HOSPITALITY TRENDS
SH Hotels & Resorts | May 29, 2023
1 Hotels, the nature-inspired luxury lifestyle hotel brand founded by hospitality visionary Barry Sternlicht, announces that its UK flagship and first European destination, located in the heart of London's historic Mayfair, is now accepting reservations with an anticipated opening date of July 13, 2023. The nine-story sustainable sanctuary overlooks the stately trees and verdant lawns of magnificent Green Park, just steps away from the world-class galleries, sophisticated boutiques, first-class restaurants and renowned emporia of Bond Street, Berkeley Square and Piccadilly.
1 Hotel Mayfair consciously creates an unexpected fusion of sustainability and luxury in the fashionable heart of London's most exclusive hospitality district. The hotel brings a fresh breath of air enlivened by a deep love of and respect for nature within easy strolling distance of capital highlights such as The Royal Academy, the West End theatre district, and Buckingham Palace.
"We are delighted to bring nature and our mission of sustainable luxury to Mayfair, the very heart of London, one of the most important travel markets in the world," said Barry Sternlicht, 1 Hotels Founder and Chairman of SH Hotels & Resorts. "We are thrilled to bring our unique fusion of fresh comfort, conscious sustainability, exceptional bespoke service, understated elegance, wellness and nutrition to London."
"We've reimagined the traditional luxury hotel experience for Mayfair by infusing our love for nature with effortless sophistication," said SH Hotels & Resorts Chief Executive Officer Raul Leal. "With this opening we celebrate our distinctive brand's entry into Europe and the dynamic and culturally rich city of London."
Opting for reconstruction over new construction, this urban oasis, built to BREEAM Excellent standards, utilised 80% of the existing structure, which was repurposed to minimise adverse environmental impact. Living green-trellised exterior walls transform former hard surfaces into natural vertical landscapes. A freshly cobbled and pedestrianised previous parking lot creates a harmonious outdoor public space, now gifted to the neighbourhood, where passing Londoners can connect to nature and the surrounding community.
Atop the building, two new complete floors were added and introduce 35 stunning suites with floor-to-ceiling windows and expansive outdoor spaces, inviting guests to entertain or relax while overlooking Green Park, one of London's eight Royal Parks. The double height Green Park Penthouse Suite features a sprawling footprint of 274 square metres which makes it the largest 1 Bedroom Suite in Mayfair. The Green Park Penthouse can be further expanded to 2 bedrooms at 304 square metres and 3 bedrooms at 340 square metres. It features a wrap-around terrace and retractable sliding doors that open fully to sweeping and dramatic park views. All 181 rooms including 44 suites invite guests to rest, revive and restore in an enveloping nest, warmly welcomed by walls lined with native British moss and more than 200 local and regional plant species thriving throughout the property. At every interior turn, guests encounter works exclusively commissioned from nature-influenced local artists designed to provoke a sense of closer connection to the venerable landscape of Britain.
Dovetale, the ground-floor restaurant from internationally renowned two Michelin starred chef Tom Sellers will feature seasonal, organic, locally sourced quality fare from hand-dived scallops to farm-raised lamb. The signature cocktail bar is named after Dover Yard, which has been painstakingly revitalised as part of the project. The menu offers creative concoctions rooted in local traditions. Neighbours Cafe offers light snacks and barista-made ethical fair-trade coffee at a central communal table. The Bamford Wellness Spa offers the best of bespoke treatments following in full faith Lady Bamford's holistic approach to health and wellness.
1 Hotel Mayfair effortlessly fuses the finest natural sources, resources and artisanal products inspired by British heritage with the buzzy creativity and contemporary charm of 21st Century London's most vibrant neighbourhood.
ABOUT SH HOTELS & RESORTS
SH Hotels & Resorts, an affiliate of global private investment firm Starwood Capital Group, is a sustainable hotel brand management company that operates 1 Hotels, a nature-inspired lifestyle brand that launched in 2015 with properties in South Beach and Manhattan and now includes Brooklyn Bridge, West Hollywood, Sanya (China), Toronto, San Francisco, Nashville and the recently opened Hanalei Bay flagship property with projects in development in London, Cabo San Lucas, Paris, Elounda Hills (Crete), Austin, Copenhagen, Riyadh and Melbourne; Baccarat Hotels & Resorts, a luxury brand that made its debut in March 2015 with the opening of its flagship property in New York, with projects under development in Brickell (Miami), Florence, Riyadh, Dubai and Rome; and Treehouse Hotels, which premiered in London in 2019 and with projects under development in Manchester, Sunnyvale, Brickell (Miami) and Riyadh. Leveraging its marketing, design, operational and technological expertise, SH Hotels & Resorts is the force behind some of the most groundbreaking and dynamic hotel brands in the world.
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HOSPITALITY TRENDS
prnewswire | May 30, 2023
Placemakr, a flexible-use multifamily and hospitality property operator and investor, today announced its expansion into the condo hotel market in partnership with CA South, a Nashville-based real estate development company. Placemakr will operate the majority of the building as high-end furnished rentals for CA South's latest luxury condo development project, Hyve.
Hyve is a collection of 83 premier short-term rental-eligible residences in the heart of Pie Town, offering impeccable finishes and amenities within close proximity to the Convention Center, Broadway, and SoBro in Downtown Nashville. The property was designed by Alex Pettas Architecture and Barnett Design Studio. Placemakr will act as both property manager and hospitality operator of Hyve units, providing the company's signature blend of home and hospitality to the property. This partnership will create a powerful combination of excellence in design and experience for owners and guests.
"At Placemakr we are constantly striving to push the boundaries and exceed expectations within the real estate and hospitality fields. We are excited to announce this expansion, alongside the new and exciting function of our business," said Jason Fudin, CEO and Co-founder at Placemakr. "This is the first opportunity for individual condo owners and investors to own a Placemakr property, and we are thrilled to be breaking new ground in the high-end luxury condo market. This venture further demonstrates our commitment to innovation and our dedication to providing exceptional value to our partners."
Hyve has cultivated a number of unique partnerships with designers and brands including frenchCALIFORNIA, ThirdHome, and The Home Edit. Specifically, Hyve features 20 units designed and furnished by frenchCALIFORNIA, an AD Pro Directory founding member.
As another innovative collaboration, Hyve allows for complimentary access to ThirdHome's luxury vacation platform. Lastly, The Home Edit will be offering buyers the opportunity to have their spaces organized and designed by The Home Edit team.
"This project is a first of its kind for Nashville and represents a new wave of quality and design for the city. Placemakr is the perfect partner to oversee operations of the property and create this unique opportunity for our buyers," said Megan Aubale Epstein, CEO and Founder of CA South. "We greatly respect and admire the Placemakr brand and the professionalism they bring to everything they do. Hyve provides exceptional value and an innovative approach for participants seeking to participate in this unique Nashville hotel-flexible living product."
About Placemakr
Placemakr is a flex-use hospitality and residential operator, and real estate investor. Its tech-enabled operating platform allows the company to blur the line between hospitality and home, delivering the best experiences of both in a single building. Placemakr's curated spaces in hand-picked neighborhoods allow its guests and residents the flexibility to stay for a night, a year, or anywhere in between.
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TRAVEL TECHNOLOGY
prnewswire | May 31, 2023
Ready or not, hurricane season is upon us. NOAA is predicting a "near-normal" Atlantic Hurricane Season – with 12 to 17 named tropical storms and 5 to 9 hurricanes. But, as we know, a storm doesn't have to be named to ruin a vacation. So, InsureMyTrip, a NOAA Weather-Ready Nation WRN Ambassador™, is committed to helping travelers prepare for weather-related concerns.
InsureMyTrip's Hurricane Educational Center now includes more information to better assist travelers with their upcoming trips. The content hub also offers access to travel data, a free travel guide eBook, videos, and other resources.
Travel insurance coverage can be confusing, especially when extreme weather comes into play. One major thing to keep in mind – buy travel insurance early. Once a storm starts forming, it is considered a "foreseeable event" and insurance coverage will no longer be available to cover losses related to that storm.
How Hurricane Coverage Works
Travel insurance is an effective and cost-efficient way to cope with the risk of travel during hurricane season and to help guard against potential financial losses.
When it comes to severe weather, insurance may enable travelers to receive reimbursement of pre-paid, non-refundable trip costs if they must cancel a trip due to severe weather-related issues covered under the trip cancellation benefit.
Here are some scenarios that may trigger travel insurance coverage:
My flights are grounded due to a hurricane: Many plans may cover a traveler when common carriers - such as airlines and cruise lines - cease service due to weather. The cessation of services must be for a certain number of hours, usually 24-48.
My resort is in the path of a hurricane: A few plans may cover when the traveler's destination is under a NOAA-issued hurricane warning. *
A hurricane damaged my hotel or resort: Many plans may cover a traveler when a hotel, resort, or vacation rental is devastated and made uninhabitable by a storm.
A hurricane damaged my home: Many plans may offer coverage when the primary home of a traveler sustains destructive storm damage that renders the home uninhabitable.
I changed my mind: For the flexibility to cancel a trip for reasons other than those listed as "covered reasons" on a policy, a traveler may consider Cancel for Any Reason (CFAR) protection.
CFAR is an optional time-sensitive benefit available on some plans that allow a traveler to cancel a trip for any reason, up to 48 hours before the scheduled departure. Reimbursement is usually 50-75% of the prepaid, non-refundable trip cost. A traveler must meet specific eligibility requirements and must purchase a policy with CFAR within 14-21 days of making an initial trip payment or deposit.
Hurricanes and Airline Cancellation Policies
Flight cancellation policies vary by airline and circumstance. When an airline cancels a flight due to bad weather, most will try to rebook passengers on the next available flight.
Airlines are not required to reimburse travelers for losses incurred as a result of a canceled flight due to weather. Travelers concerned about protecting pre-paid, non-refundable trip expenses should consider travel insurance.
Travelers interested in learning more about insurance plans for travel during hurricane season can visit www.InsureMyTrip.com or call 1-800-551-4635 to speak with a licensed travel insurance agent.
*Included on some comprehensive travel insurance plans, the NOAA-issued hurricane warning must be issued for the traveler's destination within of the traveler's scheduled departure. The cancellation must also be more than 14 days after the traveler's effective date for trip cancellation coverage. This means that there would not be coverage for a hurricane warning issued within the 14-day period after your policy goes in
About InsureMyTrip
It's simple. InsureMyTrip finds you the right travel insurance plan, every time. InsureMyTrip is the authority on travel insurance. We are committed to empowering travelers to make the best possible insurance decisions by leveraging our technology, data intelligence, and expertise. InsureMyTrip is rated A+ by the Better Business Bureau.
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