman Shanghai is close to the city’s major commercial districts.

Headed up by Michael Parker, formerly the general manager of one of the group’s London properties, Guoman Shanghai is inspired by London’s style and elegance blended with a contemporary Asian twist.

Two floors of the hotel will be dedicated to Eastern-inspired restaurants and bars, with the touches of British indulgence seen in the fleet of luxurious Guoman-operated black cabs on hand to transport guests round the city; complete with DVD players, minibar fridges and upgraded soft, hand-stitched leather seats, as well as traditional English food and beverage menu options.

From its inception in 2004, the Guoman brand has grown to a portfolio of four unique properties.

Speaking of the group’s first international development, Guoman Hotels, chief international operating officer, Sanjay Nijhawan, said: “The opening of Guoman Shanghai is the crucial first phase in our ongoing strategic growth across Asia in the coming years. We’re very confident in the strength of the group and its focus on a stylish, unique guest experience – we’re positive that the Asian market will respond extremely well to the Guoman offering.”

Guoman Shanghai will also feature a glass walkway, a ballroom with seating capacity for 500 delegates, 11 conference rooms, a spa and fitness centre with sun terrace.

The accommodation offering includes 125 suites each with a minimum size of 60sqm and one Presidential Suite.

The Rezidor Hotel Group has opened the Radisson Blu Majestic Resort, Calzignano Terme in Italy.The first 97 rooms of the existing hotel will be rebranded in the second quarter of this year.

An additional 120 rooms in a separate building will be rebranded upon completion of the full renovation which is expected to finish in the first quarter of next year.

The Radisson Blu Majestic Resort, Calzignano Terme is located in the Colli Euganei – 15km south of the city of Padua, 50km from Venice and 40km from the Adriatic Sea.

The hotel’s spa features indoor and outdoor pools which are naturally heated by thermal water that comes out of the ground at 80 degrees Celsius. The thermal waters and mud are said to have excellent therapeutic properties.

Further services of the resort comprise a restaurant and a bar, a 300sqm ballroom and four meeting rooms.

Venice’s Marco Polo Airport is located 60km away. Travellers can also take a boat, via canal, to Venice in about 90 minutes.

Rezidor, president and CEO, Kurt Ritter said: “This resort is a perfect addition to our existing portfolio in Italy – the Radisson Blu es. Hotel in Rome and the Radisson Blu Hotel Milan which we opened just a few days ago. It also makes our young and stylish resort portfolio grow further. We now have 47 resorts in operation and under development across Europe, Middle East and Africa with a total or more than 10,000 rooms.”

Les Suites Orient, a member of Epoque Hotels, is set to soft-opening this month in China. The hotel will offer its guests new luxury accommodation in Shanghai.Centrally located on the Bund, Les Suites Orient offers a view of the Huangpu River, Pudong and the Yu Garden.

At twenty-three stories, the Les Suites Orient is situated within an original Bund Heritage building, blending art deco design with Oriental flair.

The hotel is close to the Yu Garden and 10 minutes from the city center and Pudong Lujiazhui Finance District and 15 minutes from the Shanghai World Expo Center.

The hotel offers 168 guest rooms, including 43 suites and rooms for disabled guests, all decorated in a neat and elegant tone reflecting the signature Les Suites luxury.

There are a host of customized amenities available, including Les Suites Mobile Life, a 24-hour multilingual Concierge service and complimentary breakfast.

Les Suites also offers unlimited wireless internet connection throughout the entire hotel.

A fitness center with a Zen platform, business center, and multifunctional meeting rooms are just some of the additional facilities guests can enjoy.

Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek has debuted a dramatically redesigned property in celebration of its 30th anniversairy.The hotel’s 143 newly appointed rooms and suites and restyled lobby have been unveiled this month and feature a collaborative effort of Rosewood Hotels & Resorts and San Francisco-based design firm BAMO.

Rosewood Mansion, managing director, Duncan Graham said: “As the only Five Star, Five Diamond hotel in Texas, it’s important for Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek to be the most timeless, refined property in the industry. Maintaining our tradition of awards and recognition is critical, and this stunning redesign sets the tone for the next three decades.”

The new design begins with the lobby, as guests are greeted with custom, limed oak reception and concierge desks.

Expanding on a concept cantered on soft tones and cool colours, BAMO designer Michael Booth was careful to keep the space refined, not too casual, and never trendy.

The lobby furnishings and textiles are a juxtaposition of shapes, materials and colour, and a layering of detail and styles reinforces the residential quality.

The lobby is anchored by a pair of neutral-coloured Michael Taylor sofas and the look is punctuated by highly detailed chairs by John Boone of New York, and four elegant, art-modern club chairs with coral and white Fortuny fabric are the work of William Switzer. Also by Switzer, two exaggerated wing chairs in embossed yellow leather frame the original fireplace.

Paying homage to The Mansion’s history, antique, stone-topped consoles original to the hotel were artfully restored and they take centre stage in the new lobby design.

The new colour scheme is a soothing and warm palate that mixes buttery off-whites with light greys and sand colours, then adds The Mansion’s iconic peach colour and coral, red, brown and black for furnishings and accents. Additional ranges of colour are in the artwork, which contrast everything else in the spaces.

The guest rooms are an extension of the lobby and dining spaces in both style and mood. Paint colours provide subtle continuity from the original home to the hotel rooms, and the look is pulled together with accessories, art and attention to detail.

The hotel redesign comes on the heels of the restoration of the historic Mansion Restaurant. In 2008, Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek introduced the renovated Mansion Restaurant, which featured a mix of historic architectural details and modern art and lighting.

The Park Hyatt in Milan, which overlooks the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, has opened a new spa designed for guests to relax and rejuvenate.A space with two treatment rooms, the spa has clean lines and subdued lighting and is decorated with travertine marble and a pastel Venetian stucco.

The spa’s two treatment rooms each have private shower facilities, where guests can enjoy a massage, facial and body treatments, as well as all the services found in a beauty salon.

There are also men’s and women’s steam rooms, aromatherapy showers, a relaxation area and a whirlpool adorned with gold mosaic tiles.

Created using Italian artistry, the whirlpool has been decorated with 250,000 tiny pieces of hand-cut mosaic, each with 24 carat gold leaf, creating a dazzling effect when illuminated by underwater spotlights. Surrounded by smoky glass to guarantee total privacy, the whirlpool can accommodate up to four people.

The Spa’s holistic treatments are unique to the hotel, and will all be created specifically for each individual guest, using Dr Murad and Dermo28 products.

The private spa room was created for those who want to experience spa treatments in total privacy. The private spa room offers a steam room and two treatment beds for massages, as well as a variety of beauty and holistic treatments.

Starwood Hotels has opened the doors of their newest hotel, Le Méridien Philadelphia in the US. The hotel is in a former YMCA building that was originally designed by American architect Horace Trumbauer, who also designed Philadelphia’s Union League and Museum of
Art.
The historic adaptive reuse property was developed for HEI Hotels & Resorts, who will
be the owner and operator of the hotel.

Le Méridien Philadelphia joins Le Méridien Chambers Minneapolis, which recently was added to the brand’s portfolio in February.

The new Méridien features 202 guestrooms and suites; a signature restaurant,a French brasserie Amuse; a lobby bar; and 1,500m of flexible meeting space, including a 200-seat Ballroom and the Abele Library, a 400sqm reception space overlooking City Hall.

The hotel is adjacent to the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and one block from the Pennsylvania Convention Center.

Le Méridien and W Hotels Worldwide, global brand leader, Eva Ziegler said: “We are excited about our debut in Philadelphia, a city that shares Le Méridien’s passion for art, culture and creativity. With its vibrant arts scene, rich history and modern sophistication, Philadelphia is an ideal fit for Le Méridien as we continue to strategically open new hotels in primary, urban markets, cultural capitals and resort destinations across North America and globally.”

After numerous renovation projects, the Doubletree hotel in Chester, UK is anticipating a double in its turnover this year.Last May saw the massive overhaul, rebranding and reopening of the former Hoole Hall hotel to the Doubletree, which is owned by Hilton. Over the past year the hotel has constructed a luxury club and spa facility in the Victorian walled garden, as well as opened a new restaurant.

The Doubletree has also recently opened a new alfresco lounge bar and has plans to extend the fitness gym with new services.

There are other plans for the hotel’s development, but they have not yet been released.

Doubletree Chester, manager, Tony Wright said: “The luxury Club and Spa at Hoole Hall, which opened in November 2009, has been an excellent addition to the hotel and has really brought something new and exciting to Chester. Our most recent addition is The MPW Steakhouse, Bar & Grill at Doubletree Chester which opened last month and is already proving to be very popular with locals and guests.”

Birmingham, UK is to feature the country’s biggest tower outside of London, after a new development was approved by the council last week. The building will feature a hotel, serviced apartments and street level shops.The tower is anticipated to be built over three years and will be 56 storeys high. The Regal Tower will be 192 metres tall, taller than Birmingham’s current tallest building, the BT Tower. The new tower will be situated at the corner of Broad Street and Sheepcote Street.

The project is expected to cost £125m and will be developed by the Regal Property Group, with the architecture undertaken by Aedas architect Steve Hayward.

The building will feature 289 hotel rooms, 256 serviced apartments including three floors of penthouses at the top of the tower, as well as basement parking and shops along the bottom floor. There will also be a spa, fitness centre and a double height sky bar on the 30th floor.

It is not the only tower in the city to be given council approval recently, a 51-storey V Building is to be constructed further along Broad Street at the Arena Central site.

InterContinental Hotels Group has opened a 167 room Holiday Inn in Richmond, Virginia, US.The re-launch of the hotel was part of the Holiday Inn brand makeover and saw an upgrade of the lobby areas and new bedding, lighting, landscaping and signage.

The Holiday Inn South – Bells Road offers a variety of amenities such over 1,000sqm of banquet and catering space, onsite business center, free wired and wireless Internet, onsite fitness center, outdoor swimming pool, onsite guest laundry, and gift shop.

The full-service hotel includes a Sporting News Grill restaurant, featuring breakfast, lunch and dinner menus that reflect the tastes of sports fans, with specialty burgers.

The restaurant’s design includes touches like hardwood-style flooring, solid wood tables and unique circular booth seating. The division between the bar and seated dining area make the restaurant an equally suitable option for social events or a business dinner. Unique ‘plasma trees’ constructed using plasma screen televisions are surrounded by a perimeter of tables and chairs, providing guests with an unobstructed view.