Hotel Openings and Renovations
Openings
Trump SoHo New York to Open in April
Trump Hotel Collection has announced that Trump SoHo New York will open its doors on April 9, 2010. Located at 246 Spring Street, the 46-story, silver-glass building will have 391 rooms and suites, but with just 12 rooms per floor, it will have the ambiance of an intimate hotel. The new property will offer the most meeting and event space in SoHo, with over 12,000 square feet. (www.trumpsohohotel.com)
First Hilton Worldwide in Merida Due to Open in 2011
Hilton Worldwide has announced that construction of the Doubletree by Hilton, Merida is expected to begin this month with a scheduled completion in March 2011.
Located in Merida’s hotel zone and business district, just ten minutes from Merida International Airport, the new hotel will offer 100 guest rooms and suites, 3,000 square feet of meeting space, a full-service restaurant, lobby bar, pool and fitness center. Merida is the largest city and capital in Mexico’s state of Yucatán.
This announcement comes on the heels of the recent opening of Hilton Mexico City Reforma – the first managed Hilton property in the city center — and reinforces the continued growth of Hilton Worldwide in Mexico, where it currently has a portfolio of 22 hotels and resorts across a number of brands. (www.doubletree.hilton.com)
2011 Marks Unveiling of YOTEL in New York
YOTEL, the revolutionary hotel concept, has announced that it will open for business in New York City with a property featuring 669 stylish “cabins”. This will mark the first YOTEL opening outside of its current international airport locations (Heathrow and Gatwick in the UK, Schiphol in Amsterdam) and make it the largest hotel opening in New York in 2011.
Inspired by first-class airline cabins, YOTEL Times Square, located at 42nd Street and 10th Avenue will be part of Related Company’s 1.2 million square foot, 60-story LEED-Silver complex which will include residential units and the Frank Gehry designed Signature Theatre. The flagship YOTEL property will feature a restaurant, bar, meeting rooms, a Club Lounge and the largest hotel outside terrace space of any hotel in New York. “Cabins” will each measure 170 square feet.
New Hotel/Convention Center Comes to Puerto Rico
Best Western International has announced the opening of the Best Western Pichi’s Hotel, Convention Center and Casino, located in Guayanilla, Puerto Rico. The brand-new, non-smoking hotel offers 136 guest rooms and 27,000 square feet of convention center space, seven meeting facilities and a conference room for smaller gatherings.
Renovations
Renovation of Radisson Plaza-Warwick Hotel Completed
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The Radisson Plaza-Warwick Hotel has completed a five-year, multi-phase $22 million renovation. The final phase of renovation included an additional $2 million investment for the modern transformation of the National Historic Landmark Hotel’s mezzanine level pre-function area and meeting rooms, public restrooms, and the Locust Street entrance. Carlson Hotels owns and manages the hotel. (www.radisson.com/hotels/paphilly)
Management Changes
Beach House Maldives Joins Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts
As of March 1 following a $58 million renovation, The Beach House Maldives joined Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts. The resort has been renamed The Beach House Maldives, The Waldorf Astoria Collection. Located on the lagoon-ringed Haa Alifu Atoll, the 35-acre resort comprises 83 Maldivian-style villas, three restaurants, four bars and a spa. Each villa comes complete with a private pool and butler. It is the first Waldorf Astoria property in Asia Pacific. (www.waldorfastoria.com)
Awards
Safety First at Valentin Imperial Resort
Valentin Imperial Maya Resort, an all-inclusive, adults-only resort in Riviera Maya, was named the 2009 Regional Winner of the Cristal Award by Check Safety First, a network of hotel and resort safety experts. Check Safety First is an auditing service that reviews hotels worldwide on over 250 control points which each property must meet in order to qualify for inclusion on the official Check Safety First website. Qualifying categories include food safety, fire safety, environment awareness, hurricane preparedness and water cleanliness. For corporate events, the property features state-of-the-art meeting facilities with a capacity of 300. (www.valentinmaya.com)
