South Korea: four new Accor hotels planned for 2017. The Accor Group has just announced the signing of a brand-new hotel complex in Seoul's Yongsan neighbourhood for 2017. The beautiful complex will house emblematic brands: Novotel, Suite Novotel, ibis Styles, and to top it all off, Grand Mercure. These four hotels will have a total capacity of around 2,000 rooms and will make up the largest hotel complex in the country. Situated between a shopping centre and the Yeouido financial district, the site is also a stone's throw from the centre of the South Korean capital. This signing is important because the site will host the first ibis Styles, Suite Novotel, and Grand Mercure hotels in South Korea. Accor is currently the largest hotel chain in South Korea, with 12 hotels spread throughout 5 cities, totalling almost 3,500 rooms.
W Hotels 45th Hotel Opens in the Swiss Alps. As the 45th hotel globally, W Verbier and The Residences at W Verbier marks the entrance of W Hotels into Switzerland. The hotel is located at the base of the mountain in the Medran area of Verbier, part of a multi-component luxury development project owned by Les Trois Rocs. W Verbier offers 123 rooms. Situated in four adjacent characteristic chalets on the Place Blanche, the heart of the Medran Project, the hotel is located next to the main gondola offering immediate access to the resort's ski slopes, making it ideal for ski-in and ski-out experience. The Residences at W Verbier, 15 W-branded, full-service residences, are located right next to the hotel. Before or après ski, guests and residents are invited to experience the W Cafe, W Living Room, Away Spa and FIT (W's take on the traditional fitness center) as well as an indoor/outdoor WET pool deck. The signature restaurant, Arola, is in collaboration with two-Michelin Star Chef Sergi Arola, known for his modern, urban Spanish ‘pica pica' cuisine. The restaurant at W Verbier features a dining and bar area where holidaymakers and locals can mingle over a variety of cocktails and contemporary tapas with a modern Swiss twist.
Hyatt Hotels announce the official opening of Hyatt Regency Phuket Resort, located in one of Southeast Asia's resort locations. Developed by Kamala Bay Ventures – which through its affiliates also owns Park Hyatt Siem Reap and Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa – Hyatt Regency Phuket Resort is the first Hyatt-branded property in Phuket and the second Hyatt resort in Thailand, following Hyatt Regency Hua Hin.
DoubleTree by Hilton announce the opening of DoubleTree by Hilton Toronto Downtown in the heart of the city's financial, research and shopping districts. Now a part of Hilton Worldwide's award-winning Hilton HHonors guest loyalty program, the former Metropolitan Hotel Toronto has completed a multi-million dollar renovation that will conclude in spring 2014 and includes modern updates across the landmark 26-story, 486-room property. The transformation is being led by the hotel's new ownership and management company, Bayview Hospitality Group.
