Aperture

🏡 In Florence, 1,100 luxury hotel rooms will be added within a year, with the first investment being the Ruby Hotel, which opened three weeks ago featuring 118 rooms and a 24-hour bar. The W Hotel by Marriot, with 120 luxury rooms including suites, and the Auberge Resorts Collection, adding 82 rooms and suites in a 16th-century complex, are both set to open within the year. The Hoxton Hotel will offer 161 rooms, and by early 2025, Tsh (formerly the Student Hotel) will feature 550 rooms. Finally, by 2025, the first Baccarat Hotel in Italy is expected to launch with 75 luxury rooms.

🏦 In Rome, over 1,500 new luxury segment rooms will be added with the opening of at least 14 high-end hotels. Luxury accommodations represent only 9% of Rome's total room offerings but saw a 30% increase in the number of properties sold from 2018 to 2023. A record €412 million was invested in 2023. Tourism in the capital generated €8.5 billion in distributed wealth last year. Investments include significant renovations, benefiting the Made in Italy brand and attracting younger, high-spending clients, potentially narrowing the gap with cities like Paris and London.

🏖️ Nh Hotels & Resorts debuts Nh Maldives Kuda Rah Resort in Ari Sud, Maldives, on September 1, following Nh Collection's launch last November. The resort offers 51 luxury suites and villas, ranging from 90 to 231 square meters, with amenities such as a spa with three treatment rooms, a gym, and a miniclub. Minor Hotels' CEO, Dillip Rajakarier, emphasizes the group's commitment to high quality and service standards.

🌴 Banyan Group has launched Banyan Tree Higashiyama Kyoto in Japan. The hotel, which opened on August 1st, features 52 rooms, a spa, two dining experiences, and a unique Noh stage for traditional performances and cultural events. Located in Higashiyama, guests can also enjoy three gardens and a bamboo grove.

🚢 AmaWaterways targets Mekong River itineraries for 2026, planning structural modifications for the AmaMaya to accommodate cruises. Rudi Schreiner, president and co-founder, hints at adding another deck to the ship, similar to AmaDara's layout. High demand for Mekong prompts investment, with AmaDara fully booked from September to April, leading to consideration of additional July departures, a month earlier than the typical season start. New onshore excursions are also being planned.

🏚 The Hamakua Hotel, inaugurated last month in Hawaii, is located 18 km north of Hilo and features 8 rooms in three different categories with stunning views of the Hamakua Coast. The Lochtefelds, who purchased the property in 2020, invested $1.5 million in renovations to transform the former Palms Cliff House bed & breakfast into a luxurious boutique hotel, complete with a wellness area including spa services and an oceanfront infinity pool available from autumn.

📍 Marriott International has reached its milestone of 9,000 properties with the opening of a new St. Regis resort in Longboat Key, Florida. The St. Regis Longboat Key Resort features 168 rooms, including 26 suites, and offers breathtaking ocean views. Additionally, the resort includes 69 private branded residences, providing a luxurious living experience on Florida's Suncoast. Marriott's CEO, Anthony Capuano, highlights the property's exquisite design and timeless appeal.

📍 Trademark Collection by Wyndham Hotels & Resorts debuted in South Korea with the opening of La Vie D'or Hotel and Resort in Hwaseong-si. The group now exceeds 30 hotels in the country. The 190-room hotel is located about 30 minutes by car from Seoul, spread over 330,000 square meters, featuring a nine-hole golf course, fitness center, spa, multiple pools, saunas, and fine dining restaurants, plus meeting and event spaces, and a business center. The Trademark Collection portfolio includes 262 mid-upper scale and upper scale independent and unique hotel properties in urban and resort destinations.

🏡 The Treetops Hotel in Kenya, historical for hosting Queen Elizabeth II in 1952 when she learned of her ascension, reopened after a three-year pandemic closure. Originally inaugurated in 1932, it once closed due to a fire after her visit but was then rebuilt larger and more majestic.

🏦 Palazzo Talia, a 16th-century building in the heart of Rome, opens as a boutique hotel with 25 rooms and suites. Revived by the Federici family, known for construction and real estate expertise, the hotel enriches Rome's luxury hospitality scene. Previously, until its 1999 closure, it was the Nobile Collegio del Nazareno, an influential ecclesiastical institution shaping politicians, cardinals, and diplomats.