The hotel will be directly connected to CDG’s terminals through the free CDGVal, airport shuttle, as well as to the RER station (with trains to central Paris).

The hotel will comprise 230 guestrooms, as well as citizenM’s signature food & beverage concept ‘canteenM’ and Vitra furnished ‘living rooms’. The hotel is slated to open in early 2014.

citizenM Chairman Rattan Chadha said: “We are extremely excited with the addition of our first site in Paris to our development portfolio. With this acquisition we are one step closer to creating a chain of luxury contemporary hotels for the cost-conscious traveller in major cities around the world. We are continuously searching for more sites on ‘A’ locations in Paris.”

Aéroports de Paris Real Estate Manager François Cangardel added: “The opening of a new hotel at Paris Charles de Gaulle is in line with Aéroports de Paris’ strategy which intends to develop the hotel accommodation offer in the immediate vicinity of our airports. We also aim at strengthening the existing offer with new hotel concepts. The partnership with citizenM, which offers a unique and innovative concept, meets our expectations and should be attractive to many of our customers.”

citizenM currently operates three hotels – at Schiphol Airport, in Amsterdam city and in the city centre of Glasgow. The opening of the site in Paris brings the company’s development portfolio to seven additional hotels, including two projects in New York City (at Times Square and in Soho/Lower East Side), three projects in London (near Tate Modern in the booming Bankside area, opposite the Tower of London and near St Paul’s Cathedral) and a project in Rotterdam.

The expansion strategy of citizenM is to develop and invest in citizenM hotels on prime city centre locations (and terminal-connected airport sites) in metropolitan cities only

Bigger, biggest: Starwood announced that it opened 27 hotels in North America in 2011, more than it had predicted this time last year with the addition of several high quality conversions that were signed and opened during the course of the year. In addition, in 2011 Starwood signed more new deals than in the previous two years. In fact, Starwood’s North American division – the company’s largest with 550+ hotels – led all of its global divisions in new deal signings last year. Looking ahead to 2012, Starwood is slated to open 20 new properties in North America, not including late breaking in-the-year conversions which are expected to result in additional new hotels this year. Meanwhile Hilton Worldwide opened a total of 170 hotels and gained supply share in each of its global regions. In the United States, Hilton Worldwide has over 10 percent of the room supply market share, the largest in the country, as well as over 18 percent of the active industry room pipeline in the planning to construction phases.

Four Seasons Hotels unveils $16m website: The result of the investment is a slick, bright website, with a new booking process, social media integration and personal profile technology that allows users to set preferences and create a more targeted online experience. It is also optimised for mobile, which provides access to a scaled-down site that includes videos, images, room rates and booking. Four Seasons’ revamp is part of an effort to improve online revenue – though its website attracts 30m visitors each year, online bookings only account for 12% of total revenue, an increase of just 2% in five years. Ooh, we did that a lot cheaper at stylehotelsweb…

Also, Wyndham Hotel Group launched a new website. The website is part of Wyndham Hotel Group’s Direct Strategy designed to recapture business by driving more bookings through the company’s own channels. The strategy calls for improved brand websites, several of which have already been unveiled, as well as enhanced alternative sell, a distribution model enabling Wyndham Hotel Group brands to be sold on sister websites. The Planet Hollywood, Dream and Night websites seem to not ready yet. And we think Encore, Ramada’s subbrand could do with a better image for the market they are targeting.

Yes, the Palihotel Melrose is opening February 1st. Three years after opening his stylish extended-stay hotel, Palihouse Holloway in West Hollywood (now with  Sam Nazarian’s SBE empire), Los Angeles hotelier Avi Brosh is back again with this 32-room boutique hotel envisioned as a “European neighborhood inn”. Which is quite the opposite of the Palihouse Holloway, specifically regarding the size of the guestrooms.

The Stoneleigh Hotel in Dallas is joining Luxe. The 170-room hotel, which opened in 1924, is to be called the Luxe Stoneleigh Dallas Hotel & Spa in the 2nd quarter of 2012. Redesigned by internationally recognized interior design firm Forrest Perkins, the property recently underwent a $36 million renovation which restored its historic grandiosity and added a chic new personality and energetic vibe.

After making its debut in Cardiff, Wales, three years ago, UK budget brand Sleeperz Hotels has now added property number two to its budding portfolio: the 98-room, six-storey  Sleeperz Newcastle, which opened this week in the city of Newcastle, northeast England. Its guests might be getting a good night’s rest, but there’ll be no sleeping for this London-based group, however, as it is planning to develop a network of hotels across city centres in the UK. According to the group’s chief executive, David Myers, hotels in London and Liverpool are in the pre-planning stage and further sites are being considered in Birmingham and Bristol.

Stylehotelsweb is on annual leave. See you back after February 15!

Marriott International, Inc. announced plans to open the first new hotel to join the AC Hotels by Marriott portfolio since the launch of the joint venture and new co-brand last year. Joining over 80 existing AC Hotels by Marriott throughout Spain, Italy and Portugal, the 143-room Elysee Palace Hotel in Nice will be rebranded AC Hotel Nice following an extensive renovation. The hotel is expected to open in early 2013 under a management agreement with SNC Hoche Promotion.

This will mark the first time an exhibit featuring the international icon will appear in North America. The exhibit, which was designed in collaboration with Henry-Jean Servat, a famed French journalist and author, retraces the life of French icon Brigitte Bardot with an exclusive selection of photos, following her extraordinary cinematographic experience from teenage dreamer to modern day star. Through never-before-seen snapshots, visitors can admire the different facets of the actress, who throughout her career distinguished herself through her beauty, spontaneity and carefree spirit and whose personality led her to be regarded not only as a legend and sex symbol, but also as the embodiment of women’s liberation. In 2012, the French actress will also be honored at an event at the legendary Grauman’s Chinese Theater in Los Angeles.

Sofitel has also created a special collector’s edition catalogue for the exhibit that includes rare photos, accompanied by commentary and anecdotes by Henry-Jean Servat, as well as an editorial by the legend herself – Brigitte Bardot.

After its departure from Los Angeles, BB Forever – Brigitte Bardot, The Legendwill move to the Windy City and run during the spring months from April 19th to June 7th at the stylish Sofitel Chicago Water Tower. Following Chicago, the tour will continue to Sofitel Washington DC Lafayette Square from June 21st to September 13th and culminate fittingly at the center of international culture at the Sofitel New York from September 26th to December 31st. The exhibit will be open to all hotel guests and visitors.

Sofitel Luxury Hotels

Sofitel is the only French luxury hotel brand with a presence on five continents with 120 addresses, in almost 40 countries. Sofitel offers contemporary hotels and resorts adapted to today’s more demanding and more versatile consumers who expect and appreciate beauty, quality and excellence.

The listed Victorian structure is among the buildings that will be retained under an ambitious masterplan to re-connect Dundee city centre with the banks of the river.

Business leaders said the arrival of Malmaison, which already has a presence in Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow, would provide a catalyst for other hotels and businesses looking to set up in the city.

The project’s backers are planning a series of boulevards and squares lined with flats, cafes, restaurants and offices. A £45 million outpost of London’s Victoria & Albert (V&A) museum will form the centrepiece of the regeneration scheme.

It was recently revealed that Dundee Waterfront – a joint project between Dundee City Council and Scottish Enterprise – had secured some £300m of investment, getting on for a third of its £1bn target.

Alan Mitchell, chief executive, Dundee & Angus Chamber of Commerce, said Malmaison would help raise the profile of the project and would probably “encourage business into the area”.

“It’s great to have such a prestigious brand choosing to expand into the city,” he added.

Mike Galloway, the council’s director of city development, said an overhaul of Dundee railway station would encompass space for a “mid-range” hotel operator, while other groups had expressed interest in the waterfront location.

“Dundee Waterfront is attracting a growing amount of interest, enquiries and, crucially, hard investment from a wide variety of quarters,” he said.

“We are well advanced with our plans and investment to completely re-engineer and transform the city.”

The opening of Malmaison’s 13th hotel will provide about 150 jobs during the refurbishment phase and create 120 posts when the hotel is open for business in spring 2013. It is understood that the project is worth about £15m.

Malmaison was acquired in 2000 by Marylebone Warwick Balfour (MWB) from Scots founder and hotel entrepreneur Ken McCulloch.

The push into Dundee is the first expansion move since the firm agreed a refinancing deal last year and since the recent appointment of Gary Davis as chief executive.

Davis said: “My objective is to oversee an expansion of the Malmaison and Hotel du Vin business and expect that this new hotel will be the first of many for these fantastic brands.”

Malmaison is taking a 35-year lease on the site with an option to extend for a further 35 years.

Extensive renovations

Swedish hotel property group Pandox AB, which purchased the former Brussels Hilton on boulevard de Waterloo in Brussels in September 2010, renamed the property ”The Hotel“ when it took over management responsibilities on February 1, 2011. The owners announced their extensive renovation plans shortly after acquiring the property. They started by giving the façade a facelift, which will be completed this spring, followed by the first guest room renovations in November 2011, designed by Spanish architecture agency ‘GCA Arquitectes Associats’. The first 20 rooms will be ready to welcome guests in April, with 100 more to follow by September. The remaining 200 rooms and suites will be completed in phases, with all 424 rooms ready by spring 2013.

 The guest rooms – inspirational, elegant and innovative

The most striking feature of the new rooms is the revolutionary new layout. Gone are the obligatory desk, corner armchair, curtains, and traditional floor and table lamps. Today’s modern business traveler carries a smartphone or tablet PC, so there’s no point in cluttering up the room with a big, bulky desk. A leather sofa runs across the entire width of the room, in front of the window, accented with a practical oval-shaped table. The space has been carefully optimized to provide the visitor with maximum utility, whether it’s to work, relax or simply enjoy a great view of Brussels. Traditional curtains have been replaced with sliding semi-transparent panels that can filter in light if so desired. The room can be electrically darkened. Another striking detail is that the bathroom is also part of the open-plan space. This, naturally, contributes to the overall feeling of spaciousness, but also allows the visitor to admire the fantastic views, even from the shower. The design is inspirational, elegant, stylish and innovative.

 For the tech savvy, modern, cosmopolitan guest

Technology has become increasingly important to the modern business traveler. At The Hotel, guests can use the Mediahub™ to connect their electronic devices (smartphone, tablet PC, digital camera, video camera, iPod, iPhone, game console, etc.) to their in-room television, providing instant access to their own music, videos, photos and games directly through the TV, which acts as their own personal entertainment center. Smartphones and tablet PCs equipped with stereo bluetooth can stream audio wirelessly through the TV.

Smartphone-carrying guests can also use their device to unlock their room door as well as to check in and out. No need to wait in long lines at reception or bother with a keycard.

A range of quality apps is being developed to help maximize guests’ time, providing easy access to information about the city, The Hotel, the services and facilities available, and their meeting.

 With a view of Brussels

The renovations started off with the top floor. Next in line for refurbishment, beginning on February 1, are the meeting rooms on the 25^th, 26^th and 27^th floors, to be completed in September 2012. The executive lounge will be on the 24^th floor. The remodeled design also includes a state-of-the-art 250m² fitness center on the 23^rd floor complete with all the latest fitness equipment, a large, comfortable sauna and, of course, a phenomenal view of Brussels.

 An eco-friendly, energy-efficient approach

Given the extent of the renovations, it was the opportunity to replace the heat, water, gas and electrical installations with more environmentally-friendly solutions. The Hotel will be putting in a cogeneration system which will recover waste heat and re-use it to supply most of the hotel’s heating needs. All incandescent lamps will be replaced with LED lighting, and the temperature in unoccupied rooms will be centrally controlled. As a result of all these modifications, CO₂ emissions will be reduced by 20%, a savings of 50% on total energy consumption compared to the previous management.

 Added value for the chic boulevard de Waterloo

The location of The Hotel is and remains one of its greatest assets. ”We really wanted The Hotel to blend in seamlessly with its surroundings. As it so happens, The Hotel shares boulevard de Waterloo with nearly all of the top international luxury lifestyle brands. With our premium positioning and elegant international image, we have no doubt about fitting in. We’re expecting the restaurant, bar and lobby lounge on the ground floor to bring a certain added value to the boulevard de Waterloo“, commented Aldert Schaaphok, Vice President, Pandox AB.

Last on the renovation agenda is the ground floor, to be completed in the autumn of 2013. The hotel will remain open throughout the renovations.

The hotel, which has entertained famous visitors ranging from the Spanish royal family to Elizabeth Taylor, is located in an exclusive residential area of Santa Cruz, directly in front of the famed Garcia Sanabria botanical gardens.

Facilities and amenities include a restored lobby; 261 fully refurbished rooms and 52 suites, the restaurant Los Menceyes, the Bar Iballa and 10 multi-functional meeting and event spaces.

New to the hotel is a spa with more than 6,500 sq ft (604 sq m) of treatment rooms, water ritual pools and relaxation areas. The property’s gardens have been expanded to nearly 22,000 sq ft (2,044 sq m) with an outdoor pool, bar and solarium, and the Casa del Duque — an individual estate located within the hotel grounds — has been acquired and transformed into an event space featuring direct access to the botanical gardens.

The hotel also has been added to Iberostar’s Grand Collection, becoming the collection’s second city hotel following the Iberostar Grand Hotel Budapest.

The Rezidor Hotel Group and Al Jassim Group have announced a 2015 opening for the Hotel Missoni Doha (Qatar). The luxury lifestyle hotel will be exclusively designed by Rosita Missoni and feature approximately 200 rooms and 70 serviced apartments. The hotel will be built along the C Ring Road in the heart of Doha, just 10 minutes from the International Airport. The extensive food and beverage outlets will comprise Hotel Missoni’s signature restaurant “Cucina” with a traditional yet creative Italian menu, a second all-day-dining restaurant, Bar Missoni, a pool bar and a lobby lounge. Guests will benefit from an 800 square meter Spa- and fitness area, an outdoor swimming pool, approximately 1,500 square meter conference- and banquet facilities including ball room, and a business centre. Hotels Missoni are operated in Edinburgh and in Kuwait; further properties are under development in Oman, Turkey, Brazil and Mauritius.

Rezidor also announced this week the rebranding of the 583-room Ramada Plaza Doha Hotel into a Radisson Blu Hotel in the third quarter of 2012.

Even more Qatar hotel news: the June, 2013 scheduled Nikki Beach Resort & Spa, The Pearl-Qatar has already won an AAA five-star diamond award as best design for a boutique beach resort in the Middle East. That is slightly odd for a hotel which even has opened yet. Designed by the award winning Singapore-based ECO ID Architects with interior design by Gatserelia Design, the Nikki Beach is a $45m boutique beachfront resort with 47-luxury villas and spa suites. The development will include Satine, a pan Asian specialty restaurant, NikkiSpa by Espa, Envy, the Ultra VIP lounge, a signature Nikki Beach Club with private plunge pools, a Tone Fitness Center and many other guest amenities.

HotelChatter reports that an offshoot of the Soho House Group will open in Chicago’s West Loop/Fulton Market area inside a vacant warehouse. Soho House would install about 50 rooms, a signature restaurant and a rooftop pool.

Our December 26 report on the Clark Hotel in Los Angeles suggesting that King & Grove was to be the new operator of New York’s Chelsea Hotel was right. This month comes the news that King & Grove are also taking over the management of the brand-new opened Hotel Williamsburg in Brooklyn, New York. The Chetrit Group, owner of the Clark Hotel and the Chelsea Hotel is close to an agreement buying the Hotel Williamsburg, currently operated by Graves Hospitality from Minneapolis.

The ill-fated Cipriani hotel project in Miami Beach finally is getting afoot. Only no longer under the Cipriani name, but under its original name, The Saxony. Argentine hip hotelier Alan Faena of Buenos Aires’ Faena Hotel fame is taking on the project. A condo tower by star architects Foster and Partners is being added and the Faena Saxony Hotel as it is called now is “coming soon” we see at the Faena website.

The Spanish mission styled 97-room Canary Hotel in Santa Barbara, now with The Leading Hotels of the World, is being sold to Kimpton Hotels for $40m.

Miami-based design firm ADD Inc. aimed to give the vice and virtues of the 1940s and 1950s a modern interpretation in the hotel, which is owned by Keith Menin of Menin Hotels.

Guests are greeted with an interpretation of a floating porte cochere —originally designed by Morris Lapidus, the architect known for Miami Modern hotels who added an extension to The Shelborne in the 1950s — and curved glass entry with a panoramic view of the lobby. The lobby design focuses on tuxedo tones with prominent white walls and black accent pieces. Maria Theresa crystal chandeliers glow in soft amber while walls dressed with flowing drapery compliment white terrazzo floors. Framed with white lacquered material, the reception desk contains rows of sparkling acrylic orbs illuminated from behind and a concierge desk wrapped in black stingray skin. Two black Marquina Negro marble columns with channels of white veining counteract the starkness of the reception desk.

The Shelborne’s lobby lounge features black terrazzo, black tufted lounges, a pool table and photo wall. The lounge walls are finished with black mirrors illuminated by glass sconces. 

Refurbished guestrooms showcase black and gray wall-to-wall carpet and Art Deco-styled accents. A striped backdrop of gray and white frame the beds with tufted white headboards and bright, decorative pillows. Bathrooms feature custom wood and marble vanities and polished white marble flooring.

A walkway with white exterior walls and ceilings covered in live vines, banquettes with colorful pillows and glass guardrails leads guests to the new infinity pool. Poolside cabanas with private showers and a beach garden surround the pool area.

F&B outlets include Bar Tanaka by Chef Hiroyuki “Zama” Tanaka in addition to Vesper American Brasserie and the poolside taco stand Lucy’s Cantina Royale. Crème Design created the interiors for the three restaurants.

A new ballroom features a custom-designed gray diamond carpet with floral motifs, Carrera marble walls and bars, white sheer drapery and linear crystal chandeliers.

The company said that the brand is on track to have six hotels operating in major global gateway cities on three continents by 2015, including one of Manhattan’s most beloved buildings, the “Clock Tower.” New EDITION hotels being announced today also include projects under construction in Bangkok and Abu Dhabi, as well as contracts signed for hotels in Los Angeles and Gurgaon, India.

The New York EDITION will be located at the landmark Clock Tower building at 5 Madison Avenue, which was acquired for $165 million from prior owner Africa Israel USA. While design work is already underway, the renovation and conversion of the iconic Clock Tower building will begin in late 2012.

“New York is one of the most important destinations in the world, and we are delighted to have secured the Clock Tower as a singular, iconic structure that will become a flagship for the EDITION brand and one of New York’s most compelling places to stay,” said Arne Sorenson, Marriott’s president and chief operating officer. “While the rollout of the EDITION brand was slowed by the global economic downturn, we remain strongly committed to this brand and are dedicated to its continued development and success. We are thrilled to add the Clock Tower building to our Edition portfolio,” said Mr. Sorenson. “We have a number of other exciting projects under way which we expect to announce in the coming months.”

The Bangkok EDITION will be part of a mixed-use development planned for one of the tallest buildings in Bangkok. The Abu Dhabi EDITION will be part of the prestigious Al Bateen Harbor complex within the Abu Dhabi Marina, an upscale mixed-use development including luxury residential and retail.

“It is a privilege and a once in a lifetime opportunity to work with Marriott on the first EDITION in New York City at the iconic Clock Tower building. This exciting project, along with all of the current and future projects in the pipeline, will prove that EDITION hotels are like no others in the world,” said Ian Schrager.

Marriott International is developing EDITION hotels in Miami Beach, London and now New York, reflecting confidence in the brand’s future growth and success. The company expects to recycle its property investments over time through the sale of the hotels while maintaining long-term management contracts.

The London EDITION will open next year in the historic building formerly known as the Berners Hotel, located in the city’s Fitzrovia neighborhood. The Miami Beach EDITION, under construction in the former Seville Hotel, is expected to open in late 2013. The Istanbul EDITION is open and operating under a long-term management agreement.

EDITION combines the personal, individualized and unique experiences which Ian Schrager is known for, with the global reach and operational expertise of Marriott International. In keeping with the identity of EDITION, Mr. Schrager will lead the creative design and positioning of these hotels.

EDITION is an unexpected and refreshing collection of customized, cutting-edge, and one-of-a-kind properties. Each one is thoughtfully designed to reflect the individuality, authenticity, and unique attributes of its location, while appealing to a sophisticated traveler who is accustomed to extraordinary service with a modern touch. Properties are intended to showcase the best in dining and nightlife, services and amenities for travelers and local residents.