Heather Sandlin

📍 Belfast, February 2026: The Malone Hotel, celebrating 35 years, completes an 18-month refurbishment. Located off Lisburn and Malone roads, this four-star hotel will reopen with 103 redesigned bedrooms, an expanded restaurant, and a 240-guest ballroom. It offers 70 off-street parking spaces. The Malone has partnered with UK-based Focus Hotels for management. Director Gareth Macklin highlights the transformation as the hotel's most exciting chapter, enhancing its heritage and service.

🏨 Apex Hotels will reopen Dunblane Hydro as Apex Dunblane Hydro Hotel on 28 November 2025. Acquired in November 2024, this 200-bedroom hotel in Central Scotland will undergo a multi-phase refurbishment. Initial upgrades focus on conference spaces; subsequent phases will modernize guest rooms and public areas. With capacity for 500 delegates, it's positioned as a key leisure and conference venue. Apex Hotels, known for four-star hotels across the UK, aims to enhance guest experiences with this historic property.

🏨 Auberge Collection, a luxury hotel and resort portfolio, has rebranded from Auberge Resorts Collection to signify its expansion into urban markets. The rebranding occurs ahead of the Spring 2025 opening of Cambridge House in Mayfair, London. Recent and upcoming openings include Collegio alla Querce in Florence, The Woodward in Geneva, and several properties in Dallas, Miami Beach, Houston, and Puerto Rico. Dan Friedkin and Christian Clerc emphasize the brand's commitment to unique, luxury experiences.

🏨 Three Hilton Garden Inn hotels in Birmingham, Bristol, and Glasgow underwent major refurbishments, overseen by Valor Hospitality. The Birmingham hotel refreshed 238 rooms with industrial finishes, Bristol redesigned 171 rooms with maritime-inspired decor, and Glasgow reimagined 164 rooms with shipbuilding themes. ABDA Design managed the renovations, focusing on sustainability and reducing waste by retaining and redesigning furniture. These updates aim to enhance guest experiences by incorporating each city's unique industrial heritage.

Blog Post Excerpt 📁 The historic Luton Hoo Hotel in the UK will host a two-day auction of 3,000 furniture pieces before a multi-million-pound redevelopment. The Arora Group, which acquired the estate in 2021, plans extensive upgrades under Fairmont branding. The auction, both onsite and online, will support charitable causes, with beneficiaries announced later. Director Alison Griffin emphasizes environmental and community commitment.