The resort report: what's new in the hotel world
ANN RUPPENSTEIN
Checking out the latest hotel and resort news from fresh renovations to brand new and upcoming properties ready to welcome your clients.
Housed on the high floors of the 135-metre-high Westgate Tower with spectacular views of the Adriatic Sea and Split’s unique cityscape, AC Hotel by Marriott Split is now open in Croatia. The contemporary, minimalistic 214 guestrooms offer panoramic views of the city below.
In keeping with Croatia’s coastal culinary scene, AC Hotel by Marriott Split serves flavours of Mediterranean cuisine in Laureto Restaurant with Croatian Chef Goran Šikić at the helm. Cumano Bar offers a range of creative cocktails and timeless classics with a modern twist, including the signature AC Gin & Tonic. Other facilities include 178 SPA featuring an indoor pool, sauna and steam room; a 325 square-metre meeting space comfortably accommodating up to 240 people, and a gym with state-of-the-art Matrix equipment and unobstructed views of the Adriatic Sea.
Royalton CHIC Antigua is set to debut in early April 2024 on the northwest coast of Antigua. The beachfront resort for adults will feature 235 stylish rooms and suites. Each features a balcony or terrace for ocean and sunset views along with Royalton’s signature DreamBed™, rain shower and All-In Connectivity amenities and 24/7 room service featuring select picks from the menus of onsite dining outlets.
Housed in the historic Drechsler Palace, previously home to the Institute of Ballet, W Budapest is now open. W Budapest, which marks W Hotels Worldwide’s first opening in Hungary, features 151 stylish guestrooms and suites as well as three innovative dining concepts, all influenced by Budapest’s rich history, creativity and diversity.
Located on Andrássy Avenue, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the city’s most luxurious shopping street, W Budapest’s offering includes 45 suites, three new imaginative dining concepts and the bar at Nightingale by Beefbar, which offers a host of creative cocktails, from bourbon-based Nightingale Boulvardier to the gin and sweet wine-based cocktail Budapest Calling. A destination for those in the know, Society25 is the hotel’s exclusive speakeasy located in the basement. The new hotel also boasts several meeting and event spaces, including the Great Room, which is ideal for grand celebrations, and two Studio Rooms for business meetings and intimate gatherings.
Norway bound clients can now check into Moxy Tromsø, located in an area known for its beautiful winter landscapes and Northern Light displays, with summer adventures benefiting from the midnight sun and 24-hour sunlight.
Moxy Tromsø features 208 smartly designed bedrooms with walk-in showers, 55-inch flat-screen televisions, comfy beds, and motion-activated LED guidelights. Upon check in at the Sky Bar Moxy, which also serves as the hotel’s front desk, guests are welcomed with a ‘Got Moxy’ cocktail or mocktail, alongside the room key.
Boasting undisturbed views of the fjord and mountains beyond, Sky Bar Moxy also features a plethora of board games, a foosball table and several café tables with board games printed onto the tabletop. The 11th-floor rooftop terrace offers truly unobstructed views of the city and the fjord, and the indoor lounge will install a telescope available for guests to spot the wildlife below and gaze at the stars in winter.
With the opening of Riu Plaza London Victoria, RIU Hotels & Resorts now has a presence in the UK. The new four-star establishment with 435 rooms is located in central London in the heart of Westminster, which is known the world over as the home of Britain’s political institutions, as well as other emblematic sites such as Buckingham Palace and Big Ben.
Located at 1 Neathouse Place, the hotel is an ideal base for exploring the city as it is surrounded by the UK capital’s most important sights and is close to strategic transport links. The Riu Plaza London Victoria has a contemporary minimalist design and the structure is divided into two parts: the podium and the tower.
The twelve-storey building was originally built in the 1960s and was completely renovated in the 1990s. As for food options, in addition to the lobby bar, the hotel has a restaurant where guests can enjoy a full buffet breakfast in the morning, which is included in the room rate, and à la carte dinners in the evening. Guest can also use the fully equipped 24-hour fitness centre.
