Autograph Collection, Marriott International’s exclusive portfolio of independent hotels, continues its global growth with the opening of its first property in Asia Pacific. Newly opened, The Stones Legian, Bali, in Indonesia, represents the debut of Autograph Collection in the region. This new luxury hotel, located in one of the world’s most idyllic destinations, continues to position Autograph Collection as the premium collection for the independent-minded traveler.

The Stones marks the 36th hotel to be added to the collection’s rapidly expanding roster of independent hotels in key destinations throughout the United States, the Caribbean, Latin America, Europe, and Asia. The portfolio is on track to include nearly 40 hotels by year end – marking an average of one property joining per month since the collection’s inception in 2010.

“We are thrilled to introduce Autograph Collection to Asia,” said Simon Cooper, president of Asia Pacific for Marriott International, Inc. “Bali represents the ideal location to launch this dynamic new concept for Marriott International, developed for travelers who seek an extraordinary independent hotel experience. We are confident travelers will respond positively to Autograph Collection as yet another offering within the Marriott International portfolio in the region.”

Each Autograph Collection hotel possesses its own distinct identity and appeals to discerning travelers who are looking for a creative experience that only an independent hotel can deliver. Joining Autograph Collection allows each property to further showcase its own extraordinary personality. Through the collection, each hotel gains access to Marriott International’s global sales and marketing channels, including the award winning Marriott Rewards loyalty program.

Autograph Collection’s proven track record of driving reservations and increasing revenue through its international sales force and powerful marketing channels, while also promoting each property’s autonomy, has helped evolve the business model that appeals to both existing property owners and developers in the early stages of building new hotels.

“The Stones will offer premier accommodations, amenities and services, as well as exclusive, tailored experiences, in a world class destination,” said Tina Edmundson, senior vice president of lifestyle brands for Marriott International. “Welcoming this hotel to Autograph Collection provides us with the opportunity to continually present outstanding travel options to people all around the world. It’s exciting for us to make our Asia debut in such a remarkable area of the region.”

Located on the southern tip of Legian Beach on the resort island of Bali, The Stones opens as a brand new hotel, blending beach simplicity with urban chic. Where iconic architectural design meets eclectic sophistication, The Stones offers 308 stylishly appointed guest rooms and 22 suites, including a palatial Presidential Suite. Spread across three floors with a total size of 696 sqm, the Presidential Suite features the latest in-room entertainment systems, four guest rooms, luxurious rain forest shower, stylish artwork, and many other extraordinary touches.

The focal point of the property is the 3,000 square meter pool surrounded by private cabanas. The hotel features a wide selection of culinary offerings at three innovative restaurants: Stones Kitchen – a contemporary-designed restaurant serving European café food and beverages; Long Rice Table featuring authentic Indonesian dishes served in a casual and vibrant atmosphere with modern, Indonesian-inspired design; and Big Fish Bar & Grill, a casual poolside grill serving cocktails and snacks which transitions into an alfresco restaurant specializing in local seafood in the evening.

Guest can explore the indigenous elegance of the hotel’s dazzling vertical gardens as well as find tranquility and relaxation in the hotel’s Celestine Spa, offering five treatment rooms and three massage lounges. Finding inspiration in traditional Balinese massage and body treatments, the spa features natural spa products by Ritual Alami. Located adjacent to one of the island’s most popular beaches, The Stones is situated 20 minutes from NgurahRai International Airport and within walking distance to shopping, restaurants and leisure activities located in Kuta, Legian and Seminyak.

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.

A former Howard Johnson, The JHouse Greenwich made its debut in Greenwich, Connecticut.

The lobby is reminiscent of a gallery, with artwork and a projected video installation by Daniel Canogar. Seating areas surround the lobby; the library has a glassed-in fireplace and contemporary furnishings.

The property’s 86 guestrooms feature televisions in the bathroom mirrors, mirrored televisions in the bedrooms, and a personal iPad.

The hotel’s fine dining restaurant, eleven14 Kitchen, offers seasonal American cuisine under Executive Chef François Kwaku-Dongo. The space has an exposed wood-fired oven, display pantry and pâtisserie. Guests can dine indoors or in an outdoor space with subterranean heating and trellises.

The Chocolate Lab, located inside the lobby, serves house made chocolates (using fair trade chocolate from Ghana), gelato, sorbet, ice cream, and fair trade coffee from Africa and Latin America. The wine vault offers tastings as well as wine by the bottle or by the glass.

Additional amenities include a fitness center, 3,400 sq ft (316 sq m) of event space, and an outdoor heated pool with five cabanas, each of which is equipped with a television.

W Hotels Worldwide has opened its first hotel in Singapore: W Singapore — Sentosa Cove and The Residences at W Singapore — Sentosa Cove.

W Singapore offers 228 branded residences and 240 guestrooms and suites.

The London-based architecture firm WATG and design firm Rockwell Group designed the property, which is owned and developed by an affiliate of City Developments Limited.

Sentosa’s lush landscape serves as the inspiration, and Singapore’s national flower, the Vanda Miss Joaquim orchid, appears throughout the property.

A waterfall with vibrant graphical projections greets guests. An outdoor terrace has glowing grass lights, rock-shaped daybeds, and an over-scaled rock garden. The W Lounge continues the rock theme, with a carved stone DJ console serving as the centerpiece.

Skirt, the brand’s first contemporary grill restaurant, features a bar and meat aging cabinets. The menu includes seafood, soups, and desserts, as well. All-day dining at The Kitchen Table features live food stations.

The Woobar nightclub offers cocktails and music from the property’s resident DJ. The Wet pool and bar is also available, with 24 underwater speakers in the pool.

Away Spa has a rainforest-inspired décor and offers nine guestrooms and suites of its own, each featuring a private plunge pool.

W Singapore also has more than 16,145 sq ft (1,500 sq m) of meeting and event space, including seven meeting rooms, an outdoor space, and a 7,879-sq-ft (732-sq-m) Great Room accessible directly from the hotel’s private berthing stations along the shore.

A Meliá Hotels International property in Seville, Spain, is the first hotel in the city to become a member of The Leading Hotels of the World. The 189-room Gran Meliá Colón underwent an intense auditing procedure to ensure it complied with strict quality criteria in order to join the group, the largest luxury hospitality organisation in the world. “Being a member of The Leading Hotels of the World means having a passion for service and at the same time being proud of our hotel’s unique character,” said the hotel’s general manager, José Antonio Rubio.

The former Hotel Indigo on West End Avenue in Nashville, Tennessee, has reopened under Starwood’s Aloft brand. The hotel, which was previously operated under IHG’s lifestyle brand Hotel Indigo, was sold through foreclosure in July for US$18 million and has been the subject of a legal dispute between Nashville hotel developer Mark Lineberry and business partners at Wesley Hotels. Now named The Aloft Nashville Music Row, the property is the brand’s first conversion of an existing boutique hotel, and the first non-Starwood-owned Aloft hotel.

Ovolo has opened its first Australian hotel, a 43-room boutique property in Melbourne’s Central Business District. Guestrooms range from studio apartments to luxury penthouses with terraces, pinball machines and boxing punchbags. Rooms include chalkboard walls, shaving mirrors in the showers, and amenities from NYC Malin + Goetz. Personalised 24-hour reception service, free WIFI, complimentary daily mini-bar, unrestricted local calls and breakfast services are all part of the price. The company is planning a series of further openings in major Australian cities.

Hyatt’s lifestyle brand has opened its first property in Northern California. The 141-room Andaz Napa, which previously previously operated under the name Avia Napa, opened its doors earlier this week after a refurbishment. It is one of 24 hotels purchased in 2011 by Hyatt from Kansas-based LodgeWorks LP in an $800 million deal. The Andaz Napa is the seventh Andaz property, joining hotels in New York City (two), San Diego, West Hollywood, London and Shanghai. Planned destinations include Savannah, Georgia; Maui, Hawaii; China; Costa Rica; India; Mexico; the Netherlands; and Turks and Caicos.

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.

For the first time, Sofitel is to open its doors in Casablanca, Morocco’s economic capital, with Sofitel Casablanca Tour Blanche.

The glass building designed by Belgian architect Patrick Guénard reflects the breath of modernity that the country’s largest city is currently experiencing. Situated at the heart of the business district the 24-story hotel stands out in the skyline. Frenchmen Marc Hertrich and Nicolas Adnet were given the job of decorating its interior. The pair have managed to ingeniously mix clean lines with Moorish trimmings. The innovatively designed 141 bedrooms and 30 suites all have a view of the white city.

The hotel also offers a variety of dining possibilities. Mourad Mahfoud, Moroccan chef of L’Arabesque restaurant, who trained in Paris, subtly combines French cuisine with local seasonal products in this gastronomic restaurant. L’Atelier Oriental mixes flavours from the Maghreb, Arabia, Persia and Asia. The La Casart bar is the latest addition to Casablanca’s reputable night life. The bar lounge is dedicated to art, and its paintings and sculptures fit in perfectly with the decor, in particular René Caussanel’s mural “Jaune Soleil” (Yellow Sun).

Finally, resembling the apartments on the New-York roof-tops, the Penthouse situated on the 24th floor is a prestigious villa on the hotel rooftop, with protected access. The exclusive suite is breathtakingly decorated and has a 120m² terrace with an unobstructed view of the city.

With Sofitel Agadir Thalassa, this is the second hotel to open in Morocco in 2012 and brings the number of Sofitel hotels in the Kingdom to eight.

Pebblebrook Hotel Trust has acquired the W Los Angeles – Westwood from Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide for US$125 million. At the same time, Starwood has entered into a 40-year management agreement to continue operating the hotel under the W flag. As part of the sale, Pebblebrook has agreed to continue with the planned property renovations to expand and re-define the hotel’s Living Room, bar and public spaces.

Aloft Hotels announced it has opened its 60th hotel globally with the opening of Aloft Asheville Downtown in Asheville, North Carolina. Owned and operated by McKibbon Hotel Group, Inc., Aloft Asheville Downtown will offer 115 stylish guest rooms and over 1,800 square feet of unique outdoor meeting space on its Air Level pool deck and The Ledge observation deck, as well as 649 square feet of indoor meeting space in an unbeatable downtown location.

Hotel Indigo, IHG’s (InterContinental Hotels Group) upscale boutique brand, announced the opening of the Hotel Indigo Veracruz – Boca del Río. The new hotel, located in the Veracruz business district and just steps from the World Trade Center and America’s Plaza, offers guests the intimate service typically associated with boutique lodging along with the peace of mind and consistency expected from a large hotel group. The 106-room hotel features a warm and inviting environment with vibrant décor and colorful accents. The design reflects the cultural richness and folklore of this charming seaside community, including the old Veracruz lighthouse, which once welcomed traveling ships into port and now welcomes travelers of a different kind into the hotel.

Hotel BPM, a music-driven property by DJ Bijal, has soft-opened in Brooklyn.

DJ Bijal compiled the soundtrack that streams though public areas and guestrooms; he also designed the bespoke “sound sleeper” mattress. Guests can request that a particular song be added to the playlist during their stay.

The property’s 76 guestrooms offer Frette linens, modern décor, Porcelanosa tiles in the bathrooms, rainfall showers, and energy-saving thermostats as well as complimentary Wi-Fi.

The lounge serves a hot breakfast daily.

Every Friday and Saturday, a DJ will perform live in the lobby; some live recorded sets will be available for streaming from the hotel’s website the following month.

Hotel BPM will host its grand opening and official ribbon-cutting next month.

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.