Langham in Qatar: Langham Hospitality Group will develop a Langham Place hotel in the planned city of Lusail, north of Doha. The 238-room luxury hotel will include 90 serviced residences and 56 other residence units. Scheduled to open in 2018, it will be developed by Qatar-based Real Estate Services Group and managed by Langham.
“Expedia” tops search terms: Brands are winning out over generic search terms, according to a study by information technology company SimilarWeb. “Expedia” was the most searched travel term, according to the study, which took place from January to November 2015.
UK hotel investment hits high: Real estate adviser Savills says that hotel investment in the UK reached £8.1 billion in 2015, the highest level since the £8.3 billion record in 2006. “We expect 2016 to be another strong year for investment into the UK hotel market,” said Robert Stapleton, hotels director at Savills.
Dalata purchases Sligo Clarion: Irish hotel operator Dalata Hotel Group plc finalized its purchase of the 4-star Clarion hotel in Sligo for about €11m (US$12 million). Dalata has held the contract to run the 162-room hotel since 2013.
Marriott Vacations on the Strand: Marriott Vacations Worldwide took over management of The Strand Hotel in New York City and agreed to a purchase of the 176-room hotel in phases starting in 2018. It will rebrand the property as a Marriott Vacation Club in March.
Marlin to build in Dublin: British hotel and serviced apartment group Marlin is set to break ground on a €60m, 190-bedroom hotel in Dublin city center. Marlin acquired the site about a year ago from investors, whose plans to build a larger hotel in 2008 never materialized.
Read more in the Sunday Times.
Racing to open Chinese hotel: Cachet Hotel Group is expanding its brand within the Zhejiang Circuit, a 3.3-km race track set to open in September in Shaoxing, China, that includes restaurants, a motorsport club, driving schools and shopping. Cachet Boutique Zhejiang Circuit’s 52-room lifestyle hotel is slated to open late this year.
Carmel’s Cobblestone acquired: A joint venture of PlumpJack Group and Meriwether Cos acquired the boutique Cobblestone Inn in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, for an undisclosed price and plan to reopen it in March as The Hideaway. A renovation of the 24-room bed and breakfast is planned.
New Castle in Milwaukee: Shelton, Connecticut-based New Castle Hotels & Resorts acquired the Hampton Inn and Suites in downtown Milwaukee. The purchase price was undisclosed. Privately held New Castle owns and operates hotels and resorts in the US and Canada.
Upgrade to “fastest Internet”: Jannah Burj Al Sarab in Abu Dhabi is boasting that its Internet speed is faster than any other hotel in the world, at 1.2 gigabytes per second. Guests will have to wait to use it, though: The 318-room luxury hotel officially opens later this month.
Deutsche Bank: Airbnb not a threat – yet: A Deutsche Bank research note says room-booking company Airbnb is “increasing the pie” and not reducing the number of available seekers of hotel rooms.
Read more on Business Insider.
More rewards from AccorHotels: AccorHotels announced the launch of Elite Experience, a new benefit for its loyalty program members, including room upgrades, savings on bookings and other perks.
Details in Accor’s press release.
Centara is now CHI: Thai hotel operator Centara Hotels & Resorts has changed the name of its management and holding company to Central Hospitality International, or CHI. The hotel brands, products and services will not be renamed. CHI operates 77 properties in Thailand, Asia and Africa.
Uber wins Chinese investment: Ridesharing company Uber Technologies Inc. said its China unit will get an undisclosed investment as part of a partnership with Chinese aviation and shipping conglomerate HNA Group. Uber has invested nearly US$1 billion in China.
Cambria expands into Irvine: Choice Hotels International Inc. signed an agreement with franchise partner Jalili/Spitzig LLC to develop a Cambria Hotel & Suites in Irvine, California. The 122-room property is expected to open in early 2017.
Cincinnati hotel plans?: Dallas-based NewcrestImage Management is considering adding at least one hotel to the Fourth & Walnut Centre office complex in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio. NewcrestImage closed on a deal to buy the property for $9.3 million and could end up investing more than $100 million into the project, the company’s CEO said.