October 8, 2024

🍽 Café Boulud, headed by Michelin-starred Chef Daniel Boulud, has opened in Four Seasons Hotel Riyadh, marking its first presence in the Middle East. The 150-seat restaurant, designed by Rockwell Group, offers French cuisine with signature dishes like Lavender-Glazed Duck Breast and Potato-Wrapped Sea Bass. Executive Chef Nicolas Lemoyne, trained by Boulud and Paul Bocuse, upholds the high culinary standards. Open for breakfast (6-11am), lunch (12-4pm), and dinner (6-11pm), the café can be accessed from the hotel lobby or outside. Reservations: +966 11 2115500.

🏨 Marriott International acquired City Express brand portfolio in May 2023 for $100 million, adding 152 hotels and over 17,000 rooms across Mexico, Costa Rica, Colombia, and Chile, increasing its presence by 45%. The expansion into the affordable midscale segment in the U.S. and Canada, previously known as ‘Project Mid-T by Marriott’, is set to attract value-conscious travelers. Marriott has seen "extensive interest" from potential owners and franchisees, expecting to sign agreements and possibly open new hotels within the next four months.

🏨 IHG & Daiwa House Group are set to open EVEN Hotels and Staybridge Suites Orlando Universal Blvd. in 2026, near Universal Epic Universe theme park and Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, Fla. The dual-branded hotel will feature 288 rooms, an outdoor pool, a restaurant, an athletic studio, and over 4,000 square feet of event space. Zleep Hotels to rebrand 14 hotels to Marriott's Four Points Flex by Sheraton in Denmark by early 2025, adding 1,500+ rooms to Marriott's Nordic portfolio. Holiday Inn Resort opens in Nepal, featuring 104 rooms and 9,300 square feet of amenities. Lanserhof breaks ground on Lanserhof Marbella health resort in Casares, Spain, set to open in late 2026.