This roundup features the latest hotel deals and developments in the Europe, Middle East and Africa region.
France’s B&B Makes UK Debut With Heathrow Hotel
French budget hotel brand B&B Hotels will enter the British market with a hotel at Heathrow Airport. The deal is with owner Arora Group, whose properties include several at the airport and, among others, the InterContinental London 02 Arena. It will be a conversion of the Arora Park Hotel, originally hosting British Airways crews.
Sterling Acquires £46-Million Ibis Styles in Birmingham
Investor Sterling Property Ventures has acquired the 120-room Ibis Styles Birmingham Centre for £46 million ($58 million). Office space includes the headquarters of major restaurant group Mitchells & Butlers.
Ramada Encore Debuts in Germany
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts and owner Aspire Hotel Group have debuted a Radisson brand in Germany with the opening of the Ramada Encore by Wyndham Munich Messe. With 366 rooms, it is also the largest of the brand across Europe, Middle East and Africa.
Hilton Molino Stucky Unveils 24 Suites
Hilton Hotels has unveiled 24 new suites at its hotel Hilton Molino Stucky Venice for a total of 45. The hotel has 379 rooms, but it has not been announced how the new suites, which open in the spring, will affect that number.
Marriott To Bring Le Méridien to Zanzibar
Marriott International is to open in the 75-room Le Méridien Zanzibar Resort on the Tanzanian island of Zanzibar in a deal with owner Morogoro Mishama Co., a division of Delaware Investment Ltd. To open in 2025, the hotel will be managed by Dubai-based Aleph Hospitality.
Marriott Signs Marquis Dubai
In another hotel to be managed by Aleph, Marriott International is to open in March the 434-room Marriott Marquis Dubai in Dubai’s Jewel of the Creek district. The owner is West 5F Investments.
Raffles To Open in Saudi Arabia
Accor plans to open the Raffles Trojena at the Saudi Arabia giga-project of NEOM in 2027. The hotel will have 105 rooms arranged around a long perimeter.
The Standard Will Open Three Hotels
Standard International plans to open three hotels for its brand The Standard — one each in Brussels, Dublin and Lisbon. Brussels will open in the first half of 2025 with 200 rooms; Dublin will open in 2027 and also will have 200 rooms; and Lisbon will open in late 2025 with 172 rooms.
Siro One Za’abeel Opens in Dubai
U.S. firm Kerzner International has opened its first hotel for its One Za’abell brand. In Dubai, the Siro One Za’abell has 132 rooms.
Kimpton To Make Italian Debut
IHG Hotels & Resorts is set to debut its Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants brand in Italy, with a 59-room hotel to open in the second half of 2025 in Sicily. The owner is Società Turistica Alberghiera Taorminese.
Balder Acquires Gothenburg Clarion For $64 Million
Swedish investor Fastigheter AB Balder has acquired the not-yet-open, 300-room Clarion Hotel Karlatornet in Gothenburg, Sweden, for 600 million Swedish krona ($64 million). The seller is the hotel’s developer, Serneke.
Two Brown Hotels Enter Hilton’s Curio Brand
Two hotels owned by Israeli hotel firm Brown Hotels are to be reflagged with Hilton Hotels’ Curio Collection. The Isla Brown Corinthia has 166 rooms and the Isla Brown Chania has 148 rooms, and both are in Greece.
Phāea Blue Palace To Reopen in May
Following a renovation, the Phāea Blue Palace is to reopen in May on Greece’s largest island, Crete. The 47-room, which features a three-room villa, is to the east of the island, just north of the town of Agios Nikolaos. The property will then undergo another transformation, when it becomes the Rosewood Blue Palace, with a projected reopening date of 2025.
Radisson Opens Debut Africa 'Safari' Hotel
Radisson Hotels & Resorts has debuted the 138-room Radisson Safari Hotel Hoedspruit, which sits between Kruger National Park and the Blade River Canyon in the Drakensburg Mountains, South Africa.