Covid19 live blog roundup: Hotel development continues amid second wave
We summarise updates shared on the TOPHOTELNEWS Covid19 live blog to draw a picture of how the international hotel industry is negotiating the ongoing crisis.
The international hospitality industry has been sent into a tailspin with the sudden onslaught of the coronavirus crisis. From lockdowns to travel bans and border closures, hotels are having to navigate more uncertain waters than ever before.
Our team has been tracking in real-time how the industry is reacting to the continuing crisis, and here we recap some of the recent activity around the world, focusing on positive developments in particular.
Announcements and openings
As key markets across Europe and North America face the unwelcome prospect of a long winter and fresh restrictions to stem the resurgence of coronavirus, hospitality industry professionals could be forgiven for wanting to bury their heads in the sand, given how challenging the year has been up till now. But in fact the opposite seems to be happening, with stalled projects being brought back on stream and new openings being celebrated daily.
Among the reasons to be cheerful is the news that Rosewood Hotels & Resorts has announced a new project in Amsterdam. Rosewood Amsterdam, the brand’s first hotel in the Netherlands, is slated to open in 2023. Meanwhile, the dual-branded Residence Inn and SpringHill Suites by Marriott has opened in the Indianapolis Keystone area of Indiana, while work on Saam Vega Medium Pyramid Hotel has resumed.
Elsewhere, Chicago is preparing to welcome a new CitizenM hotel to its downtown area. Construction started on the property recently, as did work on Hyatt Regency Hot Spring Hotel, Jinshan, which is expected to open in 2022. And over in Oaklawn, the unveiling of Oaklawn Racing & Gaming Hotel is scheduled for January 2021.
News and innovations
As always, those hotels that can think outside the box are likely to be the ones that stay ahead of the curve, especially in challenging times like these. With that in mind, kudos to Carlton Hotel Dublin Airport, which has announced a new digital experience for its guests. Spanish hotel group RIU is making quite a few changes too, of which one of the most important is the launch of its new website. In a further boost, the group also announced that a sizeable number of its properties have received Preverisk COVID-19 Hygiene Response certification.
Sad news, however, coming out of New York, with the announcement that the historic Roosevelt Hotel is to close down due to the challenges of Covid19. But let’s end on a more positive note, with the confirmation that the much-anticipated Mandarin Oriental Ritz, Madrid will open next spring.
Many TOPHOTELNEWS articles draw on exclusive information from the TOPHOTELPROJECTS construction database. This subscription-based product includes details of thousands of hotel projects around the world, along with the key decision-makers behind them. Please note, our data may differ from records held by other organisations. Generally, the database focuses on four- and five-star schemes of significant scale; tracks projects in either the vision, pre-planning, planning, under-construction, pre-opening or newly opened phase; and covers newbuilds, extensions, refurbishments and conversions.
