Between border closures, conference cancellations, and widespread apprehension about getting on a plane, 2020 has been an incredibly down year for business or pleasure travel. Subsequently, conventional wisdom would suggest that it's pretty much the worst possible time for a new hotel to open its doors.
I'm afraid I can't take your bags," says the manager of The Dixon, a boutique hotel just south of Tower Bridge. He greets me in the lobby on reopening day (Saturday 4 July) after the pandemic forced the hotel to close for four months. A smile beams from behind the clear plastic visor that covers his face. "We have a new procedure, you see."
The celebratory ribbon cutting was still fresh in their minds when managers at Quirk Hotel Charlottesville had to close after only two weeks in operation due to Covid-19. It seems that new hotel openings, especially this summer, are going to face a few more challenges than usual.
It took several months, but coronavirus is finally impacting hotel construction.
The U.S. hotel supply continues to grow at a record pace, even with the industry facing its worst downturn in recorded history. But the building boom's days are numbered.
The world's largest hotel companies expect independent hoteliers to flock to flag affiliations and their accompanying global reach during the coronavirus recovery to rebuild business. Don't hold your breath, says an organization representing boutique hotels.
If you're seeking indicators of how coronavirus is impacting the U.S. economy, you won't find it with hotel construction activity — yet.
A handful of NYC hotels are moving ahead with scheduled openings, whether or not the guests will arrive.
Though Hyatt Hotels Corp. and Hilton stand alone among the major hotel companies in pulling their 2020 outlooks in response to COVID-19, numerous real estate investment trusts have made that move in recent weeks. And while many of these REITs held back in quantifying the impact they had seen, several provided a window into the financial losses they have taken.
Some might consider it ironic that there's been a lot of talk about the possibility of Expedia Group shedding assets, but Tripadvisor is the one actively trying to sell its vacation rental businesses. There has been speculation for some time that Tripadvisor would make such a move — and now it's actually happening.
Toronto is one of my favorite cities in the world. I have visited the Canadian capital of Ontario for decades and marveled at its ability to be a world-class metropolitan city with soaring skyscrapers as well as a remarkable dynamic landscape of cultures and people from around the globe. More than 50% of its population are minorities, and it creates the most vibrant community of neighborhoods, from Downtown to Yorkville and beyond.
Cox & Kings-owned Meininger, a hybrid hostel/hotel chain, is planning to go public, according to a report in the Times of London.
Want to go somewhere new? Like brand new? Then in 2020, you're in luck. There are an impressive list of luxury properties opening for the first time across the globe, all daring to be explored. They range from the latest offerings of five-star stalwarts to boutique hotels looking to break out of the mold.
U.S. hotel companies are facing a shortage of construction workers just as they are building new brands and properties. The result: delayed projects and higher costs. The industry will have to get more aggressive to recruit workers if it plans to keep the momentum going on its expansion plans.
Has Accor's partnership with Huazhu worn out its usefulness given the Chinese hotel giant has built a strong positioning in the economy and midscale segments in China? Huazhu now wants to focus on luxury and upper upscale, along with international expansion starting in Europe.
InterContinental Hotels Group isn't afraid to change how the traditional hotel chain is organized and structured. Its latest move is making sub-regional heads directly accountable for development — even if that risks having owners think it prioritizes its own pipeline over their hotels' performance. Some in Asia already do.
By his own admission, Federico J. González is not a patient man. But he's had to learn. since taking over at the helm of one of the world's biggest hotel chains.
Luxury hotel group Rocco Forte, which owns Brown's in London and the Hotel de Russie in Rome, is preparing its biggest expansion yet in a sign of the resilience of the luxury market against an economic slowdown. Rocco Forte, who founded the hotel group in 1996, said he wanted 25 to 30 properties spread around major European cities within three to five years, compared with its current 14.
Marriott International watched one all-inclusive hotel after another open in Latin America and the Caribbean over the past decade without so much as an invitation to partner with property owners. But with the announcement of its own proprietary offerings this month, the chain finally decided to take all-inclusive into its own hands.
Oyo Hotels and Homes has made its first property acquisition in the U.S, purchasing the Hooters Casino Hotel Las Vegas, the company announced Friday.