Merchant Court Opens In Sydney

By Staff -- HOTELS Magazine, 4/1/1999

SYDNEY The 361-room Merchant Court Sydney opens in late 1999 in time

for the Olympic Games 2000. The hotel is uniquely positioned atop the

historic Grace Brothers Department Store occupying the 8th to 25th floors.

Guests will enjoy panoramic views of Australia's oldest city and world-famous

harbor. Facilities and services of the hotel include three food and

beverage outlets, a fitness and spa center, business center and ample

conference, banquet and ballroom space. The hotel will be managed by

Raffles International, Singapore.

Outrigger Plans US$23 MM Renovation

HONOLULU Outrigger Hotels & Resorts announced

it will spend more than US$23 million to redesign and rebuild the

545-room Royal Waikoloan Hotel.

The hotel will close during its refurbishment.

When it re-opens in late 1999, the hotel will be renamed the Outrigger

Waikoloa Beach Resort, and repositioned as a deluxe, full-service

resort. "When the work

is done, the Outrigger Waikoloa Beach Resort wil have a distinctive

look and a more Hawaiian ambience and it will take its place among our

expanding portfolio of upscale resort properties in the Pacific," says

David Carey, president and COO of Outrigger Enteprises.

Renovations include a new lobby, porte cochere, restaurant, lounge

and meeting rooms, an expanded theme pool and sundeck area. The ballroom

and all guestrooms will be completely renovated and the kitchens and

back-of-the house facilities will be upgraded.

Marriott Manages Hotel In Shanghai

SHANGHAI The new 317-room Shanghai Marriott Hotel Hongqiao

will be part of a mixed-use complex consisting of

offices and an exhibition center.

For dining and recreation, the hotel will offer four restaurants, a

lobby lounge and pub. Other amenities include an executive floor lounge,

an indoor/outdoor pool, a health and fitness center, business center

and meeting and ballroom space.

The hotel is owned by Shanghai Agricultural Exhibition Center Company

Ltd., and is scheduled to open in late 1999.

Mango Bay Resorts Develops New Hotel

ST. MICHAEL, BARBADOS Mango Bay Resorts plan

to develop the quaint 30-room Island Inn Hotel into the sophisticated,

all new, all-inclusive resort, the 150-room Mango Bay

Hotel & Beach Club

Savannah. The new property will be comprised of 120 new guestrooms

as well as 30 suites in the original 19th century tropical "Inn." According

to Barbados-based architect Ian Morrison, the design

of the hotel will be a blend of old and new Caribbean style.

Owner, Peter Odle, is also building two adjacent facilities including

a spa and 18,000-sq.-ft. (1,672-sq.-m) conference center designed to

attract both local and international business. The hotel is scheduled

to open in late 1999.

Le Meridien Grows In USA

SAN DIEGO Le Méridien Hotels & Resorts, a divison of Forte

Hotels, will manage the new 350-room luxury Le Méridien San Diego,

which opens in 2001. The hotel will be part of a substantial mixed-use

development, "Gaslamp Square,"being developed by Los Angeles-based

Champion Development Group.

"Le Méridien San Diego represents one piece of a very aggressive

expansion program that we have planned for the United States. Our aim

is to have a Le Méridien hotel in each of the 12 key gateway

cities within the next five years," says Bernard Lambert, managing

director of Le Méridien Hotels & Resorts.

Ritz-Carlton Scheduled to Open This Year

NEW ORLEANS The 442-room Ritz-Carlton, scheduled to open late this

year, will include 46 suites and the Ritz-Carlton Club.

The hotel is located adjacent to the French Quarter,

occupying the top 11 floors of the historic Maison Blanche building.

Hotel dining and entertainment options include a gourmet restaurant,

The Library Lounge and the Lobby Lounge for afternoon tea, cocktails

and evening cordials and desserts. Other amenities include an outdoor

swimming pool and fitness center with sauna and steam round, extensive

meeting space, ballrooms and a business center. The hotel is owned and

developed by White House Hotel, L.L.C. and will be managed by Ritz-Carlton

Hotel Company, L.L.C., Atlanta.

ASIA/AUSTRALIA

Hotel Sunroute, Anjo, Aichi Prefecture, Japan; 134 rooms open late

1999 at a cost of US$5 million; Architect is Nagura Sekkei, Nishio,

Japan and the developer is Towa Construction Co., Anjo, Aichi Prefecture;

Contact: Sunroute HotelSystem.

Southern Gate Thani Hotel, Prachuab Khiri Khan,

Thailand; 170 rooms open late 1999; Contact Dusit Thani Hotels & Resorts.

New World Hotel, Shanghai, China; 538 rooms open 2000; Contact New

World Hotels.

Merchant Court Hotel, Shanghai, China; 500 rooms open 2000; Management

and contact: Raffles International.

Park Hyatt, Melbourne, Australia; 240 rooms open late 1999; Management

and contact: Hyatt International Hotels.

Westin Sydney, Australia; 415 rooms open late

1999 at a cost of A$250 million; Interior designer is Chada & Siembieda and architect is

The Buchan Group; Developer: Grocon Construction Pty. Ltd.; Management

and contact: Starwood Hotels & Resorts.

CARIBBEAN

Hyatt Hacienda del Mar (Vacation Club) Dorado (San Juan) Puerto Rico;

38 rooms; Adding 44 units to open early 2000; Contact Hyatt Hotels Corp.

Sol Melia, Rio Grande, Puerto Rico; 900 rooms, first phase of 450 rooms

to open in 2000; Contact Sol Melia Hotels.

Westin Rio Mar, Rio Grande (Rio Mar Beach) Puerto

Rico; 600 rooms; adding 275 suites called La Posada, first phase of

95 suites open early 2000; Contact Starwood Hotels & Resorts.

EUROPE

Robinson Golf & Country Club,Göhren-Lebbin, Germany; 200 rooms

open late 1999; Architect is Hupach & Partner, Hamburg, Germany;

Contact Robinson Club GmbH.

Sol Hotel, Santiago, Spain; 99 rooms open late 1999; Contact Sol Melia

Hotels.

NORTH AMERICA

Sheraton Buckhead Hotel, Atlanta, Georgia; 360

rooms; Renovating at a cost of US$5.5 million, renovation completed

late 1999; Management and contact: Starwood Hotels & Resorts.

Hyatt Regency, Calgary, Canada; 355 rooms open mid-2000; Management

and contact: Hyatt Hotels Corp.

Hilton Hawaiian Village, Honolulu; 2,545 rooms; Addition of 453 rooms

to be completed by late 2000; Architect is Wimberly Allison Tong and

Goo, Honolulu and interior designer is Cole Martinez Curtis, Marina

del Rey, California; Partners are Hilton Hotels and Prudential Insurance

Company; Management and contact: Hilton Hotels Corp.

Paris Las Vegas Hilton, Las Vegas, Nevada; 2,914

rooms open late 1999 at a cost of US$760 million; Architect is Bergman,

Walls & Youngblood,

Ltd., Las Vegas and interior designer is Yates Silverman

Inc., Las Vegas; Contact Hilton Hotels Corp.

Naples Hilton & Towers, Naples, Florida; 191

rooms open late 1999; Architect Rabun Hogan Ota Rasche, Atlanta, Georgia;

and interior designer is Adrian Carr Caradine, Memphis, Tennessee;

Developer, management and contact: Cooper/CSS Hotel Group.

Loews Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; 585 rooms open late 1999 at a cost

of US$105 million; Architect is Bower Lewis Thrower, Philadelphia and

interior designer is Daroff Design, Philadelphia; Developer, management

and contact: Loews Hotels.

Marriott Courtyard City Hall Annex,Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; 499

rooms open late 1999 at a cost of US$65 million; Architects are Brennan

Beer Gorman Monk, Washington, D.C. and Burt Hill Kosar Rittelmann Associates;

Contact Marriott International.

Fiesta Inn Querétaro, Querétaro,

Mexico; 171 rooms open late 1999; Management and contact: Grupo Poasadas.

Hilton Garden Inn, San Diego, California; 253 rooms open early 2000;

Developer is S.D. Malkin Properties and management is MeriStar Management

Co. L.L.C. Corp.; Contact Hilton Hotels Corp.

Hampton Inn & Suites, San Diego, California;

168 rooms open late 1999 at a cost of US$14 million; Developer is

Pacifica Companies, San Diego; Management and contact: Pacific Host

Inc.

Residence Inn Dupont Circle, Washington D.C.; 107 rooms open late 1999;

Architect is GMR Limited; Contact Hospitality Partners.

Marriott Wardman Park, Washington D.C.; 1,348 rooms; Renovating at

a cost of US$100 million to be completed by late 1999; Contact Marriott

International.

SOUTH

AMERICA

Microtel Inn & Suites,Buenos Aires, Argentina;

73 rooms open late 1999; Developer is Guillermo Santaella, Buenos

Aires; Contact US Franchise Systems.

Grand Hyatt, Cartagena, Colombia; 350 rooms open 2001; Management and

contact: Hyatt International Hotels.

Grand Hyatt,São Paulo, Brazil; 490 rooms

open 2001; Management and contact: Hyatt International Hotels.