Hotel Openings

🍣 Seven Sushi & Robata, launched on November 20 in Houston's Chinatown at Dun Huang Plaza, offers a 4,000 sq ft space seating 160. Guests enjoy all-you-can-eat sushi and robata with two pricing tiers: $37 for core items and $57 including premium additions. Open until midnight, the menu features both Japanese and Chinese architectural elements. Grace and Leo Xia, also known for Duck N Bao and Hongdae 33, manage the restaurant, which includes a full bar with unique cocktails.

🍴 Gavin Kaysen opened three new restaurants in three weeks. Bellecour in Edina, Minneapolis, opened on November 18, offering French-style breakfast and lunch. A North Loop Minneapolis location followed on December 6, adding bistro-style dinners. The Merchant Room, a New American brasserie, opened December 8 at Naples Beach Club, Florida. These expansions are supported by a strong team, including Alexandra Motz, pastry director, and Zachary Byers, head sommelier.

🏖 MOAB, Utah—In 2025, Hilton unveiled the Slackline Moab hotel, part of the Outset Collection. The 138-room establishment welcomes explorers with features like outdoor fire pits, pet-friendly rooms, and a gear shop. Guests can engage in guided hiking, biking, and stargazing. Amenities include the Little Station Coffee + Kitchen and an outdoor pool. Designed for outdoor enthusiasts, Slackline Moab aims to connect visitors to the spirit of Moab’s red rock country.

🏖 Hotel Okura Co., Ltd. will open The Okura Resort Hakone Gora, the first Okura Resort property in Japan, in 2029, at Gora, a renowned hot spring area in Hakone. With 58 rooms, each with private open-air baths from Owakudani Hot Spring, the hotel will feature a total floor area of 9,650.84 square meters. The operational management agreement was signed on July 11, 2025, with Nishimatsu Construction Co., Ltd. managing development and ownership.

🏡 Highstay is transforming Hôtel Vintimille into a premium long-stay accommodation in Paris. This project highlights two growing trends: the reconversion of heritage buildings and increased demand for upscale extended-stay options.

🏨 Marriott Minneapolis Northwest in Brooklyn Park, MN, rebrands as Marriott Minneapolis Northwest Hotel & Conference Center. With 231 renovated suites and 63,000 square feet of meeting space, it features 27 meeting rooms, including the 8,000 sq. ft. Northland Ballroom, and the region's only hotel-based amphitheater. Top-ranked for guest satisfaction, it supports major corporations like Medtronic and Target. Operated by Aimbridge Hospitality, it strengthens its Midwest conference and group travel destination status.

🏨 Procaccianti Companies will renovate the Hyatt Regency Lexington, Kentucky, starting next summer. The project, approved by Kentucky’s Tourism Development Incentive Program, involves refreshing 366 guestrooms, guestroom corridors, and public areas, plus redesigning the restaurant and bar, adding a marketplace, and expanding the fitness center. TPG Hotels & Resorts will manage the hotel, while TPG Development & Construction will handle the renovation. The upgrades aim to enhance guest experience and support Lexington's downtown growth.

🏠 McKays Hotel, part of Turas Hotels, expanded in Pitlochry with a £250,000 conversion of an Italian café into a townhouse. Opened recently, it offers seven en-suite rooms and two self-catering apartments. This follows a £1.25m investment three years ago. Pitlochry, attracting 500,000 yearly visitors, benefits from tourism boosts like Alan Cumming's role at Pitlochry Festival Theatre. McKays aims to meet demand for upscale lodging, appealing to longer-stay guests.

🏨 Accor will bring Mövenpick to the UK by 2027, converting the Old Thorns Estate in Hampshire into a 194-room Mövenpick Hampshire – Old Thorns. The renovation includes guestrooms, wellness and leisure facilities, and dining concepts. The estate features a championship golf course, 2,500 sqm of conference facilities, four restaurants, and a ballroom for over 500 guests. Located an hour from London, the project expands Accor's presence in the UK and Ireland, aligning with its growth strategy.

🏖️ Morea House, Autograph Collection opened in Camps Bay, Cape Town, offering 90 rooms with ocean and mountain views. Designed by Tristan du Plessis, it features a modern aesthetic using natural materials. Dining includes OMRI's Lebanese-South African fusion and a poolside restaurant. Wellness experiences range from yoga to guided Atlantic immersions. Located at 35 Victoria Rd, Cape Town, South Africa. Contact: +27 21 892 2980.