After buying the Hoxton Hotel in London for a rumoured £65 million earlier this year, London-based investment firm Ennismore Capital has reportedly agreed terms to purchase a former office block in Holborn, central London, for around £30 million from Ediston Properties and the Royal Bank of Scotland. Ennismore plans to use the building, which was previously occupied by BT Group, to expand the Hoxton brand; it will invest a further £15 million in converting the six-storey property into a 175 to 200-room hotel. Additionally, Ennismore is thought to be in negotiations for another site in London which could become the city’s third Hoxton hotel.

Rocco Forte Hotels is reportedly exiting its lease of 101-room Augustine Hotel, located in Prague, due to failure to pay its rent on the property. Financial Times reported that Rocco Forte Hotels, London, is to be given 30 days notice to leave the 5-star property after failing to reach a deadline to come to an agreement with the Luxembourg-based Waldeck Capital over a reduced rent for the leased property. According to people familiar with the matter, the hotel will be closed and a new management company appointed to operate it. Rocco Forte Hotels told Financial Times it still had a lease and had not received a notice to exit the lease. The company is dealing with financial difficulties, having posted losses over the past two fiscal years and a total net debt of €108 million (US$137 million).

Hilton Cartagena in Colombia has wrapped up a multimillion-dollar renovation of its main-tower

guestrooms. Local designers Juan Manual Garcia and German Lopez Barrera introduced the sea’s calming essence into the refreshed accommodations through sand-colored porcelain flooring, natural oak furnishings, and a color scheme that blends the blues and violets of the sea and sky. The project also involved enlarging the indoor area by incorporating the balcony and terrace space in the rooms’ interior. In addition, the hotel revamped the pool complex upgrades including a new non-slip marble floor and landscaping.

History retold in a “surprisingly different” resort setting upon a 230-year-old Fort perched on a granite hill of the Aravallis with spectacular 360 degree views of the Rajasthani landscape.

Located at Bishangarh Village in the Jaipur District, barely 6 km off the Delhi-Jaipur National Highway, Alila Fort Bishangarh is easily accessible from both Delhi and Jaipur. It is 180 km (3 hours) from Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi while it is only 55 km (1 hour) from Jaipur Airport. The drive to Amber Fort at Jaipur is only 45 minutes away and Bishangarh is a good base to explore Jaipur’s innumerable tourist attractions.

Opening late 2013, Alila Fort Bishangarh is a heritage fortress lovingly restored & transformed into a luxury resort. The original fort is left intact, with much care given to ecological restoration and the reconstruction of new residential areas, to recreate the courtly flavor of Shahpura’s royalty. The grandeur is felt in its stark and inherent simplicity that has withstood the test of time through its fortification. Perhaps the only warrior fort that has been converted into a heritage resort, Alila Fort Bishangarh is a unique example of the Jaipur Gharana architecture influenced by both the Mughals and the British. The two-metre thick ancient walls around the fort have openings for firearms and turrets (known as burjs) as battlements. A completely new structure is created above and outside the old fort to house five different styles of royal suites and the lavish public areas. As befitting its royal heritage, Alila Fort Bishangarh has its own holdings, which includes the charming Bishangarh village and its havelis (mansions). The Alila Experience will introduce guests to the colorful culture of Rajasthan with a host of rural activities and adventure for a diversely enriching journey.

This all-suite resort boasts 59 stately suites that are designed for quiet indulgence. Each suite is individually created to capture the stunning views. Its spacious interiors are elegantly furnished with large bay windows & day-beds, expansive bathrooms with footed bathtubs, luxury bedding & room amenities, comfortably accommodating a family of four.

Down the hill, the public areas comprise the arrival courtyard, luxurious banquet lawns, the pool, pool terrace & juice bar, Fitness Centre and a ‘Play Soldiers Club’ for Kiddies. Within the Fort, are two specialty theme restaurants, an all-day café lounge, a bar & cigar room, wine cellar, state ballrooms, Library, Spa Alila wellness centre, Alila Living shop and guest suites.

Alila Fort Bishangarh provides a majestic locale for grand weddings and celebratory events including MICE facilities. Its royal banquet hall, banquet dining room, conference and meeting rooms, an open-air terrace and large banquet lawns, provide a perfect setting for all occasions.

The Godfrey Hotel Chicago, in the city’s River North neighborhood, is set to welcome guests next year. Situated at 127 West Huron Street, the 16-story lifestyle hotel is adjacent to the Hotel Felix Chicago. John W. Rutledge, founder and president of developer Oxford Capital Group and its operating affiliate, Oxford Hotels and Resorts, said: “We believe The Godfrey Hotel will become instantly recognizable due to its prominent location, distinctive architecture, compelling interior design, its host of amenities and most important of all, an extremely high touch, customer friendly service ethic.” The hotel will include 221 rooms, restaurant and lobby bar, a 12,000 square-foot indoor/outdoor rooftop lounge and conference space, spa, 24-hour fitness centre, and two floors of parking.

IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) announces the signing of the first EVEN™ Hotels property which will be located in New York City, with ownership group CWC, Inc. The IHG-managed hotel will be located at 219 E 44th Street in the heart of midtown Manhattan, and will be a flagship property for the brand. The hotel will be a new build scheduled to open in late 2014. The hotel will feature 23 guestroom floors and 230 guestrooms, dedicated meeting areas, and indoor and outdoor exercise and eating spaces for an impressive 87,000 square feet in total space. EVEN Hotels meets the large and growing customer demand for a healthier travel experience and is another industry first for IHG. EVEN Hotels uniquely provides solutions for all aspects of travelers’ wellness needs in the areas of food, work, exercise and rest.

Japan’s Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper reports that an upscale hotel has just opened in the newly restored, historic JR Tokyo Station Marunouchi Building in Tokyo’s Marunouchi business district. The building was restored to the way it looked a century ago and since its opening has quickly become a hot spot for tourists, the article says. The areas around the renovated station are packed each day with photo-snapping tourists. The 150-room Tokyo Station Hotel opened on Oct. 3, the paper says. Since opening, the Tokyo Station Hotel has been more than 70% full and its restaurants are fully booked, the story says. According to East Japan Railway’s website, the ambitious project began in May 2007. The hotel’s website shows what appear to be lovely rooms designed in a classic-yet-modern style. The government has designated it as an “Important Cultural Property of Japan,” the site says. All the activity has already boosted train ticket sales and sales at nearby shops and restaurants, the story says, citing ownership group Mitsubishi Estate Co.

Rafael Serrano, a Spanish investor, has purchased Admiralty Arch in London for almost £60 million and looks set to turn the London landmark into a luxury hotel. Mr Serrano recently built the 85-room Bulgari hotel in the city’s upmarket Knightsbridge area, and he has reportedly acquired the Grade I-listed Admiralty Arch on a 125-year lease, under explicit conditions that it cannot be converted into apartments or a single house. The sale is part of a series of property disposals by the UK Government. The 100-year-old building, which comprises three arches, was commissioned by King Edward VII in memory of Queen Victoria, his mother. Most recently, the building was used as office space by the Cabinet Office. 

The Luxury Collection has opened Keraton at The Plaza, a Luxury Collection Hotel—the brand’s first property in Jakarta. Keraton at The Plaza has 140 guestrooms and suites with floor-to-ceiling windows. The interior design, developed with SCDA Singapore and BuregaFarnell Pte. Ltd. features local influences such as batik patterns throughout the hotel. The porte-cochère features an intricate mural of Javanese artwork. The hotel’s art collection includes a piece carved from mahogany and adorned with antique gold that depicts a royal welcome. The design firm Hadiprana Artworks of Jakarta curates the collection and the hotel’s gallery.Keraton Lounge serves traditional high tea every afternoon, fusing English and Javanese traditions. The lounge also serves cocktails, wine and other beverages in the evening. Bengawan, the property’s signature restaurant, serves Indonesian cuisine with indoor and outdoor seating overlooking Jakarta.

The Vice Chairman and CEO of Meliá Hotels International, Gabriel Escarrer, and the CEO of the real estate company WGF AG, Pino Sergio, signed a contract by which the Spanish hotel chain will run a new 205-room Innside hotel in the German city of Hamburg under a lease agreement.

The hotel has a location only 800 meters south from the central railway station in Hamburg and to the west of the City-Süd financial and business district. The location will connect to the new Elbbrücken area of the HafenCity development by a new boulevard. This is a spectacular development with new buildings, water areas and a new central square. The Hamburg city centre is just 1 kilometer from the Innside by Meliá Hamburg hotel.

The new Innside Hamburg, whose construction is expected to start in 2013, will open in 2015, providing meeting facilities, fitness centre, bar-restaurant and all the attributes of the Innside by Meliá brand, design and avant-garde urban spirit, designed for a clientele that requires both modern elegance and high tech. Highly appreciated in Germany, the Innside by Meliá brand will open three more hotels in the country between 2013 and 2015 in the cities of Frankfurt, Wolfsburg and Düsseldorf. In addition, the brand will open other establishments outside Germany, in cities such as Manchester (UK) and Copenhagen (Denmark).

Meli Hotels International operates 22 hotels in Germany under 3 of the Group’s brands: Meliá, Innside and TRYP, and in the coming months will open four additional hotels, thus continuing with its ambitious expansion plan in the major European cities. Meliá aims to double its presence in Germany in the coming years to benefit from the dynamism of a country in which revenue per available room (RevPAR) increased in the first half of 2012 by 7.4% over the same period the previous year – and continue to increase the brand recognition of its hotels in the German market.

The Opposite House, a Beijing lifestyle property managed by Swire Hotels, announced that it will be presenting “Memory,” a unique 6-piece porcelain wearable art installation by artist Li Xiaofeng from Red Gate Gallery. Xiaofeng’s installation turns classical Chinese blue and white porcelain into contemporary couture dresses using rejected pieces of porcelain art littered around the imperial kilns of Jingdezhen over the centuries, or buried, broken fragments along the layered trading routes in every direction across China. “The shards contain the history and culture of China. Through grinding, polishing and sewing them together, it narrates the country’s past, present and future to its audiences. It also indicates the rebirth of the new civilization in the Eastern Hemisphere,” said Li. “Memory” will be on display from October 1 to December 30 in the atrium of The Opposite House.

The proposed W Philadelphia Hotel has secured all approvals to move forward, according to Starwood Hotels and a construction-industry website that tracks such projects in the United States. In the spring, construction is scheduled to begin on the 500-room hotel, which will offer a conference center, a pool and a fitness center among its amenities. Completion is set for January 2015. Starwood Hotels is bringing the W Hotel brand to center city on a half-acre surface parking lot that had been designated for a $420 million Waldorf-Astoria Hotel with luxury condos before the lending markets collapsed four years ago. A slate of luxury boutique hotels has entered the Center City market in the last three years, among them the Kimpton-owned Palomar and Hotel Monaco (which opens Oct. 11) and the Le Méridien, another Starwood brand.

Designer Paul Smith and publisher Rizzoli have teamed up to select books for Lounge At One, at London’s One Aldwych. Designed by Fox Linton Associates, the 1,500 square foot Lounge At One is fully serviced throughout the day with “a changing menu of light dishes for breakfast, daytime and evening, along with cocktails, wine and hot beverages”. Hosts are on hand to take care of individual needs such as checking guests in online for flights or liaising with the One Aldwych concierge team for theatre and restaurant bookings. Cosy sofas and armchairs encourage conversation, a central media area has a selection of iPads, magazines and newspapers as well as Paul Smith’s choice Rizzoli books, and a quiet zone is perfect for relaxing. The Lounge at One is open to every overnight guest but not to the public.

On a stretch of downtown Miami’s Southeast First Street that includes a dollar store, electronics shop and empty storefronts, developers are banking on the future of a historic building. The former Miami National Bank building, built in 1925, is in the early stages of becoming the boutique Langford Hotel. If all goes according to plan, the 132-room property will be ready for guests by December 2013. The company’s website for the hotel, eb5hotel.com, describes a luxury space with a rooftop bar and ground-floor restaurant. For downtown’s central business district, an area that has long been known for being busy during the day and deserted at night, a chic new hotel would be a welcome addition. Read more here.

Le Bristol Paris has debuted Le Bar du Bristol, which completes its renovation program.  The bar features an interior design by Pierre-Yves

Rochon and Maja Oetker. Highlights include a garden fresco by Thierry Bruet and a 19th-century marble fireplace. The décor is reminiscent of an English club, with silk curtains for privacy, a wooden floor of Versailles oak, and 100-year-old pine paneling from Surrey. The bar will also host a rotating program of contemporary artwork and artists’ videos. The menu from Le Bristol’s Chef de Cuisine Eric Frechon includes international bits such as maki rolls with king crab and vegetables in spicy ketchup, chicken wings in satay sauce, and gambas tempura with ginger and coriander mayonnaise. Head Barman Maxime Hoerth leads a team that includes Roman Devaux, previously of the Hemingway Bar at the Ritz Paris.

The Sonesta Resort Hilton Head Island, South Carolina,will look quite different next spring. Sonesta on Thursday announced that it will give the resort’s getting a $30 million makeover. The renovations are a part of the Sonesta Collection’s plan to carry out major improvements at all 24 of its U.S. hotels over the next two years. At the Hilton Head Island property, expect the 340 guest rooms to have an entirely new look, inspired by the local landscape. Design firm Sims Patrick Studio, along with architectural firm designONE studio, will transform the hotel’s look and feel. Construction will begin in December. The rooms are being redone to cater to both families and business travelers, and an over-sized desk that doubles as an activity table for the kids; a pull-out sofa, and lightweight ottomans for additional seating. In the coffee nook near the entrance, guests will find a coffee maker and refrigerator. The resort will also sport a revamped lobby with new sculpture, furniture and finishes, as well as an expansion that will bring the outside in. Expect to find an exterior stone patio with seating and landscaping that overlooks the pool and sundeck. The two existing swimming pools will be revamped, too. Next spring, guests will find a lagoon-style pool and an indoor/outdoor pool that includes space for entertaining. The resort will also get a full-service spa with three treatment rooms and other spaces.

Andaz Savannah, a lifestyle hotel, opened in the former Avia Savannah in historic downtown Savannah. The hotel just completed a renovation of its public areas to add an Andaz Lounge and introduce a sophisticated new restaurant, 22 Square, emphasizing fresh regional ingredients and southern specialties. The artful design and urban vibe of the spaces, services and amenities at Andaz Savannah are inspired by the city’s vibrant culture. The 151 guestrooms and suites at Andaz Savannah feature chic contemporary furnishings with luxurious beds and linens, flat-screen/high-definition televisions with iPod® connections and generously sized bathrooms with walk-in showers. Like all Andaz hotels, guests at Andaz Savannah receive complimentary Wi-Fi Internet access and enjoy complimentary snacks and non-alcoholic beverages from their guestroom minibar. The hotel’s amenities include a 24-hour fitness center and a scenic outdoor terrace with cabana-lined outdoor pool. To support Savannah’s thriving art scene, Andaz Savannah will host rotating art shows that feature works produced by local artists, including those from the renowned Savannah College of Art and Design

Regent Hotels and Resorts and Rezidor Hotel Group have signed a strategic alliance agreement. Under the terms of the agreement, Rezidor will develop and operate new Regent hotels in Russia, the CIS countries, the Baltic region, the Middle East and Africa, and Rezidor and Regent will jointly develop Regent properties in the rest of Europe. The Regent brand was previously part of Carlson and Rezidor before it was acquired by Formosa International Hotels Corporation a couple of years ago. “The acquisition of the Regent brand and business by Formosa in 2010 allowed us to focus on our core brands Radisson Blu and Park Inn by Radisson, and to strengthen our network in 70 countries across EMEA,” said Kurt Ritter, Rezidor’s president and chief executive officer. “A luxury brand was however never off our agenda, and we are delighted to complement our portfolio with Regent now,” he added.

Hilton Worldwide has launched a new Waldorf Astoria hotel this week. After a £24 million renovation and refurbishment, the 254-room Caledonian Hilton Edinburgh hotel, in Scotland’s capital, has reopened as the 241-room Caledonian, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel. The hotel, which is more than 100 years old, has been operated by Hilton since 2000. It has become the group’s second Waldorf Astoria property in the UK, alongside Syon Park in London.

It’s been a busy week for Marriott International. The group announced plans to open its tenth hotel in Turkey, in the city of Izmir, on the Aegean coast. The Renaissance Izmir Hotel is due to open at the end of the year. Once open, the 110-room hotel will become Hilton’s first hotel in Izmir and its fifth Renaissance property in the country. Additionally, Marriott has signed a franchise agreement with SHEPI SNC for its first AC Hotel by Marriott property in Paris. When it opens in 2014, the 166-room AC Hotel Paris Port Maillot will be Marriott’s 14th hotel in the French capital and the third AC Hotel by Marriott in France. Marriott also revealed plans to open three new Autograph Collection properties in Europe by the end of the year. The Collection will make its debut in Portugal with the 72-room Fontecruz hotel in Lisbon, and France is to welcome two new Autograph Collection hotels: the 78-room Hotel De Bourgtheroulde in Rouen and the 72-room Hotel L’Hermitage Gantois in Lille; the buildings of both hotels, in the north of France, date back to the 15th century.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts has signed an agreement with German real estate and investment company Bari Gruppe that will see the group’s environmentally friendly, extended stay brand, Element, make its debut in Europe. The new-build Element Frankfurt Airport is expected to open in 2014 at the Gateway Gardens area in Frankfurt, Germany, with 133 studios and one-bedroom suites. “This is the beginning of what we anticipate will be a long-term relationship with Starwood as we introduce Element Hotels to Europe and establish it as the continent’s most eco and guest-friendly extended stay brand,” said Marco Bari from Bari Gruppe. Starwood currently operates Element hotels across the USA, but also has properties in the pipeline for Canada and the Middle East due to open in the next few years.

Mukul, a luxury boutique hotel and spa in Guacalito de la Isla, a new $250-million, 1,670-acre private beach community on Nicaragua’s Emerald Coast, is scheduled to open in January 2013. Mukul will feature 37 accommodations, each with an ocean view, pool and private staff. Other resort amenities include Spa Mukul, with six private spa-treatment casitas; a beach club featuring dining and lounge areas and a swimming pool; and the 18-hole Guacalito Golf Course.  Mukul and Guacalito de la Isla are the vision of Nicaraguan entrepreneur Don Carlos Pellas, whose family has roots in the country that date back to the 19th century. The Pellas family businesses include transportation, computers, sugar, ethanol, Flor de Caña Rum and the Vivian Pellas Hospital. Pellas also founded the BAC Credomatic financial network in 1985.

Bulgari Hotels & Resorts has signed an agreement with OCT Group to open a new hotel in Shanghai in 2015. The project follows the opening of the Bulgari Hotel London in late May this year. The luxury goods brand has a further two properties – in Milan, which opened in 2004, and a resort in Bali, which opened in 2006. The Shanghai hotel will be located in a riverside metropolitan complex development in Suhe Creek, a protected heritage zone in the Zhabei District. The Bulgari Hotel will be located in the 12 upper floors of a 40-storey building designed by architecture team Foster + Partners. The hotel will have 120 rooms and suites – including the 400sqm Bulgari suite – as well as a ballroom, spa, and rooftop Italian restaurant. A Chinese fine dining restaurant will be created in the former Chinese Chamber of Commerce building at the site, which dates back to early 1900.

Hudson, a Morgans Hotel Group property in New York, has completed a US$18 million renovation of its 836 guestrooms. During nine months of work, crews removed the popcorn ceilings and installed new Venetian blinds. Guestrooms also have new storage options and new artwork in light boxes by Nick Veasy. The bathrooms have new illuminated bathroom mirrors. The next phase of the project will add two new food and beverage outlets and a new outdoor Private Park space.

Slated to Open in 2016, W Panama will Become an Iconic Addition to Panama City’s Skyline as Part of the 50-floor Evolution Tower.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts announced it has signed an agreement with Evolution Tower Corp, a joint venture between F & F Properties and EFC Group Inc., to debut the W Hotels brand in Central America. Slated to open in early 2016, W Panama will be part of the 50-floor Evolution Tower, a mixed-use building, including premium office space, located in the heart of the city’s financial district. W Panama will be built on Calle 50, just steps away from Uruguay Street, which is known as the Zona Rosa of Panama and is bustling with stylish restaurants and nightclubs.

“Panama continues to see strong growth in both business and tourism development given its strategic location between North and South America and ease of access from around the world,” said Osvaldo Librizzi, Co-President of the Americas, Starwood Hotels & Resorts. “We are excited to partner with Evolution Tower Corp, who has a strong presence in high-end construction and iconic developments. We are confident that this first W in Central America will become a new landmark in the city.”

“As part of Starwood’s overall growth strategy, we continue to focus on expanding our nine leading brands into vibrant cities around the world, such as Panama City,” said Ricardo Suarez, Vice President of Latin America Acquisitions and Development for Starwood Hotels & Resorts. “This hotel will mark our ninth in Panama, and we are very pleased to add a new brand to Starwood’s growing presence in the region.”

“It has been a dream of ours to bring the W brand to a growing cosmopolitan city such as Panama,” said Saul Faskha, President, Evolution Tower Corp. “We are very excited to be working on this new project.”

In a perfect combination of sophistication and style, W Panama will reveal surprising elements layer by layer throughout the hotel. Panamanian architect Saul Bassan has created an exclusive design façade for the building, and Krause & Sawyer have been brought on board to lead interior design work for the hotel.

“As W Hotels continues to transform into a global design powerhouse, we are proud to bring W to Central America,” said Vincent Gillet, Global Brand Leader, W Hotels and Le Méridien. “W Panama, set in one of the capital city’s premier districts, will offer a completely new and distinctive experience to the hotel market in Panama City, providing a stylish escape and innovative design for both guests and locals alike.”

W Panama will offer a fully integrated, contemporary lifestyle experience, including 203 stylish guest rooms, with 24 suites, three Wow suites, and one Extreme Wow suite (the W brand’s take on the Presidential Suite), two signature restaurants, the W Living Room experience (reinterpretation of the traditional hotel lobby), destination nightclub, WET pool deck, spa and 8,400 square foot WORKOUT fitness facility.

An ideal venue, W Panama will feature more than 21,900 square feet of meeting and events space, including a Great Room and six meeting rooms. Guests will also be treated to the W brand’s iconic Whatever/Whenever service philosophy, providing guests with whatever they want, whenever they want it.

With excellent access to the airport as well as to other areas of interest within the city, the planned Evolution Tower will provide an impressive impact on the Panama City skyline, offering superb views of the city, and on high floors, the bay and Panama Canal. W Panama will mark Starwood’s ninth hotel in Panama.

Boutique operator Baillie Lodges has submitted a development application for a Sydney hotel, including a modern ribbed building joining two Victorian warehouses.

The project, in The Rocks neighborhood, has been designed by architects Tonkin Zulaikha Greer, which has experience in projects incorporating a heritage element. It features a new two-storey building to be built on the site of the Westpac museum with a ribbed façade and a roof terrace.

Baillie Lodges is run by husband-and-wife operators James and Hayley Baillie. They are aiming for a mid-2014 opening for its first inner-city Sydney property. If their application is approved by the Heritage Council, construction could begin in March 2013.

Plans for the Baillies’ Sydney were revealed by James Baillie in April this year. He told Property Observer he chose The Rocks because it is a “quintessentially Sydney location” and “perfectly located close to all of Sydney key iconic attractions”.

Baillie Lodges was founded in 2003 and currently operates three luxury lodges in wilderness locations, Lord Howe Island, Kangaroo Island and Remarkable Lodge in Tasmania. They are planning a project on Great Ocean Road and a larger Sydney project.

Bloc Hotels is set to transform an office building at London Gatwick airport in to a 245-room budget boutique hotel. This will be the second property for the company, which opened its first hotel in Birmingham. It has been granted planning permission to refurbish Norfolk House, an existing four-storey office building located over the South Terminal at Gatwick Airport, including full replacement of the building. The resulting 245-bedroom hotel will have direct access to the South Terminal. Work is expected to start on-site in mid-October 2012, with an expected opening in Autumn 2013. Will Duffey, senior vice president at Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels, which advised on Bloc’s acquisition of the building, said: “The opportunity received interest from a number of investors and hotel operators across the globe wanting to gain representation at Gatwick Airport. This is a great opportunity for Bloc hotels to increase their exposure to the UK market and grow their brand.”

Milwaukee developer Tim Dixon has joined with the former executives of a top Chicago hotel to manage and develop boutique hotels across the US. Aparium Hotel Group will manage Dixon’s Iron Horse Hotel in Milwaukee and is looking to manage other hotels. A second company, Aparium Development Company, will develop boutique hotels. Dixon, who will take the role of CEO at Aparium Development Company, is working with partners Mario Tricoci, former managing partner of the 188-room Elysian Hotel in Chicago, and Kevin Robinson, former chief operating officer of Elysian Hotel Company. Tricoci and Robinson will be CEO and COO of Aparium Hotel Group respectively.

The 47-room Mercy Hotel opened yesterday on Lisbon’s Rua da Miscórdia. The seven-storey building has been refurbished, with designs by architect Miguel Saraiva. The façade is a fusion of traditional Pombaline (a style popular in Lisbon following the 1755 earthquake) with contemporary materials. A rooftop terrace offers fine views of the city and beyond, while guestrooms feature two twin or one queen size bed, with dual seating, 37″ LCD TV and free wireless internet. Two suites, called Stars of the Sky and Moon River, each have private terraces. The Mercy restaurant on the ground floor serves Portuguese cuisine, while the Mercy Bar serves cocktails and Portuguese wines.

A company affiliated with Azimut Hotels bought the 362-room Metropol, located in Moscow, from the city government for 8.874 billion rubles (US$273 million) in an auction on Thursday. Okhotny Ryad Deluxe, a subsidiary of the luxury hotel’s current management company Metropol paid slightly more than the auction’s starting price of 8.7 billion rubles (US$267 million) for the property. Metropol is controlled by Alexander Klyachin, Azimut’s founder and chairman. A representative of Klyachin said it is too early to say whether or not the hotel will be rebranded or switch management companies.

IHG has announced its third property in China under the Hotel Indigo lifestyle brand which will open next month in the port of Tianjin. The property – formerly the German consulate – will open on September 15. It features 11 villas built in a German architectural style, arranged around a triangular courtyard. It has a total of 96 guestrooms, including 10 suites, and follows openings in Shanghai in 2010 and Xiamen earlier this year. The site is 27 minutes by bullet train from the Chinese capital Beijing. Design firm Silverfox has created interiors designed to reflect “Tianjin’s eclectic Orient-meets-European heritage and proximity to the Haihe riverfront”.

The former Hotel Ambassadeur, located in the heart of Juan-les-Pins, French Riviera, has been re-branded an AC Hotel by Marriott hotel, following ambitious growth plans for the AC by Marriott brand announced last year. Following renovation, the AC Hotel Ambassadeur Antibes-Juan Les Pins exudes the modern comfort and urban style associated with the AC Hotels by Marriott brand. Blending quality, comfort, design and technology, the hotel features fresh new designs to its reception and lobby, including a signature AC Lounge with zones to relax, work or unwind. The hotel’s 221 guestrooms and suites boast smart, contemporary furnishings, natural driftwood floors and a warm and sophisticated color palette. Located in a lush and tranquil setting, the AC Hotel Ambassadeur Antibes-Juan Les Pins offers both indoor and outdoor pools, a pool-side grill and is located a short 200 meter walk from the hotel’s idyllic private sandy beach. Provençal cuisine with a unique twist can be sampled at the AC Ambassadeur Restaurant where fresh, natural ingredients are transformed into memorable culinary experiences.

Hotels giant Hilton has lost control of its only site in the centre of Paris, the four-star Hilton Arc de Triomphe, after a court battle with the owners. 

Property owner Société Immobilière et Hôtelière du Parc Monceau had complained that Hilton had “changed commercial strategy, leading to serious breaches of its obligations”. A court agreed that this was enough to strip Hilton of its rights to manage the hotel, which it had controlled since 2004. 

That means there will be no more Paris Hilton as the giant, which runs nearly 3,800 hotels worldwide, has been given three months to strip all Hilton branding from the 500-bed hotel in Rue de Courcelles in the VIII arrondissement. 

Sited just “few minutes from the Arc de Triomphe, the Champs Élysées and the boutiques of the Faubourg Saint-Honoré”, it was Hilton’s only hotel within the Paris “walls” and the company has announced that it is to appeal against the tribunal ruling. 

SIHPM and its owner Albert Cohen said that Hilton’s marketing strategy had failed to exploit the Hilton Arc de Triomphe correctly – and that it should have been a five-star hotel. SIHPM is also claiming €60 million in damages.

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has signed a franchise agreement with LFPI Hotels Management Germany that will mark the entry of the group’s boutique Hotel Indigo brand in Düsseldorf. The Lindner Rhein Residence on Kaiserswerther Strasse in Düsseldorf, in the west of Germany, is to be converted into the Hotel Indigo Düsseldorf-Victoriaplatz. When it opens in 2013, the 126-room hotel will become the third Hotel Indigo in Germany (two are already in operation in Berlin).

American company Morgans Hotel Group has signed a 20-year management agreement with Moscow-based real estate developer Capital Group for its first property in Russia. The Delano Moscow will be part of Capital Group’s OKO project, which is being developed within the Moscow City mixed-used complex. When it opens in 2015, the 160-room hotel will be the first hotel to operate in the Moscow City development and it will become the third Delano property outside of the USA. The brand will be making its international debut next month when the 71-room Delano Marrakech opens in Morocco, North Africa, followed by the Delano Cesme, in Turkey, which is also expected to open in 2015.

Marriott International plans to make its first appearance in Ukraine in mid 2013. The group has signed a management agreement

with Subsidiary Enterprise Grand Plaza for the 173-room Renaissance Kiev Hotel. The hotel will be developed in an existing historic building in Kiev city centre, once the Leipzig Hotel, which is to undergo a renovation and extension.

Strategic Hotels & Resorts confirmed on Friday that it bought the Jumeirah Essex House, located in New York City, and will rebrand it as the JW Marriott Essex House New York. Strategic Hotels & Resorts, Chicago, bought the property from Dubai Investment Group for

US$362.3 million. In light of the US$10 billion in debt it is looking to refinance, Dubai Group, the parent company of Dubai Investment Group, revealed that it was seeking a buyer for the property in March. The purchase price includes 509 guestrooms and nine condominium units.

The May Fair Hotel in London officially opens its Cigar Room this month. Graham Cox and the property’s design team are behind the space, which has swing chairs, day beds, chain-mesh walls, and live fireplaces. The humidor offers forty varieties of cigars, including some lighter, more feminine options. Sophia Christoforidou leads the team of cigar sommeliers.