Last year was monumentous in terms of luxury brand hotel openings. To name a few – Bulgari Hotel & Residences, ME London, and The London Edition graced the UK capital; Europe welcomed gems such as Myriad by Sana in Portugal, Conrad Algarve at Quinta do Lago, and Mainport in Rotterdam; and international offerings included luxury hotspots such as Jing An Shangri-La in Shanghai, St Regis Resort Hotel on Yalong Bay in Sanya, and Sofitel Legend Cartagena Santa Clara in Colombia.
2014 looks set to follow suit, with a number of major hotel brands planning prominent openings for this year. Hospitality Interiors profiles ones to watch from some of the biggest names in the business.*
Four Seasons
Mid-2014 promises to be an exciting time for the brand, with hotel openings in Russia, South Africa and the US.
Four Seasons Hotel Moscow will be situated in the centre of the city on Manezhnaya Square, and will boast awe-inspiring views of the Kremlin. Rich in history, the hotel will feature two restaurants, a tea lounge, bar, indoor poolside cafe and spa.
Four Seasons Hotel Westcliffe Johannesburg will be set on a cliffside garden estate in the city’s prestigious northern suburbs, and will offer panoramic views over Johannesburg Zoo. With an ambience similar to a hillside Mediterranean village, the hotel will offer two restaurants, a bar and spa.
Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort will be located within the gates of the resort’s residential community, Golden Oak, offering panoramic views of the Magic Kingdom. The hotel’s entertainment offering will comprise a rooftop steakhouse with views of the nightly firework display, a fully-serviced spa, swimming pools and an 18-hole golf course.
Opening later in the year, Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach will be closely located to the central business district. The hotel will offer 220 rooms across 14 acres and 270m of private beach frontage at the northern end of Jumeirah Beach Road. Leisure features will include a world-class spa, gym, indoor tennis courts, outdoor pools and a private beach club.
As ever, Hilton has a plethora of hotel openings coming up worldwide over the next year. Click here to see a full list.
Hyatt
Hyatt has prominent plans in the pipeline, with hotels set to open across the globe.
Due to open in June, Park Hyatt Vienna, Austria, will be situated in the city’s renowned First District, occupying a listed 100-year-old building that formerly served as the headquarters of Bank Austria Creditanstalt.
Park Hyatt’s new US flagship will open in New York next year, which will be located across from Carnegie Hall. Designed by world-renowned architect, Christian de Portzamparc, the 210-room Park Hyatt New York will be part of a 90-story mixed-use tower, which will also feature 135 Thomas Juul-Hansen-designed condominiums with views of Central Park.
Park Hyatt Zanzibar will offer 72 luxurious guest rooms, and will be located on an UNESCO heritage site in the historic part of Zanzibar City known as Stone Town. The hotel will have unrestricted access to the beachfront.
Another of Hyatt’s brands to enjoy a prominent opening this year is Andaz, which will open in Tokyo this summer. Occupying the second-tallest highrise in the capital, Andaz Tokyo Toranomon Hills will be 64-room boutique-style destination, offering awe-inspiring views from the 52nd floor.
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG)
The InterContinental brand will kick off the year in style with its Switzerland opening next week. Later on in the year, IHG’s boutique Hotel Indigo brand will open three new properties across Europe.
InterContinental Davos will open above the shores of Lake Davos in Switzerland, offering awe-inspiring views of the Grison Alps. The hotel’s distinctive, oval-shaped building is enveloped by 790 gold-coloured steel elements, resulting in an impressive futuristic facade. This is reflected in the interior of the hotel, which conveys a modern warm chalet feel, extending across its 216 rooms and suites.
Located 10 minutes from the famous Nevskiy Prospect, Hotel Indigo St Petersburg – Tchaikovskogo has been designed with the history of St Petersburg, Russia, in mind. Due to open in February, the hotel will offer 119 rooms, treatment rooms, a swimming pool, restaurant and lounge bar.
Hotel Indigo Madrid – Gran Via is situated a few steps from Gran Via street, a modern, vibrant and cosmopolitan strip in the Spanish capital. The hotel’s design has been greatly influenced by its location within the historic Gran Via area, and features design accents from the local neighbourhood throughout. Bookings are currently being taken for stays from 5th April onwards.
The second quarter of 2014 will see the opening of Hotel Indigo Rome – St George in the heart of the historic city. With modern interiors that blend with the historic building, the hotel will offer a restaurant and bar that moves to the roof terrace in the summer months – providing a dining experience with a 360° view.
JW Marriott
2014 promises to be a big year for JW Marriott, which is set to significantly progress on its aim of extending its portfolio to 28 hotels by 2016 – bringing the brand total to 88 properties in 31 countries.
JW Marriott has announced 12 new hotel openings for this year – mainly in Asia Pacific – as well as an 800-room expansion at the JW Marriott Marquis Dubai.
Due to open in June, the 298-room JW Marriott Houston Downtown, Texas, will pay tribute to its location in the fourth largest city in America.
JW Marriott Santo Domingo, will be the brand’s first property in the Dominican Republic. The 131-room property will be located in the Piantini area – Santo Domingo’s primary business, commercial and residential district – and housed in the first seven floors of a 15-story, mixed-use tower built above the existing Blue Mall Santo Domingo.
JW Marriott’s European offering will be extended with the opening of JW Marriott Venice Resort & Spa, Italy. The 266-room property will be situated on the private island of Sacca Sessola, located in the Venetian lagoon – a short boat ride away from the picturesque city of Venice. The comfortable and refined guest rooms and suites will be designed by Milan-based Matteo Thun & Partners. In harmony with the brand’s emphasis on wellbeing, the resort will offer a health club and spa, as well as indoor, outdoor and rooftop swimming pools.
The nine Asia Pacific openings for JW Marriott in 2014 are as follows:
- JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul, South Korea (170 rooms)
- JW Marriott Shenyang, China (345 rooms)
- JW Marriott Hotel Zhengzhou, China (416 rooms)
- JW Marriott Sanya Qingshui Bay Resort & Spa, China (300 rooms)
- JW Marriott Hainan Clear Water Bay Resort & Spa, China (300 rooms)
- JW Marriott Bao’an, China (353 rooms)
- JW Marriott Kunming, China (345 rooms)
- JW Marriott Jakarta Kemang Village, Indonesia (275 rooms)
- JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar, India (550 rooms)
Mandarin Oriental
Mandarin Oriental is set to further extend the reach of its luxury offering this year, with openings in Taiwan, Turkey and Morocco.
Due to open in the first quarter, Mandarin Oriental, Tapei, Taiwan, will boast the most spacious accommodation in the city. With a combination of classic design and contemporary detailing, the hotel will offer 256 guest rooms, ranging from 50-72m²; 47 suites, including two magnificent presidential suites – each with private spa and gym; six restaurants and bars; a world-class spa; and extensive meeting space, including a Grand Ballroom which seats 1008 guests.
Scheduled to open early summer, Mandarin Oriental, Bodrum, Turkey, will be located on a 60-hectare waterfront site on the northern side of the peninsula, offering panoramic views over the Aegean Sea. The resort’s 82 exclusive guest rooms and 20 suites will provide the largest accommodation in the area, all featuring sun-decks and terraces, and many with private gardens and infinity-edged pools. The development also includes 214 luxury private homes, which will be branded and managed as Residences at Mandarin Oriental.
Mandarin Oriental, Marrakech, Morocco, is set to open later in the year. The intimate and exclusive retreat will be set in 20 hectares of landscaped olive groves, in the heart of the exotic Palmeraie region. Positioned within the lush, landscaped grounds will be 54 individual villas – or riads – each housed in 300m² of private, walled gardens, featuring their own pools and hot tubs.
Meliá Hotels International
In addition to its expanding Brazil offering, Meliá Hotels International has announced openings in Jamaica, Baha Mar and Ibiza.
Braco Village Hotel & Spa in Braco, Jamaica, is set to reopen as Meliá Jamaica this November. Located on Jamaica’s north coast, the 226-room property will be managed as an all-inclusive resort following a comprehensive refurbishment.
Baha Mar resort, which is currently under construction, is set on 3000 feet of white-sand beach in Nassau, the Bahamas. One of the resort’s hotels, Meliá Nassau Beach Resort is executing a renewal plan that will be completed by December, after which it will be reopened as Meliá at Baha Mar. The 694-room property will feature multiple spaces for meetings and conventions, new restaurant concepts and an updated lobby area.
The newest addition to the ME by Meliá brand, ME Ibiza, will launch in June. Located in in Santa Eulalia, the property will combine modern Ibizan interiors with striking sea views. The hotel will offer 2oo guest rooms – including 21 ME+ suites – some of which will feature private Jacuzzi’s and swimming pools.
ME Madrid will also launch a new restaurant and rooftop bar this year.
Meliá Hotels International will also be opening a new hotel in China later in the year – more details to follow.
Shangri-La
2014 will see Shangri-La’s first hotel opening in the UK, as well as three other prominent openings – one in the Middle East and two in Asia Pacific.
The opening date of Shangri-La Hotel, At The Shard, London, kept us all guessing throughout 2013, but this year is set to hold the big unveil. An eye-catching first foray into the UK for the brand, the hotel will occupy floors 34-52 of Renzo Piano’s The Shard, which – at 1016 feet high – is currently the tallest building in Europe.
Shangri-La Hotel, Lhasa, Tibet, will open in the first quarter of 2014 on the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau, the highest region on earth. The 284-room urban resort will rest amongst the tallest peaks in the world, surrounded by a striking mountain landscape of glaciers, valleys and lake.
Opening in the third quarter of this year, Shangri-La Hotel, Doha, Qatar, will open in the third quarter of 2014. The hotel will be Shangri-La’s sixth hotel in the Middle East, complementing the group’s four hotels in the UAE and resort in the Sultanate of Oman.
Located in the central business district of Bangalore, India, Shangri-La Hotel, Bangalore will open later this year. Known as the Silicon Valley of India thanks to its focus on information technology, Bangalore is located on the southern Deccan Plateau, and is one of the fastest-growing cities in India.
Six Senses
With a plethora of new openings scheduled over the next few years, Six Senses is extending its portfolio with one stand-out resort opening in 2014.
Scheduled to open in the middle of this year, Six Senses Qing Cheng Mountain is the only resort located adjacent to the UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Chinese province of Sichuan. With 113 suites and villas, the resort has been designed to incorporate regional architecture and landscaping – resulting in an interior with a strong sense of place, which is wedded to a contemporary aesthetic.
Starwood
As ever, the Starwood portfolio will continue to expand at a rapid rate throughout 2014, under its nine distinctive, quality brands: Le Meridien, aloft, Four Points, Westin, The Luxury Collection, W Hotels, Sheraton, St Regis and element.
A full list of Starwood openings can be found here.
*All anticipated opening dates correct on 8th January 2014, but may be subject to change
