Aperture

🏨 Accor's Handwritten Collection is expanding in Europe with upcoming openings in Tirana, Nicosia, Duesseldorf, Bucarest, Zeeland, and Vielsalm. Philippe Bijaoui, Accor's chief development officer, attributes its success to the brand's appeal to travelers seeking unique experiences and to independent hoteliers valuing the partnership with a trusted international brand. The collection has seen rapid growth with 17 hotels launched last year, 25 in development, and around 150 projects in negotiation.

📍 The first five-star hotel in Ponte di Legno and Valcamonica is set to be constructed after receiving final authorization, with work expected to start next spring, announced entrepreneur Alessandro Pietta. The luxury hotel, rising from the former Alla Cascata residence, will feature roughly seventy rooms and is part of a project including two more residential interventions. These developments will benefit from incentive schemes promoting hospitality ventures in the region.

🌊 Royal Caribbean International's "Star of the Seas" offers 7-night Caribbean cruises from Port Canaveral, Florida starting August 2025. Features include six water slides at "Category 6" park, seven pools, and the adult-only infinity pool "Hideaway." Michael Bayley, the company's president, highlights Miami and Port Canaveral as diverse vacation hubs combining beach, resort, and theme park experiences. Star of the Seas has eight distinct neighborhoods with dining and live entertainment. "Utopia of the Seas" joins Star at Port Canaveral by next summer, offering Caribbean vacations, 3-night weekends, or 4-night Bahamas escapes. The Royal Beach Club Paradise Island in the Bahamas will open by late 2025, enhancing Royal Caribbean's destination offerings.

🏎 F1 Arcade expands in the US, targeting major cities with unique activities and specialty menus. The American market will experience F1 Arcade at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas and Philadelphia in 2025. Plans include 30 new US locations within the next five years. Boston's F1 Arcade is active, with Washington DC's location launching on October 13.

🏡 After six years since its opening, Palazzo Castelluccio in Noto closes to tourists, transitioning into a luxury hotel under the Rocco Forte brand. French entrepreneur Jean Jacques Remilleux, who became an honorary citizen of Noto, had purchased and restored the palace, originally belonging to the Di Lorenzo del Castelluccio family. Since 2018, it has been a mainstay for thousands of visitors and has hosted private events and served as a film set for Joe Wright's "Cyrano.

🏡 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.