Business Traveller rounds up new and upcoming hotels from brands including Marriott International, Rosewood and Hyatt.
Swissotel Al Ghurair, Dubai
Al Ghurair Properties has partnered with Swissotel Hotels and Resorts to open the first Swissotel in the United Arab Emirates. Located within the Al Ghurair Centre Complex, one of the region’s popular shopping destinations, the hotel lies in close proximity to Dubai’s famous landmarks as well as its corporate districts.
The property contains 428 rooms and 192 apartments as well as a 6,096 sqm spa facility, a fitness centre and enough meeting space to accommodate 300 people. It is ten minutes away from Dubai International Airport.
Rosewood Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Rosewood Hotels and Resorts has opened its first urban hotel in Southeast Asia. Residing in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh, the hotel is part of the 39-storey Vattanac Capital Tower in the city’s business district. The Vattanac Capital Tower is the city’s tallest building, and Rosewood Phnom Penh sits at 188 metres.
It boasts 175 rooms, 37 of which are suites, all with views of the city skyline. Guests can choose from dining venues that serve Asian, Japanese or European cuisines, as well as Sora, the highest bar in Phnom Penh. The hotel also offers a fitness facility.
The Wick Hotel, Hudson, New York State
Tribute Portfolio, part of Marriott International, has opened The Wick Hotel in the town of Hudson two hours from New York City. Fashioned out of a mid-nineteenth century candle and soap factory, the hotel offers 55 guestrooms and suites along with a spa treatment room, fitness centre, and event space.
The Wick also offers local craft beer, wine and spirits as well as dishes using locally sourced ingredients at the lobby bar. The hotel lies just a block away from the Amtrak station, which connects to New York City’s Penn Station.
Melia Serengeti Lodge, Tanzania
Located in the Serengeti National Park, the Melia Serengeti Lodge is the brand’s first sustainability-focused hotel. Forty-five per cent of the lodge’s energy is generated by solar panels, and the building’s design allows for natural ventilation as opposed to cooling through air conditioning.
Among a wide range of suites and terrace rooms, the lodge features three restaurants, two of which offer African, Mediterranean and oriental cuisine while the other serves Tanzanian fare. The property also lies on the western border of Lake Victoria and organises optional safaris for its guests.
Coming Soon
The Grand Central Hotel, Belfast
Hastings Hotels will open the Grand Central Hotel in Belfast in June 2018. Housing 300 bedrooms in 23 storeys, it will be Northern Ireland’s largest hotel. The design is based on Belfast’s original Grand Central Hotel, which opened its doors in 1893 on Royal Avenue but was demolished in the 1980s.
Alongside two conference suites, three meeting rooms and a private reception lounge, the hotel will feature two restaurants, the Seahorse Bar and Bistro on the first floor and the Grand Cafe on the ground floor.
Grand Hyatt Grand Cayman Hotel & Residences
The Grand Hyatt brand is expanding into the Caribbean with the announcement of its upcoming hotel in Grand Cayman. Anticipated to open in 2020, the property will span across seven acres of Seven Mile Beach, a focal point of tourism on the Cayman Islands. It will house 351 guestrooms and suites as well as a spa, fitness centre, three swimming pools and various retail shops.
The hotel will also feature 7,620 sqm of meeting and event space, which will make it the largest function space in the Cayman Islands. Located along the southern end of West Bay Road, the property will be less than a mile away from George Town’s city centre and only 10 minutes from Owen Roberts International Airport.
Olivia Hultgren
