UK 10-day hotel quarantine?: Ministers are finalizing plans to force travelers to isolate for ten days as soon as they enter Britain, with details to be decided today. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson had wanted to exempt British residents and only target those arriving from places where new strains of the virus have been detected. But Cabinet sources last night said they expect the Prime Minister to sign off on a comprehensive proposal – modeled on Australia – that will see all arrivals sent to airport hotels, regardless of their nationality and where they have come from.
Hawaii performance: A new report forecasts that more than half of Hawaii’s hotel rooms will remain empty this year due to COVID-19. The report, from the American Hotel and Lodging Association, says the Aloha State stands to be the hardest hit state in the country because tourism as an industry is suffering. Almost all trips to the islands require air travel, and because of COVID-19, the number of potential visitors is limited.
Kimpton debuts in Paris: IHG Hotels & Resorts’ boutique luxury brand, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, will open its first property in France this spring. The 149-room Kimpton St Honoré Paris will have an indoor swimming pool and gym, as well as a spa with luxury treatment rooms. French interior designer Charles Zana is crafting the spaces, which will be inspired by 1930’s Art Deco.
NY proposes home-sharing sales tax: People booking vacation rentals in New York on sites like Airbnb could soon start paying sales taxes that home-sharing companies would collect under a proposal included in Governor Andrew Cuomo’s US$193 billion budget. The proposal could generate an additional US$10 million for the state in the fiscal year that starts April 1, and US$18 million in subsequent years. The proposal was embraced by the group representing the state’s county governments, but it could revive a broader debate about how home-sharing companies are regulated in the state, lawmakers said.
More from The Wall Street Journal
Dusit managing 11th resort in China: Shanghai-based Dusit International, represented in China by Dusit Fudu Hotels and Resorts, has signed a management agreement with Fengshun Jindebao Kaiyue International Hot Springs Hotel Co. to rebrand and manage its property under the new name of Dusit Princess Hot Springs Resort Fengshun, Guangdong, starting this April. The 190-room upper midscale resort is set within a new development zone of Meizhou City and has all-day dining, a restaurant, a grand ballroom, and a hot springs center with spa.
Belmond train offers new routes: London-based Belmond will offer new routes on its Venice Simplon-Orient-Express ahead of the 2021 season. Evoking the Golden Age of glamour, Belmond expands its immersive, slow travel experiences across Europe with five new boarding points in Rome, Florence, Geneva, Brussels and Amsterdam. The train line will also debut three new Grand Suites this season, bringing the total to six. Sitting in the train’s oldest carriage, built in 1926, the new suites – Vienna, Prague and Budapest – will each feature private bathrooms with showers, double beds and a living area with underfloor heating.
McClellan purchases Lions Gate Hotel: McClellan Park, California-based McClellan Business Park has purchased the Lions Gate Hotel, also based in McClellan Park. The hotel was purchased from Oceanic Victorville, which owned the property since 2017 and will remain under contract to operate. The hotel’s 112 rooms were renovated in 2019. It is adjacent to The Officer’s Club, a restaurant and event center also owned by McClellan Business Park. The hotel also offers a business center, room service, and a pool.