Trump on Organization’s undocumented: President Trump on Friday said he doesn’t know if the Trump Organization has employed dozens of undocumented immigrants, the New York Times reported. “I don’t know because I don’t run it,” Trump said when asked if he was confident that undocumented immigrants were no longer working at his golf courses. “But I would say this: Probably every club in the United States has that because it seems to be, from what I understand, a way that people did business,” he added. The Times said Trump seemed to indicate that the Trump Organization had strengthened its hiring processes to ensure that they were no longer employing undocumented immigrants.
Bahamas turnaround: New Providence hotels in the Bahamas saw average room rates for the first four months of 2019 hit the US$300 mark as Easter added further fuel to the year-to-date 34% increase in room revenue. The Central Bank’s report on monthly economic developments for May highlighted a buoyant tourism industry through its peak winter season, with Easter maintaining the momentum of double digit increases across all major performance indicators for Nassau/Paradise Island hotels. It said the latest data from The Bahamas Hotel & Tourism Association and the Ministry of Tourism showed a 27.9% improvement in room revenue during April, as the average occupancy rate firmed by 5.9 percentage points to 78.5%, while the average daily room rate increased by 14.8% to US$304.68.
Red Carnation to Scotland: London-based luxury hotel group Red Carnation said it will transform 100 Princess Street in Edinburgh, Scotland, into a “highly exclusive retreat” with a multi-million dollar transformation. The property was home to private members club the Royal Over-Seas League until 2017. The new hotel is due to open next year, becoming the group’s 19th property worldwide.
Shepherd Cox grows in UK: The 37-room Bridge Hotel and Spa in Wetherby, England, has been acquired by Shepherd Cox, an expanding hotel and hospitality group that already includes 19 hotels across the UK.
Hotel named after street artist: Accor has announced its new Art Series hotel in Perth will be named after one of Australian street art’s most influential big wall painters – Matt Adnate. The Adnate, which will be home to one of the world’s tallest murals, a 27-story ‘Mega Mural’ on the west-facing side of the 250-room hotel, will be dedicated to street art. It also adds to Accor’s growing presence in Perth of 14 properties.
Cancún mega-hotel approved: The Secretariat of the Environment in Mexico has granted approval for the construction of a US$526-million, 3,000-room hotel in Cancún, Quintana Roo. The Gran Island Hotel will be built in two stages by the developer BVG World on two parcels of land in the second section of the hotel zone in the resort city. The first stage includes the construction of 2,000 hotel rooms as well as guest amenities, swimming pools and a parking lot. A further 1,000 rooms and more amenities will be built in the second stage. The entire project is expected to be completed in just over three years.