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Briefs: Vignette Collection to Europe; Floating Kempinski in Dubai

IHG’s Vignette Collection launches in Europe: IHG Hotels & Resorts announced the European debut of the Vignette Collection, its new luxury collection brand, in a landmark property deal with JJW Hotels & Resorts, London. Signed under franchise agreements, IHG announced the launch of the 205-room Grand Hotel Wien in Vienna, Austria; the 188-room Penina Resort & Golf in Algarve, Portugal; and the 154-room Dona Filipa Hotel in Algarve. The agreement between IHG and JJW includes a new hotel for IHG’s voco hotels brand in Algarve, which is set to open in early 2022 and will offer 61 one and two-room apartments. IHG’s Vignette Collection was launched in August and was the sixth brand in the company’s portfolio in the last four years. IHG plans to add 100 more hotels under this brand in 10 years.

Ritz-Carlton to The Bahamas: Marriott International has signed an deal with Cotton Bay Holdings, The Bahamas, to launch a 90-key Ritz-Carlton Reserve on the island of Eleuthera in The Bahamas. The upcoming property will join a collection of five Ritz-Carlton Reserve properties globally. The resort will feature an 18-hole golf course, spa and swimming pools, and restaurants. The property will also include 60 Ritz-Carlton-branded residences, ranging from two to five-bedrooms. Currently, Marriott operates five properties under Reserve brands in Thailand, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico and Puerto Rico.

Rendering of of the Kempinski Floating Palace in Dubai

Floating sea resort in Dubai: Kempinski Hotels, Geneva, in collaboration with Seagate Shipyard, Dubai, announced the launch of The Kempinski Floating Palace in Dubai, a floating building housing 156 rooms around which 12 floating luxury villas will be connected by pontoons. The luxury villas will be available partly on sale and also on rent by hotel guests. The villas, equipped with solar panels, will be span two floors with two, three or four bedrooms, staff rooms, roof terrace, infinity pool. The property will also include a connected floating helipad next to a yacht parking deck for up to 16 yachts. The main building, which is structured in four parts, will be connected by a glass pyramid which offers services of a 5-star hotel. The hotel is expected to open in 2023.

Omicron’s initial impact: MMGY Global’s latest survey of U.S. adults revealed that 45% of respondents who are familiar with the Omicron variant are less likely to travel in the next three months because of related concerns. Interestingly, unvaccinated travelers’ intentions appear to be far less impacted than those of the vaccinated. The survey found 39% of vaccinated adults familiar with Omicron say news of the variant has no impact on their likelihood to travel in the next three months, while the majority (71%) of those who are unvaccinated say this news does not impact their likelihood to travel.

Dubai surpasses 2019 profit level: Estimated Gross operating profit per available room (GOPPAR) in Dubai for October 2021 was 159% of the 2019 comparable, as per STR’s October 2021 monthly P&L data. Driven by Expo 2020 and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021, Dubai’s GOPPAR reached US$178, while TrevPAR was US$316. Top-line performance also lifted this month, as the market reported its highest monthly room rates since 2018. The other key markets in the Middle East and Africa region — Saudi Arabia and Qatar — failed to reach 2019 GOPPAR levels but realized strong profits. At US$42, Saudi Arabia’s October GOPPAR was 80% of October 2019 levels, while Qatar (US$49) was at 79% of the same comparable.

Accor expands in Eastern Africa: Accor, in partnership with Nairobi-based partnering with Rakam Investment Ltd., Nairobi, Kenya, announced the planned opening of the first Mantis property in Kenya — The Mantis Masai Mara Eco-Lodge. The hotel will offer direct access to the Mara-Sengeti game reserve. The partnership with Rakam was a result of a tender process, whose competitive process was managed by JLL Hotels & Hospitality. The property is expected to open in 2024 and will be located in the Enonkishu Conservancy. It will consist of 20 tented suites, a restaurant and bar, events space, sauna and a wellness facility.

Domes Resorts adds to portfolio: Domes Resorts, Thessaloniki, Greece, is set to take charge of management of the 192-key Lake Spa Resort in Algarve, Portugal, which is owned by Hotel Investment Partners, the Barcelona-based owner of resort hotels backed by funds managed by Blackstone. The 5-star hotel will be converted into an internationally branded Domes Resorts, with an investment worth €7 million (US$7.9 million) scheduled to upgrade and refurbish all the rooms and public spaces and a rebranding of all the F&B outlets. The hotel is slated to reopen in early 2022.

Starwood Capital refinances in Copenhagen: Starwood Capital Group, on behalf of its controlled affiliate and owner of the Comfort Hotel Vesterbro in Copenhagen, a 399-room, full-service hotel in a prime location of the Danish capital, has taken out a US$45 million senior loan to refinance the purchase of the property. The closing of the deal was announced by Aareal Bank, Wiesbaden, Germany. The hotel is leased to Nordic Choice and managed under the Comfort hotel brand. Aareal Bank was advised by Plesner on legal matters and CBRE on valuation.

Peachtree acquires in Florida: Peachtree Hotel Group, Atlanta, Georgia, has acquired the 207-room AC Hotel Miami Aventura and the 233-room Aloft Miami Aventura in Aventura, Florida. The deal value of the transactions was not disclosed. Peachtree’s division, Peachtree Hospitality Management, will operate the properties. These acquisitions follow Peachtree’s acquisitions in Paso Robles, California. This year, the company has acquired around US$2 billion in hotel assets.

Vacation rental giant goes public: Vacasa, the Portland-based vacation rental management platform representing 30,000 properties, launched its IPO on Tuesday through a deal with SPAC TPG Pace Solutions. The ticker symbol on the Nasdaq is VCSA and the company has an estimated valuation around US$4.5 billion. Vacasa reported record revenue in 3Q21 at US$330 million, an increase of 77% year-over-year. Net income for the quarter rose from US$9 million in 2020 to US$33 million this year.

Disney, Interval agreement: Disney Vacation Development, Celebration, Florida, and Interval International, Miami, Florida, have signed an agreement to affiliate 15 Disney Vacation Club resorts in Florida, South Carolina, California and Hawaii. The agreement reinstates a relationship that was established in 1995. From January 1, 2022, Disney Vacation Club members will be able to access travel and leisure benefits, including the opportunity to exchange their vacation points for stays at resorts in Interval’s global network of about 3,200 properties. Disney Vacation Club members can also avail flexible exchange opportunities and upgraded benefits and services, including the ability to exchange their points toward ShortStay Exchange, receive discounts on Getaway vacation rentals and use VIP Concierge for personal assistance. Disney Vacation Club members can avail Interval’s hotel exchange benefits later on.

MCR acquires housekeeping software firm: New York-based owner-operator MCR has acquire housekeeping software company Optii. Optii will continue to be a standalone company with its existing management team and MCR, with its 140 hotels, will remain an arms-length customer and not receive data from Optii. Used by hotels to clean more than 10 million guestrooms globally, Optii has experienced strong growth in the past year as hoteliers seek to increase housekeeping productivity. The software company has an aggressive expansion strategy that includes the imminent introduction of a preventative maintenance product.

Meetings optimism: Greenwich Hospitality Group’s Delamar Hotels, Stamford, Connecticut, surveyed 500 Northeastern U.S. meeting planners in October and found more than one-third are scheduling on-site events this year with 40% planning meetings into 2022. The majority of future gatherings include networking receptions, while the number of Board of Directors, executive leadership and sales training meetings as well as employee retreats were evenly split. Fully, 79% cited hybrid meeting capability and technology among the most important factors in choosing a meeting venue and 46% responding that attendees must show proof of vaccination or negative COVID test.

Scandic’s new booking feature for meetings: Scandic, Stockholm, has announced a digital booking service for meetings and conferences of up to 30 people on Scandic’s website. The service has been integrated as part of the company’s website, with both booking and payment services available on the booking system. The service will be launched on December 7 at 50 hotels in the Nordic region. By the end of Q1 2022, all 195 hotels of Scandic will offer meeting and conference facilities in the Nordic countries, Poland and Germany.

Essex expands portfolio: Essex Hotel Management, Rochester, New York, has added the 94-key Hampton Inn & Suites Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, New York, to its East Coast portfolio, marking the company’s first property in the city and fourth signed management contract in this year. The hotel’s rooms and public spaces will undergo refurbishment which will begin from Q1 2022 and will be overseen by Essex. The total portfolio of the company now stands at 13 properties.

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