News

Stop the press, London has a new Number One hotel. The people of TripAdvisor have spoken, crowning The Resident Covent Garden as their favourite.

A coronavirus cluster has been found at a Japanese hotel hosting a number of Brazilian Olympic athletes, just 10 days before the Summer Games are due to begin. The cluster emerged in the coastal city of Hamamatsu, with seven staff members confirmed to have the virus.

A total of 74 deals (comprising mergers & acquisitions, private equity and venture financing deals) were announced in the global travel and tourism sector during June, which is an increase of 39.6% over 53 deals announced in May, according to GlobalData.

Far East Consortium International Limited (FEC) has completed on the sale of the Dorsett City London Hotel in Aldgate for £115m.

The plans have been met with outrage and condemnation from various Muslim groups. (RNS) — Plans for a Hilton hotel to be built in China upon the former site of a Uyghur mosque, demolished by order of China’s Community Party, have been met with outrage and condemnation from various Muslim groups.

Aparthotel brand Adagio has launched a new concept “designed for the accommodation of larger groups travelling together”. The Coliving by Adagio concept offers a self-contained flat with four to six rooms, accommodating up to 12 people.

The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) has updated its guidelines for mask wearing and physical distancing, bringing its recommendations in line with recent changes made to CDC guidance.

The Emerald Palace Dubai has ended its association with Kempinski Hotels, ahead of a planned reopening later this year. The 391-room Palm Jumeirah property opened in late 2018, and was designed to resemble an 18th century European palace.

Marriott has opened its latest property at Heathrow airport, located just off the Bath Road around two miles from the airport’s Terminals 2 and 3.

Marriott International's J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation has committed $20 million to launch the Marriott-Sorenson Center for Hospitality Leadership at Howard University, a historically Black school in Washington.

Grand Hotel Savoia Cortina d’Ampezzo has become the latest member of the Radisson Collection, following an extensive renovation project. The hotel is situated in the northern Italian ski resort of Cortina d’Ampezzo, which is currently playing host to the Alpine World Ski Championships.

It’s reported that France’s SNCF will restart its Paris-Nice sleeper train next month. This development has led to some rail enthusiasts likening it to the revival of the famous Le Train Bleu or Blue Train.

Hyatt Hotels has opened its first Grand Hyatt property in Saudi Arabia. Grand Hyatt Al Khobar Hotel and Residences, featuring 368 rooms, including 54 residential units, is located in the commercial and retail heart of Al Khobar with a connecting bridge to Al Rashid Mall.

Service Properties Trust (SPT) has received a notice of termination regarding the management agreement for 22 Hyatt Place hotels owned by subsidiaries of SPT, the company announced. Hyatt's obligations under the agreement, which requires minimum annual returns of $22 million, are supported by a $50 million limited guaranty, according to SPT.

Aimbridge Hospitality has added 25 Extended Stay America hotels to its growing portfolio. With the addition of these new properties, all situated in prime locations throughout Texas and the Midwestern region, Aimbridge has become the largest third-party manager of Extended Stay America hotels.

Two men BASE jumped from the rooftop bar of the Grand Hyatt hotel in Nashville on Friday, causing a "mass panic" among the bar's patrons, police said. Hotel security told police that two men approached the ledge of the rooftop bar on the hotel's 25th floor on Friday evening and jumped off it, according an incident report from Metro Nashville Police.

Holiday Inn has opened a new Wren Healthcare clinic at its London Heathrow M4 Junction 4 property, offering Covid-19 PCR tests and guaranteed ‘Fit to Fly’ certificates for travellers. The hotel has launched a package dubbed ‘Stay/Test/Go!’, which costs £229 and includes an overnight stay, breakfast eight days parking and the PCR test and certificate. Additional guests can be added to the package for £120.

Reflecting the impact of a second lockdown, Europe's hotel industry reported much lower performance levels from the prior month, according to November 2020 data from STR.

A Spirit Airlines plane skidded off the taxiway at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport on Thursday morning after a powerful winter storm created slick conditions.

Kempinski Hotels S.A. in Geneva has appointed Bernold Schroeder as chairman of the management board and CEO ad interim. The news follows the decision of the Kempinski supervisory board to part ways with former CEO Martin R. Smura.

Accor has signed two European properties under its residential Movenpick Living brand. The extended stay brand offers stays of up to 120 days, and aims to combine “the comfort and privacy of home, with hotel services on top”.

The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), the world’s largest business travel association, has completed its acquisition of key assets of the Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE), continuing its pledge to unify the industry and help lead business travel out of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Chinese President Xi Jinping is appealing to world leaders to create a globally-accepted COVID-19 health-tracking system to enable the resumption of trade and travel.

British Airways is selling off surplus inflight crockery, glassware and blankets, as well as trolleys from retired B747 aircraft, in an attempt to raise much needed funds.