Marriott International has opened two new Courtyard by Marriott hotels in France, the Courtyard Montpellier and Courtyard Paris Boulogne. The 123-room Courtyard Montpellier is a real looker and designed by star architect Jean Nouvel. It offers a Mediterranean restaurant with views over the Lez River, while the Design Bar in the heart of the lobby area offers a relaxed environment in which to enjoy drinks and snacks throughout the day. Guests can also take advantage of the heated outdoor pool, running track, and exercise room.

Jumeirah Group, the Dubai-based luxury hotel company has signed a management agreement with Demsa Group, a leading Turkish company specialising in the luxury and fashion retail industry , to operate the Pera Palace Hotel in Istanbul, Turkey. Jumeirah Group will assume management of the luxury museum hotel from 01 May 2012 and the property will be known as Pera Palace Hotel, Jumeirah. Pera Palace Hotel originally opened in 1892 as the destination hotel in Istanbul for discerning travellers on the Orient Express train. The hotel underwent a major refurbishment resulting in a grand re-opening in September 2010.

Hilton Worldwide announced that it signed an agreement to manage a new-build Hilton hotel at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. The agreement was signed with Schiphol Real Estate, the real estate subsidiary of Schiphol Group, which owns the airport. The 433-room hotel will replace the existing 277-room 1972-built Hilton currently operating on the site. The ‘old’ Hilton will remain in operation untill the ‘new’ Hilton is finished, expected to be in 2015. Facilities at the hotel are set to include a ballroom and 23 meeting rooms, restaurant and bar, executive lounge, spa and fitness center, light-filled atrium lobby and underground parking offering 138 parking spaces. A new sheltered walkway will also connect hotel guests directly to the international airport terminal. The new hotel’s interior design is being overseen by Merkx+Girod, Amsterdam, and the London office of Hirsch Bedner Associates. The exterior is by Mecanoo.

Conrad New York opened its doors in New York City’s vibrant Battery Park City neighborhood. Rising 16 stories along the Hudson River waterfront, the 463 all-suite luxury hotel is the first New York address from Conrad Hotels & Resorts, the global luxury brand of Hilton Worldwide. Guests are welcomed into a soaring, sunlit, 15-story atrium highlighted by a dramatic blue and purple Sol LeWitt painting rising 13 floors above the registration desk. The work, considered by many to be one of the late artist’s great works, is LeWitt’s largest, spanning 100 feet x 80 feet. The work, entitled Loopy Doopy (Blue and Purple) required 100 gallons of paint and 3,000 hours to finish. Beyond the towering Sol LeWitt work in the Atrium, the Conrad New York is a dramatic home for contemporary art, with 2,000 selections throughout the hotel.

Tel Aviv-based Alrov Luxury Hotels plans to make its debut in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, next month with the official opening of the Conservatorium Hotel Amsterdam, which is housed in the city’s historic former music conservatory. Work on the 129-room hotel started in 2008 and the renovation of the building cost €157 million. Alrov has two hotels in operation in Israel and one other hotel in Europe under construction, the Cafe Royal Hotel in London, which is due to open this summer. Alrov recently announced that both hotels will be operated under its newly named collection, The Set.

A new upscale, retro-inspired, motor court concept is coming to Austin, Texas. Lone Star Court, an authentic Americana roadside hotel by Valencia Group, is breaking ground at the Domain with plans to open in early 2013.

Nostalgia will meet modern at the Lone Star Court, with an aesthetic that’s authentically Austin and Texas Hill Country from the art in the rooms to the unique outdoor environment.

Lone Star Court will have 123 retro-inspired guest rooms with high-tech amenities. True to Austin, Lone Star Court will feature live music by an outdoor fire pit and a dipping pool reminiscent of Hill Country swimming holes. Lone Star Court will draw business as well as leisure travelers to its unique “ranch-tech” property, and the restaurant and bar will be a destination for Austinites as well as visitors.

The property will have approximately 2,000 square feet of interior meeting space, an outdoor covered pavilion of 1,600 square feet, and an adjacent open air lawn that adds 1,800 square feet to the total available meeting space.

Lone Star Court will be the flagship of a new hotel concept created by Valencia Group, a Houston-based company known for its luxury independent Hotel Valencias in San Antonio and San Jose, and the recent addition to stylehotelsweb, Hotel Sorella CITYCENTRE in Houston. The court concept, a 21st century re-interpretation of the nostalgic motor court, will eventually be expressed through additional hotels by Valencia Group.

According to Doyle Graham, Jr., Valencia Group president, “This is the most exciting new concept in the hotel industry. Lone Star Court in Austin will be the flagship of what will eventually be a series of court concept hotels across the southeastern United States,” Graham said. “Each of the court concept hotels will capture the essence of the cities where they are located. Lone Star Court will be one of a kind and totally unique to Austin, Texas.”

During the early days of auto tourism beginning in the mid 1940s, roadside campsites led entrepreneurs to create quaint, cabin-like places for travelers to stay. Simple cottage camps began to evolve into more sophisticated full-service motor courts, and the number of motels in America tripled to more than 60,000 by the 1960s.

The new, more modern motor courts along great American highways featured “air cooled by refrigeration,” television, coin-operated radios, tiled bathrooms, easy chairs, and Serta Perfect Sleepers. After decades of booming business, mom-and-pop motels began to disappear in 1956 with the Federal-Aid Highway Act that funded construction of the interstate highway system. With little means to move their facilities or re-route traffic, these gems of the road gave way to corporate chains staking their claims along the new highways.

Lone Star Court will take visitors back to the heyday of the roadside motor court experience, where guests can discover an era of authentic Americana along with modern amenities and the excitement of Austin.

The architect for Lone Star Court is RTKL Associates of Dallas, led by Jim Suggs. Suggs was part of the design team for Hotel Valencia Riverwalk in San Antonio and Hotel Valencia Santana Row in San Jose.  The designer for Lone Star Court is Lauren Rottet of Houston-based Rottet Studio, and the landscape architect is Christine Ten Eyck of Austin-based Ten Eyck Landscape Architects.

Commune Hotels & Resorts, the joint venture company created last year between lifestyle operators Thompson Hotels and Joie de Vivre, has been chosen to manage New York City’s historic 5 Beekman Street building.

The building is currently vacant and was purchased on Monday by GB Lodging, New York City, from Chetrit Group and Bonjour Capital. The amount of the transaction was not disclosed.

The building, also called the Temple Court, is located adjacent to City Hall Park and will undergo a refurbishment and is set to re-open in 2014 as a Thompson hotel. 5 Beekman Street, built in 1883, was modeled after the famous Eponymous Barristers’ building in London and was the first tall fireproof structure in New York City featuring a 10-story atrium with ornate iron railings, glass skylight and elevators.

“We are delighted that Commune Hotels & Resorts has been selected by GB Lodging to operate a Thompson hotel in New York,” said Stephen Brandman, Commune Hotels & Resorts CEO.

Hotelier André Balazs was reportedly set to buy the hotel recently but the deal fell through and Balazs lost a US5m$ deposit.

It looks like King & Grove have finally made a move on the third property in their rapidly-growing portfolio of US boutique hotels. With emmediate effect the Hotel Williamsburg will be known as King & Grove Williamsburg, with a bunch of other changes on the way: a fresh re-design of the rooms, plus a new restaurant and bar concept. Hopefully, something beyond the whole farm-to-table gimmick, which is not only played out, but will also be featured in King & Grove Williamsburg’s new neighbor, the Wythe.

Alila Hotels & Resorts is to open two new properties in Indonesia in 2014 – Alila Villas Bintan and Alila Seminyak in Bali. Ground-breaking ceremonies have been held at both properties as work gets underway. Both are scheduled to launch in 2014. Set in a beautiful hillside location on the idyllic Lagoi bay on Pulau Bintan only 45 minutes by ferry from Singapore, Alila Villas Bintan will become the third addition to the Alila Villas brand, which has established itself as a leader in design and style at award-winning sister properties Alila Villas Soori and Alila Villas Uluwatu in Bali. Alila’s second project, Alila Seminyak, will become the fifth Alila managed property on the island, joining Alila Villas Uluwatu, Alila Villas Soori, Alila Manggis and Alila Ubud. Alila Seminyak will be set in the hippest hub of Bali and is planned to be a prime beach frontage resort comprising of 72 suites, 69 residences, extensive events space, a Spa Alila and restaurants. The resort will be distinguished by its innovative design and architecture based on a rice paddy field concept, with green spaces dominating the interiors and exteriors to create both a natural and stylish oasis.

Interstate Hotels & Resorts announced the opening of the 252-room Holiday Inn Express Amsterdam-Sloterdijk Station in the Netherlands. The hotel is the second of a nine-hotel portfolio currently being developed jointly with TVHG Budget Group Beheer BV (TVHG) across the Netherlands under Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express or Hampton Inn by Hilton flags. Located adjacent to Sloterdijk Station, one of the main train stations of Amsterdam, the Holiday Inn Express offers convenient access by rail to Amsterdam City Center, Amsterdam Schiphol Airport and Amsterdam RAI Convention Center. Hotel amenities include extensive lobby level lounge spaces for work or relaxation, a lobby bar, complimentary Wi-Fi and continental breakfast served daily.

IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) has signed an agreement with the Rayadah Investment Company to open two new hotels in Riyadh’s King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD), including the first Hotel Indigo in the Middle East. Hotel Indigo KAFD will feature 225 rooms, an all-day dining restaurant, a speciality restaurant and a lobby lounge café. The hotel will also include a business centre, three meeting rooms, fitness facility, swimming pool, secret garden and a double-height royal suite with a panoramic balcony that soars over KAFD. KAFD, announced in 2006, is a 400-acre development north of central Riyadh. The 32 million square feet district will be a major financial centre in the Middle East and is part of Riyadh’s overall economic diversification plan. KAFD will include premier office space, housing, a financial academy, Saudi Arabia’s stock exchange, GCC Central Bank, seven museums and other recreational facilities.

Meliá Hotels International announced that it signed a 12-year lease agreement with Union Investment Real Estate, Hamburg, Germany, to manage a new-build hotel in Paris set to open in the fourth quarter of 2014. The 369-room Meliá Defense is to be located in a 20-story building located in the La Défense business district.

This summer, Hong Kong-based Amanresorts will open its 25th property overall and its fourth in Europe. The group’s latest addition to its portfolio, Amanzoe, is located near to the town of Porto Heli on Greece’s Peloponnese peninsula. Amanresorts is also planning to open a number of luxury villas at the site in the near future. The 38-suite resort takes its name from the Sanskrit-derived word for peace aman and zoe the Greek word for life.

The Trump Organization, New York City, announced that it bought the 692-room Doral Hotel & Country Club, located in Miami for US$150 million. “When Doral first opened (1962), it was considered the best resort in the world,” said Donald Trump, chairman and president of the Trump Organization. “Our very significant investment in upgrading the resort will enable us to return Doral to its former glory.” Trump is planning to invest an additional US$150 million renovating the property over the next year and a half while it remains operational.

Rezidor announces the Radisson Blu Hotel, Conakry, slated to open in 2014. Besides 249 rooms with signature services such as free high speed internet access, the hotel will feature several restaurants and bars, including an outdoor terrace and rooftop F&B outlet. The hotel will also offer about 1,580m2 of conference and meeting facilities, an outdoor swimming pool and spa. Guinea is rich in minerals and other natural resources. Its mining sector and refinery industry are the driving forces behind the economic growth of this Western African country. The port and capital city of Conakry is the country’s trade hub and first stop for most international tourists visiting the country.

Auckland’s, New Zealand, former Westin Hotel on the edge of the Wynyard Quarter is to be rebranded Sofitel Auckland Viaduct Harbour. Accor announced it was changing the 173-room waterfront hotel to become a Sofitel, following last year’s announcement that it would manage the property which was initially under its MGallery range, although it traded as Hotel Lighter Quay. Behind the name change was a fierce fight as room owners demanded payments and became so disenchanted that they split away from Westin and carved out a separate lodging business, undercutting the Westin by charging cheap rates.

A prominent building in St Andrew Square in Edinburgh has been snapped up by property developers with plans to turn it into a £120 million luxury hotel. The building, formerly the headquarters of insurance firm Scottish Provident, has been branded a “gap site” after lying empty for four years. The recently refurbished square has been touted as a potential home for a new hotel since Harvey Nichols opened its doors there in 2002, but previous schemes have so far failed to come to fruition. Four hotel proposals are being worked on at this location.

It looks like Mama Shelter’s offbeat design and budgety prices have worked well enough in Paris to warrant an expansion. Mama Shelter Marseille will be opening on April 12 with 127 rooms starting at 69€ a night. Details on the website are scant and there aren’t any photos up yet but there will be also be a Mama Shelter restaurant downstairs with food by Alain Senderens.

Film director Francis Ford Coppola has opened his first resort in Europe. After purchasing a 19th-century palazzo in the town of Bernalda, southern Italy (the birthplace of his grandfather Agostino Coppola) in 2004, Mr Coppola then undertook an extensive renovation of the property, which emerged earlier this week as the Palazzo Margherita, with seven suites and two garden rooms. Coppola Resorts also runs five other resorts across South America and the USA.

Hyatt Hotels Corporation announced that a Hyatt affiliate has signed a management agreement with Flughafen Zurich AG for a Hyatt Regency and a Hyatt Place hotel in Zurich. The hotels, expected to open in 2017, will be part of The Circle, a mixed use development that is designed to be a new service hub and commercial center at Zurich International Airport. Hyatt Regency Zurich Airport will feature 250 guestrooms, including 17 suites, that range in size from 32 sq m (344 sq ft) to 72 sq m (775 sq ft). Additionally, the hotel will offer several food and beverage outlets, a fitness center. Hyatt Place Zurich Airport will offer 300 guestrooms. Additional amenities include a market with made-to-order meals and snacks around the clock; a kitchen offering breakfast, lunch and dinner; a café and bar; a four-station e-room; and well-equipped fitness center.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide announced that it will debut its Aloft brand in Orlando, Florida during the second quarter of 2013 with the 119-room Aloft Orlando Downtown. To be developed by New York-based GDC Properties, Aloft Orlando Downtown will be located in the former Orlando Utilities Commission building, adjacent to Orlando City Hall. It will feauture the signature w xyz bar, re:mix lounge, re:charge fitness center and splash indoor pool as well as re:fuel, a one stop “grab-and-go” area.

Accor Hotels announced the opening of the biggest Ibis Hotel in Asia (606 rooms) in Bandung, Indonesia this week. All guest rooms convey a minimalist modern spirit, 32-inch LCD TV, Internet access and in-room safe. 222 rooms have connecting doors for families. The 22-floor hotel also features Oopen restaurant -open all day- which offers pasta and grill specialties in an open

kitchen concept. The Ibis Bandung is locatedadjacent to Bandung Supermall and TransStudio, the largest indoor theme park in Asia.

Wyndham Worldwide Corp., announced at Berlin’s International Hotel Investment Forum that it is launching its iconic Super 8 brand in Germany with a development agreement with hotel equity company Tristar Hotel of Munich.

The development agreement calls for a minimum of 10 Super 8-branded properties to be developed in Germany over the next five years.

“The Super 8 brand fits perfectly with the growing demand for budget hotel accommodations in Germany. It is the right time to enter this market with an international brand,” said Andreas Erben, managing director at Tristar Hotel.

The launch of the Super 8 brand in Germany follows an announcement at the same event last year to launch the brand in Poland, with a minimum of 10 hotels to be developed there in partnership with Colliers International and constructed by Unibep Group, a Polish construction company.

Attendees at IHIF this week are also able to experience the new Super 8 guestroom concept, featured outside the IHIF lounge. The room is innovatively built using modular construction, allowing for faster and more economical hotel development. Consistent with the brand”s founding philosophy of providing consistent, friendly service and clean rooms at affordable rates, the room concept combines simplicity with comfort, ensuring the needs of the modern day traveller are catered for with features such as a USB charging station for iPods and iPhones as well as a large bed and walk-in shower.

The Super 8 brand was established in 1974 in South Dakota and was acquired by Wyndham Hotel Group in 1993. With over 2,200 properties throughout the U.S, Canada and China, the brand has more hotels than any other economy lodging chain in the world.

Miramar Group Unveils Name and Logo of First Small Designer Lifestyle Hotel

Miramar Group’s hotel development project on 388 Jaffe Road in Wanchai will be named Mira Moon, the second hotel within the expanding Mira portfolio after the opening of The Mira Hong Kong. With the building nearing completion, anticipation is growing for the hotel’s scheduled opening in early December 2012.

“The name Mira Moon was chosen to expand and leverage upon the already successful Mira brand and also represent the design concept which is a modern interpretation of the Moon Festival fairytale,” stated Mr. Romain Chan, Group General Manager of Miramar Group. “Through a unique design and engaging interactions with our service team, every guest will take away a magical experience delivered through a sense of theatrical drama, spectacular surroundings, and impeccable service.”

According to traditional Chinese folklore, the Moon Festival fairytale is about Chang’e, a woman who took the elixir of immortality, flew to the moon and became the beautiful Moon Goddess living alongside the Jade Rabbit. The Moon Festival is one of the most celebrated occasions in China and Hong Kong, where children and adults alike admire the full moon, spotting the Jade Rabbit amongst its markings. With the silhouette of the Jade Rabbit cast upon the full moon, the logo of Mira Moon will reflect this revered moment throughout the year.

Incorporating his signature Dutch influences into this classic Chinese legend, renowned designer Marcel Wanders and Yoo Design Studio cleverly bring the fairytale to life by romantically expressing the characters through Chinese antique furniture, fabrics, and prints. Showcasing distinctive design characteristics that stand in bold contrast to the more standardised hotels, Mira Moon is a member of Design HotelsTM and will appeal to those guests craving a unique experience.

Mira Moon is situated within the bustling district of Wanchai and consists of 90 contemporary guestrooms and 1 penthouse suite. Located in the heart of Jaffe Road, just a stone’s throw away from Wanchai and Causeway Bay MTR Stations, the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, major tourist attractions and the prime shopping precinct surrounding Times Square, Mira Moon is convenient for both business and leisure travellers.

“We want to introduce a new kind of modern cultural lifestyle into Chinese society,” said Mr. Martin Lee, Managing Director of Miramar Group. “This is much more than just ‘new is better’. This is about creating cultural context.”

By providing a less formal environment and letting people be who they want to be, Mira Moon is a lifestyle hotel that does just that.

Despite Euro-Zone Crisis, Company Sees Increased Demand for Growth in Europe – Continues to Make Significant Investments in Existing Portfolio

BERLIN — From the International Hotel Investment Forum (IHIF) in Berlin, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. announced that it will open 25 new hotels in Europe over the next four years. The company is already off to a strong start this year, opening two new flagship hotels in Europe with a W hotel in Paris and a Le Méridien hotel in Istanbul. Globally, Starwood plans to open 80 new hotels in 2012, building on a year of record growth with 112 new hotel deals in 2011, the highest number since before the global economic crisis.

“Even against a backdrop of uncertainty, Starwood’s pipeline of both managed and franchised deals for all nine brands in Europe is healthy and expected to grow in 2012,” said Simon Turner, President of Global Development for Starwood. “Eastern and Central Europe are particularly fertile ground for growth, primarily with new-build properties, while we see numerous ongoing conversion opportunities in established markets throughout Europe.”

Starwood’s growth in Europe is being accelerated by a focus on key fast-growing markets, including Russia, Ukraine and Turkey. Starwood will double its portfolio in Russia and Ukraine by 2014 with openings in Moscow, Rostov-on-Don, Perm and Kiev. In Turkey, Starwood is expanding its pipeline aggressively with four new hotels opening in a three-year period, including the recent debut of Le Méridien Istanbul Etiler, marking the brand’s entrance into the country. With that, Starwood will operate 10 hotels in Turkey under five of its distinct brands.

Starwood Strengthens Luxury Position
In just four years, Starwood has grown its global luxury room count by 75 percent. Turning to 2012, more than 60 percent of Starwood’s new hotels will be in the luxury and upper-upscale segment.

In Europe, Starwood continues to expand its W Hotels brand into some of the world’s most exciting and vibrant destinations. Following the launch of the W brand in Europe just four years ago, Starwood has opened new W hotels in London, Barcelona, St. Petersburg, Istanbul and most recently in Paris with the new W Paris – Opéra. The company will open two additional W Hotels in Europe next year with the new W Milan and the brand’s first ski resort, W Verbier Retreat & Spa in Switzerland.

Starwood is also making significant investments to enhance its existing luxury portfolio in Europe. The company has invested more than $100 million USD to renovate and restore some of its most iconic Luxury Collection hotels, including the Grand Hotel in Florence, which re-opened last year as a St. Regis hotel, as well as the Hotel Alfonso XIII in Seville, Hotel Maria Cristina in San Sebastian, Hotel Prince de Galles in Paris and Hotel Gritti Palace in Venice.

The enhancement of the Sheraton brand continues to be a focus with a $6 billion USD investment in new hotels and renovations of existing Sheraton hotels. In Europe, there is a major renovation of the Sheraton Edinburgh underway, the UK’s flagship Sheraton Hotel.

“Starwood continues to grow aggressively in the established as well as the fast-growing European economies utilizing both a managed and franchised operating model. There is a large landscape of independent hotels ripe for flags and we expect to capture more than our fair share of conversion opportunities across all our nine brands. The recent conversions of the Sheraton Baku in Azerbaijan, the Four Points by Sheraton Barcelona and the upcoming re-branding of the Sheraton Mirasierra Hotel & Spa in Madrid are a testament of this strategy,” said Roeland Vos, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Europe, Africa & Middle East.

Long Runway to Grow Mid-Market Brands
Starwood continues to expand its mid-market brands in secondary and tertiary markets around the globe where there is a long runway to grow reliable and affordable hospitality. Accounting for over 25% of the company’s global development pipeline, Starwood will open its 250th mid-market hotel this year. Starwood sees great momentum for its Four Points by Sheraton and Aloft brands in Europe with particular demand coming from Germany, Benelux, United Kingdom and Russia.

“We see great opportunities to grow our Four Points by Sheraton and Aloft brands in more mature markets where there is a strong demand for affordable yet innovative hotel brands. In the years to come, we plan to expand these brands throughout Europe with development partners who have a proven track record of success and are looking for a new and exciting growth vehicle,“ said Bart Carnahan, Senior Vice President Acquisition & Development, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Europe, Africa & Middle East.

The Steigenberger Hotel Group is opening a new four-star Superior hotel in Bremen offering 139 rooms and suites and located within the direct vicinity of the Weser Tower Skyscraper. The ground breaking ceremony for the new hotel took place in February. The plan is for it to be open for business in mid-2013.

The forthcoming Steigenberger Hotel in Bremen’s new “Überseestadt” District will be an attractive destination for business travellers and tourists alike. Set in a waterside location and offering superb transport connections, the hotel will have 139 rooms and suites, a 550 m² conference area and a spa facility extending over 230 m². There will also be a restaurant and bar to cater to guests’ physical well-being.

The striking architectural design for the building has been prepared by Eike Becker_Architekten of Berlin. The Hamburg-based company Joi-Design is responsible for the hotel’s overall interior design concept. This takes its inspiration from the location itself: “The Hanseatic City of Bremen – Gateway to the World”. The fixtures and fittings used in the establishment will feature furniture, materials and surfaces typically found within a dockland environment. Details such as the split wood cladding of the reception desk and the grating applied to the lifts provide an initial indication of the Hanseatic theme. The motif is continued into the hotel bar, where guests are greeted by mooring posts, and also reflected in the rusty red materials and copper wall panels used in the rooms.

Steigenberger Hotels AG CEO Matthias Heck explains the thinking behind the project. “We are delighted to be able to work with our partner Siedentopf on the realisation of such a high-quality hotel project. Bremen is an important location for us. We have maintained a presence here since 2003 in the form of an InterCity Hotel.”

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), Denham, U.K., announced on the launch of a new health-conscious midscale hotel brand, Even.

IHG plans to own and operate its first several Even-branded properties and then look to strong existing owner relationships to accelerate growth through IHG’s franchise model, with the first location to be announced in the second quarter of 2012 and opening in 2013. The brand will be launched in the U.S. with IHG committing US$150 million for capital expenditures. IHG has set a goal of signing 100 properties within five years.

“We want to put this where our customers travel to and where they live. San Francisco, New York, the D.C. market,” said Christian Hempell, IHG’s vice president of new business development and delivery. “We want to build a number of hotels in those markets. Then places like Minneapolis, Seattle or Austin.”

IHG spent 18 months researching the new brand, which is says will fill a limited-service, health-conscious niche that about 17 million customers are looking for.

Even hotels will feature guestrooms designed to allow guest to work out in-room, a nutrition-focused menu for snacks and free flavored filtered water with glass bottles guests can fill up and take back to their rooms. The guest profile spans a large age range with a household income of US$75,000, and IHG expects the hotels to appeal to both business and leisure travelers.

“This hotel is a limited service hotel, a select service property and owners can expect healthy margins, as our customer will pay a premium if we meet their needs,” said Hempell. “We think this is the perfect time to launch a brand. We’ve seen the industry recover with strong RevPAR gains. We want to be ready to catch the next wave of development growth.”