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Executive Venturer brings you news of What’s Hot, What’s New and What’s in the Pipeline. MICE never stand still – new openings, refurbs and exciting developments are happening all the time. These days the difference between a corporate and a leisure hotel is blurred and many a great incentive trip, company meeting or small event can take place in a luxury five-star leisure hotel.
St Regis
St Regis is to open a new hotel, apartment and shopping complex in the heart of Singapore. The hotel in the Orchard Road district will offer 299 guest rooms including 30 top-of-the range suites and 15,000 ft2 of meeting facilities. St Regis is also planning to open a new property in San Francisco in the summer of 2005.
Starwood
Look out for new Starwood openings in 2005, including The Atlantic, Florida’s first luxury condominium hotel, a 124-bedroom resort in Fort Lauderdale. Their completed renovations of the hotel Convento de Espinheiro in Evora, Portugal, include 53 rooms and six suites, not to mention flexible meeting space for up to 350.
Hilton
Hilton has put $10 million into a complete makeover of its luxury, Mexican, Mayan-inspired Cancun Beach and Golf Resort. It promises a 12,000 ft2 spa, 426 guest rooms and villas, each room with at least a 27 TV. The 3,714 ft2 Presidential Suite looks more like a high-end residence. Following the very recent $10 million facelift of their Phuket Arcadia Resort in Thailand, Hilton are also planning 11 new Royal suites for their Hua Hin Resort.
Occidental, Cuba
Cuba seems to be the ‘in’ place for 2005. Occidental Hotels are due to open their 506-room Royal Hideaway Cayo Ensenachos on an untouched island off Cuba’s northern coast next autumn. High environmental standards will ensure that the delicate eco-system of the lush tropical forests and pristine beaches will be protected, says Occidental.
Pan Pacific
Pan Pacific is opening its new boutique-style Whistler Village Centre in British Columbia’s premier ski resort in March 05, offering rooms from studios to three-bedroom suites. The hotel will be joined in 2006 by a sister160-room luxury boutique hotel in Seattle, featuring hi-tech guest rooms complete with the latest entertainment systems and wi-fi technology, and seven conference rooms within its 5,405 ft2 of function space.
Relais Santa Croce
A new hotel with a very long history is about to open in the heart of old Florence. The Relais Santa Croce is an ultra-modern hotel inside a magnificent Florentine palazzo. The whole building has been carefully restored to maintain its Baroque character but the Royal suite bedrooms couldn’t be more modern.
Hyatt
Hyatt Regency Birmingham has announced a major refurb of its 319-room hotel, including all the meeting rooms, to be completed by mid 2005. Meanwhile, Park Hyatt will make its Middle East debut with the opening of its 238-room hotel within Dubai Golf and Yacht Club in September 2005. Plans are also afoot for a new Hyatt in Cairo (2006) and in Jeddah (late 2006).
Lloyd, Amsterdam
Can’t choose between 3, 4 or 5-star accommodation? The new Lloyd Hotel in Amsterdam offers all three in its 120-room hotel: a gem of 1920s architecture updated to 21st century standards.
Westin – Planning Ahead
Westin Barcelona – a 475-bed hotel on the historic waterfront of Catalonia’s capital. Westin also plan a new hotel in Hong Kong (its first in China) on the West Kowloon waterfront. Look out also for a cool chic Westin in Seoul which promises to be a real eye-opener – a gigantic living-room lobby the size of three football pitches and a unique ‘swim with the fishes’ feature bringing the excitement of the coral reef to the hotel pool.
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