LVMH’s Belmond hires Karl Bieberach: Belmond, LVMH’s luxury hotel and resorts group, has named Karl Bieberach to be its new head of global development. Prior to joining Belmond, he served as chief development officer at Rosewood Hotel Group. Bieberach brings 25 years of experience to Belmond after serving a variety of senior roles at major hospitality brands, including Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Marriott International and HVS International. Bieberach will start March 22.
Selenta under negotiation for US$545M: The Mestre family is negotiating the sale of its hotel chain, the Catalonia, Spain-based Selenta, to an international fund for about €450 million (US$545 million). Selenta’s portfolio includes high-end hotels in Barcelona, Marbella, the Canary Islands and Valencia — ultimately, five establishments with 2,600 rooms. According to EjePrime the negotiation is in its final phase, with “four or five offers on the table.” The operation includes the maintenance of the management team after the sale.
Twenty14 Holdings, Accor to open Pullman Downtown Dubai: Twenty14 Holdings, an Abu Dhabi-based hospitality company, has partnered with Accor to open a new 353-room Pullman in Dubai’s Business Bay Area. In addition, Accor and Twenty14 Holdings are working closely to develop the dining offering at the hotel with six “in-trend” experiences.
Reverb By Hard Rock Hotel in Tampa: Hard Rock Hotels will add a Reverb by Hard Rock in Tampa, Florida. The hotel is currently in the design process, with greater detail on property specifics to be released at a later date. The hotel will include local city guides and hotel amenities and room features with integrated technology.
Fredensborg will invest US$600M in Spanish market: Norwegian group Fredensborg has €500 million (US$606 million) to invest in hotels across Spain. The company, which is already owner of 50% of the Spanish chain Servatur, is actively analyzing different opportunities on the Balearic Islands, more specifically in Mallorca, as well as in the Costa del Sol (Marbella and Estepona), as well as large cities like Madrid. The average price the company wants to pay per operation is between €50-80 million (US$61-97 million).
D.C. hotel employees recall serving Trump: With former President Donald Trump far away in Florida, employees from his hotel’s restaurant in Washington, D.C., talked to the Washingtonian about four years of feeding both mouths and egos at the Trump International Hotel — starting with those of the 45th president. For instance, they say: Trump always ordered shrimp cocktail made from “super-sized jumbo shrimp,” a steak cooked well done and French fries. A chef recalls an incident when the former president became upset because he thought one of his dining partners had a bigger steak. That never happened again.
More from the New York Daily News
Massive fraud in Thai scheme: The Tourism Authority of Thailand has lodged a complaint with the Crime Suppression Division against almost 1,000 business operators for alleged fraud relating to the government’s co-payment tourism scheme. According to someone familiar with the matter, the complaint involved fraudulent practices in the campaign known as the “Rao Tiew Duay Kan” (We Travel Together), and was filed against 934 business operators — 448 hotels and 486 vendors — across the country, mostly in the southern provinces. About 3.5 million people registered with the scheme when it was launched in July last year. It allows participants to pay only 60% of normal hotel room rates, with the government responsible for the rest.
Pebblebrook amends agreements governing debt: Bethesda, Maryland-based Pebblebrook Hotel Trust announced that on February 18 it had amended the agreements governing its outstanding debt, including its US$650 million senior unsecured revolving credit facility, US$1.6 billion of term loans and working capital facilities, and US$100 million private placement senior notes. In addition, the maturity of approximately US$21 million of the company’s debt was extended from November 2021 to November 2022.
Singapore opens business-bubble hotel: Singapore has opened what is claimed to be the world’s first quarantine-free business-bubble hotel that allows in-person meetings amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Called “Connect@Changi,” the hotel was erected inside a Singapore expo hall using prefabricated room pods stacked to two levels, with separate pods for meeting rooms and a gym. On arrival, guests are screened with a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, with further tests required. Entrances, exits and air-conditioning units are kept separate, while air-conditioning and mechanical ventilation systems are designed for safe airflow. The self-service rooms are made airtight by floor-to-ceiling glass panels, and business meetings are limited to five people. Guests order food in from the city, and each room has shelves outside for contact-free delivery.
AHLA comments on vaccination guidelines: The following is a statement from Chip Rogers, president and CEO of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA), on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) recent update to prioritize “Traveler Accommodation” under the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) Categories of Essential Workers:
“Thanks to AHLA’s ongoing efforts, the CDC has updated its guidelines prioritizing hotel workers under Phase 1c of the COVID-19 vaccine distribution. This is a significant achievement that directly impacts the health and safety of hotel workers across the country. It also recognizes that hotel employees continue to be on the front lines of the pandemic.
In partnership with UNITE HERE!, AHLA also renewed its call sending a letter to the National Governors Association advocating for inclusion of hotel workers in state vaccine distribution efforts. This follows AHLA’s comment with the CDC last month calling for hotel workers to be included in vaccine distribution under Phase 1c.”