Located on the corner of Boylston and Exeter Streets, the Lenox Hotel had a front row seat to the Boston Marathon bombings on April 15. Law enforcement officials evacuated the 214-room property shortly after the blasts and the entire area remained a crime scene for days after. “In restaurants across the street, you could see pocketbooks and drinks on the tables,” says Dan Donahue, vice president and managing director of the Lenox Hotel. “There were
DUBAI, UAE—The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company has announced the brand’s latest property in its North Africa portfolio. The Ritz-Carlton Marrakech is owned by Jnan Amar Company, a subsidiary of Al Amal Investment Company (SIAMA) part of Azmi Abdelhadi Group of Saudi Arabia. The resort will be developed around the Jenan Amar Polo Fields, which is part of an upscale community that’s nearby the city center of Marrakech and Lalla Takerkoust lake and nature reserve. The fortress-style
VENICE, Italy—The Luxury Collection Hotels and Resorts, part of Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide Inc., today celebrates the grand opening of the Gritti Palace, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Venice. The hotel recently re-opened following a $55 million restoration, bringing the hotel back to its original grandeur. Following the complete restoration, the Gritti Palace features 61 guestrooms and 21 suites, including suites with canal views. The 15-month restoration is part of a larger strategy to invest
ATLANTA, Ga.—Now that the national hotel occupancy rate is approaching its long run averages and scarcity has returned in certain markets and property types, guests have to pay more to rent rooms. However, after the guests have checked in, managers are struggling to get them to spend more on the additional services and amenities offered by hotels, according to PKF Hospitality Research (PKF-HR). Based on a sample of operating statements collected from approximately 6,500 hotels
WESTON, Fla.—JW Marriott Hotels and Resorts announced today during the Caribbean Hotel and Resort Investment Summit (CHRIS) its plans to open a new 380-room JW Marriott Hotel and Casino, which will include 16 residential condos located on the island of Providenciales, Turks and Caicos. The property will be operated by Marriott International under a long-term agreement with DesarrollosHotelco Turks and Caicos Ltd., a group made up of prominent regional investors. The nine-story hotel, scheduled to