Fusioni & Acquisizioni

🏡 Mama Shelter's Italian second facility on Lake Como is part of Ennismore's expansion plans, which include new openings for 2025 and 2026, following the inauguration of Mama Shelter Dubai on December 15. In Asia, Mama Shelter Singapore, the group's 20th property with 110 rooms, is set to debut, featuring a restaurant and rooftop pool. Mama Shelter Zurich will open in mid-2025 in Switzerland, offering over 170 rooms, a restaurant, a rooftop, and 550 sqm of meeting space. The 2026 openings will see Mama Shelter Cape Town introducing Mama Play, a 742 sqm recreational area, with the hotel boasting 120 rooms, 213 sqm of meeting space, a gym, and a rooftop restaurant. Mama Shelter Downtown LA and Mama Shelter Medellín, with over 140 rooms and 150 rooms respectively, are also scheduled to open in 2026. Lastly, Mama Shelter Casablanca will launch with over 90 rooms and 49 apartments, featuring the city's longest pool, a rooftop lounge, a 140 sqm meeting room, multiple dining options, and a fitness room.

❄️ In the UK, a cold snap prompting travel warnings is expected to hit, with snowfall today and critical conditions on November 20 due to a temperature drop and potential widespread frost. Airports, including those in London, and airlines like Ryanair advise passengers to monitor flight statuses. Ryanair informed affected travelers will be notified and urged UK passengers to check updates on November 20, apologizing for any inconvenience caused by the weather beyond their control.

📌 Trenitalia partners with BWH Hotels Italia & Malta, offering benefits to CartaFreccia and Loyalty BWH customers. CartaFreccia members can earn and redeem points at 170 BWH hotels in Italy and Malta, with extra points after every three stays for exclusive Status CartaFreccia holders. The partnership includes BWH Stay Vouchers in the CartaFreccia Collection catalog. Points can be earned through Best Western Rewards® or WorldHotels™ Rewards programs by staying at hotels before December 31, 2025, and completing a dedicated form on BWH's website.

🏖 Destination Italia collaborates with Basilicata, Molise, Sicily, Sardinia, Marche, and Piedmont to prevent small villages from closure, as stated by President Dina Ravera during Roots-in at Matera. The "root tourism" initiative focuses on enhancing lesser-known regions through public-private partnerships, like the one with Enit. Over the past decade, the experience trend has risen, aiming to double the tourism GDP and highlight rural areas. Average stays are 8-9 days, indicating long-term visits, Sandro Pappalardo of Enit notes.

🏦 Hilton announces a rich pipeline of openings for 2025, including the iconic Waldorf Astoria New York, which reopens in spring 2025. New venues include Hilton Turin City Centre, Italy's first Hilton Hotels & Resorts in Turin, Conrad Athens The Ilisian in Greece with a unique outdoor running track, Tapestry Collection's debut in Northern Ireland with Marcus Hotel Portrush, Curio Collection's Palacio Bellas Artes Hotel San Sebastián in Spain known for its Michelin-rich gastronomy, Canopy by Hilton Istanbul Taksim marking the brand's entry into Turkey, Signia by Hilton's international debut in Amman, Jordan, Canopy by Hilton Cape Town Longkloof in South Africa, Hilton's first property in Ghana with Hilton Accra Cantonments, Curio Collection's KROMO Bangkok in Thailand, Waldorf Astoria Osaka in Japan, Delfins Beach Resort Bonaire in the Caribbean being Hilton's first on the island, and Waldorf Astoria Costa Rica Punta Cacique. The Waldorf Astoria New York restoration is led by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill architects and designer Pierre-Yves Rochon, maintaining its Art Deco grandeur with 375 private residences above the hotel.

✈ Air India, having recently integrated Vistara, operates over 5,600 weekly flights with a fleet of 210 aircraft. The airline has pending orders for 470 new aircraft, which will triple its fleet size. Vistara, a joint venture between Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines since January 2015, merged into Air India, giving Singapore Airlines a 25.1% stake in the Air India Group.

💰 Viajes El Corte Inglés saw a 6.1% sales increase in the first half of the year, with holiday sales jumping 10%. Following a record-breaking 2023, the company's net financial debt reduced to €1.933 billion, 1.7 times its Ebitda.

✈️ Lufthansa to acquire 41% stake in Ita Airways by mid-January, with Brussels' approval expected by end of November. Ita Airways' board to expand from 3 to 5 members, including two from Lufthansa, who will also appoint a CEO. By 2025, Lufthansa plans to increase its stake to 90%, focusing on synergies with Rome's Fiumicino Airport and developments in loyalty programs and lounge access.

📍 Alberto Giorgio, recently appointed as General Manager, is leading a new strategy for inViaggi, a historic tourism brand under the Gruppo Fruit, focusing on experiential and personalized travel. The strategy includes three new product lines: inClub, inTour, and inTrip. inClub offers stays in selected clubs in Italy and other locations, featuring a Local Expert for a tailored experience. inTour provides guided cultural tours, while inTrip caters to independent travelers with customizable experiences. Giorgio emphasizes the addition of branded exclusive clubs and the imminent reveal of the initial offerings.

🎲 Sheraton Diana Majestic in Milan is closing; its management by Marriott International will not be renewed. The hotel, originally the Kursaal Diana baths in the mid-19th century, became a hotel in 1908 and has a history of events including the founding of Football Club Internazionale and a 1921 bombing with 21 fatalities. Currently, 50 employees face job loss due to the closure.