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.

The May Fair Hotel in London has launched its newest accommodation: the Ebony Suite. The suite features a stylish dark wood interior with ivory and metallic accents. The 220-sq-ft (20-sq-m) lounge area offers a dining table for four, a large flat-screen tv, a kitchenette, and a separate guest bathroom. A 112-sq-ft (10-sq-m) private terrace includes patio furniture. Guests can use the suite’s separate entrance when they book it as a two-bedroom, including an adjoining king atandard room. The bathroom includes a washlet with a heated seat and integrated bidet, all controlled from a wall-mounted panel. The double sinks change color in response to the temperature of the water. A gyrostream shower uses horizontal streams of water to massage the body. An oversized bathtub is located in the center of the master bedroom, with Japanese-inspired paneling for privacy. The tub is made of a material that allows for color-changing lighting effects.

Sofitel announce the signing of a management contract with the Société des Palaces de Cocody (SPDC), representing the Ivorian State, which formalises the acquisition of the iconic Hotel Ivoire in Abidjan (Ivory Coast) by the luxury brand of the French hotel group, Accor. The contract will take effect on 1 January 2013, with Sofitel ensuring the changeover between 1 September and 31 December 2012 with the current management. From its outstanding location, overlooking the Abidjan lagoon, the Hotel Ivoire currently offers 209 rooms in the Tour Ivoire, with the main building closed for renovations. Over the coming months, the entire hotel will be brought into line with Sofitel standards. At present, the practical details of the remodelling are being drawn up by teams on the ground, as is the case for other, adjacent sites.

Miami’s W South Beach has transformed 26 of its suites into VIP suites. The accommodations feature an expanded lineup of bathroom amenities, plush bathrobes and slippers, professional Nespresso coffee makers with milk frothers, electric trouser presses and live orchids. On the service side, guests staying in the VIP suites are assigned a concierge to help with reservations to hotels, admission to nightclubs, boat rental, or other aspects of their trip. VIP suite service also includes luxury private car service from area airports, a daily selection of fruit, a farewell gift the night before departure, and guaranteed admission to the nightclub Wall.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts announced it has signed an agreement with Terranum Hotels, Bogota, Colombia, to open W Bogota in 2014. The 168-room hotel will be part of a larger mixed-use development in the fashionable Usaquen district in the northern part of the city. It will be designed by New York-based Studio Gaia with inspiration from Colombia’s El Dorado legend, which states that during the pre-Colombian period, every time the indigenous Muisca tribe had a new chief, people would make offerings to their god by throwing gold, emeralds and semi-precious stones in Guatavita Lake. Studio Gaia plans to use color, light and texture to bring the legend to life and highlight the vibrancy and glamor of Colombia’s landscape. The hotel also will feature the signature W Lounge, a destination restaurant and nightclub, an Away spa, a 3,000-sq-ft (279-sq-m) fitness center and more than 12,000 sq ft (1,115 sq m) of function space.

The Legian Bali has finished a four-month refurbishment project, using suggestions from guest feedback. The 68-room property unveiled a new infinity lap pool near the shoreline after hearing that guests wanted a place to swim laps. The three-bedroom Beach House has a new 215-sq-ft (20-sq-m) terrace with sunbeds. The master bedroom has been rearranged for better ocean views, while more windows have been added to let in natural light. The living room now has two walls of transparent folding doors. A new beachfront sun deck provides a place to enjoy sunsets, and the Ocean Bar has better views of the beach and the children’s pool now that a wall has been removed. Guests said they wanted more light, so the renovation included improved lighting in half of the property’s guestrooms. In addition, guestrooms have recalibrated air-circulation systems. The north gardens have been re-landscaped, and the entranceway water ponds, stone pathways and corridors in room blocks C and D have also been updated.

Hilton Hotels & Resorts today celebrates the official opening of its new landmark hotel, Hilton London Wembley, just 10 days before the start of the Olympics. With plans to transform the area into one of the most thriving parts of the capital, for sport, entertainment and architectural excellence, the opening marks a major milestone in the regeneration of the area. Situated directly opposite Wembley Stadium, the 361-room hotel is a striking design-lead property indicative of the iconic events of 2012. Playing on its inherently British location, design features include an eye-catching two-floor feature wall depicting the greatest events in the history of Wembley Stadium and a custom made art installation displaying a sequence of hand-painted porcelain plates following and illustrating the route of the River Thames. The design of Hilton London Wembley embodies the spirit of Britain through its design and artistic vision. The history and heritage of its location is embraced through every facet, from the open plan ground floor lobby, with its Union Jack motif rugs, to the ninth floor roof bar with its spectacular outdoor terrace and unparalleled views of Wembley Stadium. With both form and function at its heart, Hilton London Wembley offers dynamic and flexible public spaces punctuated by British design elements and patriotic flair.