Construction News: Sol Meliá, Corinthia, IHG, Starwood

By Staff -- HOTELS Magazine, 3/1/2007

Sol Meliá, Trusam Launch Aruba Luxury Resort

ORANJESTAD, ARUBA A joint venture by Sol Meliá and Spanish developer Grupo Trusam to develop a luxury resort has been approved by the government of Aruba. The project will include a Meliá hotel, a casino, a spa, a beach club, several restaurants and other luxury services on the land occupied by the old Hotel Bushiri, which will become the new center of Oranjestad, the capital of Aruba.

The new hotel will be built on property spread over 430,000 sq. ft. (40,000 sq. m), alongside a stretch of beach, on which the government also is proposing a major project with a marina, a residential area, and a large shopping and entertainment complex. The nearby cruise line terminal will also be extended. It will be incorporated into an area known as the "longest linear park in the Caribbean."

This will be the first hotel for the two companies in Aruba, a Caribbean location that receives more than 800,000 visitors each year seeking exclusivity, luxury and superior service. It is the first of several projects that Sol Meliá and Grupo Trusam plan to develop together in Spain and the Caribbean.

CHI To Operate First Corinthia In Algiers

ALGIERS Corinthia Hotels International has partnered with Algerian hotel-owning company Lafider on the construction and operation of Corinthia Hotel-Algiers, a 5-star deluxe hotel complex. The hotel will feature 274 guestrooms and suites, a business center and executive floors, a health club with indoor and outdoor pools, restaurants, a banquet hall, meeting room and conference facilities.

The building will be a glass-fronted tower that will be part of a larger commercial complex. CHI is providng technical assistance in planning and designing the hotel and will eventually take over management once it is fully operational. The hotel is set to open in 2009.

550 New Guestrooms At Atlanta Airport

COLLEGE PARK, GEORGIA Grove Street Partners is serving as master developer for a US$230 million mixed-use project that will bring about 1.1 million sq. ft. (102,000 sq. m) of office, retail and hotel space to the Gateway Center near Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The development, located a half-mile (.8 km) from the airport, is adjacent to the Georgia International Convention Center.

Gateway Center's master plan calls for a 400-room headquarters hotel and an additional 150-room suites hotel. The hotel flags will be announced once negotiations are finalized, and both hotels are expected to open in early 2009. The mixed-use development will offer Georgia's most technologically advanced meeting space, as well as the largest ballroom in the state at 40,000 sq. ft. (3,716 sq. m) and will link to the airport via an automated people mover.

InterContinental To Open Beijing Crowne Plaza

BEIJING InterContinental Hotels Group will manage the Crowne Plaza Sun Palace Beijing, which is under development by Yunnan Metropolitan Construction Investment Co. Ltd. and is scheduled to open in early 2008. The 540-room hotel will be located in the city center, close to the Beijing International Exhibition Centre. The hotel, InterContinental's fourth Crowne Plaza in Beijing, will have seven restaurants and bars and 3,400 sq. m (366,000 sq. ft.) of meeting space.

Other highlights in InterContinental's China pipeline include the Inter- Continental Qingdao located within the Olympic integrated complex; Inter- Continental Beijing North, the Olympic Centre's first luxury hotel; and Crowne Plaza International Airport Beijing, the company's first airport hotel in China.

Rezidor Group Develops Radisson In Ukraine, UAE

KIEV, UKRAINE The Brussels-based Rezidor Hotel Group has signed management agreements to develop and operate two new Radisson SAS Hotels & Resorts properties in Kiev, Ukraine, and Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, both set to open in 2009.

The Radisson SAS Airport Hotel Kiev will feature approximately 300 guestrooms and will offer conference and health and wellness facilities. It will be the second Radisson SAS Hotel to open in the city, following the Radisson SAS Hotel Kiev in the capital city's downtown business district. The hotel will be owned by V.I. Center LLC.

The Radisson Al Agah Beach Resort is under development in the emirate of Fujairah, located about 90 minutes from Dubai and surrounded by mountains and the ocean. The resort will be built on a private stretch of the Al Aqah Beach and will offer extensive water sport facilities, including scuba diving. The resort will feature approximately 320 guestrooms, three restaurants, a spa and health club, meeting facilities and a wedding hall.

Starwood Builds Westin Hotel And Condo Project In Minnesota

EDINA, MINNESOTA The Westin Edina Galleria Hotel & Residences project, a 4-star, 225-room hotel with 82 condominiums, is currently under construction. When the project is completed in 2008, it will provide residents and guests with easy access to one of the most upscale shopping centers in Minnesota.

The 18-story hotel is being developed by Gabbert and Beck in association with Starwood Hotels & Resorts. The adjacent Westin Edina Galleria residences are designed to appeal to empty-nesters and young professionals, with traditional hotel amenities including maid and room services, access to the fitness facility and even dog-walking service. Coldwell Banker Burnet is handling condominium marketing for the project.

Capella Debuts In U.S. With Ski Resort

MOUNTAIN VILLAGE, COLORADO Capella Telluride, under development by RAL Companies & Affiliates LLC, will feature a luxury hotel and residential property just outside the Colorado ski resort city of Telluride. Slated for completion late next year, Capella Hotels and Resorts' first U.S. development is designed to be a mountainous ski hotel that pairs luxury accommodations with personalized service, a niche the company believes is untapped in the region.

Capella Telluride will consist of 100 hotel rooms and 48 residential units in a ski-in/ski-out location at the center of Telluride's Mountain Village. Amenities will include a world-class spa, pool, fitness center, ice skating rink, restaurants, entertainment facilities and retail outlets. Telluride is rated the No. 2 ski resort destination in North America by Condé Nast Traveler.