Skift Travel News Blog

Accor said on Thursday it would appoint Gilda Perez-Alvarado as CEO of Orient Express, its luxury hotel brand, effective January 1.

Just last month, Perez-Alvarado became the chief strategy officer for the Paris-based hotel giant group, a role she’ll retain. Previously, she was global CEO of the hotel brokerage firm JLL Hotels & Hospitality. 

Accor added that Omer Acar would, on January 1, become the CEO of Fairmont while remaining CEO of Raffles as well.

Acar replaces Mark Willis, who will become an advisor to Sébastien Bazin, the group’s chairman and CEO. Skift profiled Fairmont’s luxury hotel strategy earlier this year.

Acar spoke on-stage at Skift Global Forum in New York in September about Raffles’ evolution.

Saudi Arabia’s ambitious mega-development Neom continues to announce small boutique hotels. With more than half a trillion dollars at its disposal, Neom could build the biggest hotels in the world, but, for now, is opting to unveil properties no more than 100 keys in size.

Siranna is the latest. A 65-room hotel with 35 residences attached as well. It will also have a beach club, a “sunset terrace,” and a string of high-end restaurants. It joins two other futuristic hotel projects within the surrounding Gulf of Aqaba region, including Epicon and Leyja. All three projects maintain a focus on integrating themselves with nature and disconnecting guests from the noise of modern life.

To this end, architects involved in Siranna say they have drawn inspiration from the architecture of the ancient world.

No opening date, operator or price tag was announced with Siranna, as is the norm with Neom. Thus far, we know that Leyja will be operated by barefoot luxury brand Habitas, which received a $400 million investment from the Saudi government earlier this year.

Neom’s Potential Boutique Hotel Collection

Earlier this month, Skift reported that Neom had trademarked a dozen terms under the “hotel services” category, suggesting a big push into hospitality by the Saudi giga-project. These trademarks included Epicon and Leyja, as well as Siranna, which is now confirmed this week.

You can see all the other trademarks here.

Leyja Hotels At Neom

Saudi’s Leyja project announced last month comprises three hotels with 40 keys each in the mountain area near the Gulf of Aqaba. Habitas has been confirmed as the operator, and its founder and CEO has promised he will create something people will flock to.

“Human connection is at the core of our brand and ethos,” said Habitas CEO Oliver Ripley, during a virtual press conference in the metaverse. “We want to send guests on a transformative journey and they are invited to attend a welcome ceremony. Really, the essence is about reconnecting with themselves, their loved ones and with new friends and people. It’s all about human connection.”

Epicon Hotels At Neom

The plan for Epicon, situated along the Gulf of Aqaba coastline, comprises a select few hotels and restaurants, including two towers – one standing at 225 meters and the other soaring to 275 meters. These towers will host an “ultra-premium” 41-key hotel and 14 suites and apartments constituting luxury residences. Near the hotel, the Epicon resort offers 120 rooms and 45 residential beach villas. Neom has not disclosed the opening date or development cost. In addition to the accommodations, Epicon will encompass beach clubs, lounges, restaurants, and boutique shops.

Accor has announced the signing of the first Tribe Nation hotel in China, in partnership with Guiyang Chengnan Investment and Development Company Ltd.

Located in in Huaxi District, a National All-For-One Tourism Zone in the southern part of Guiyang, the 136-room hotel is set to open in January 2025, and will offer a ‘new urban lifestyle hospitality experience to modern and Gen Z Chinese travelers.’

According to a release from Accor, Tribe Nation Guiyang South will be designed to provide guests with ‘a creative hub to relax among a like-minded community of locals and travelers’ and ‘surprise travelers with an original and creative type of hospitality that redefines the hotel experience and amplifies style.’

The hotel will also feature eco-friendly amenities, two restaurants, a gym, swimming pool, and meetings and function spaces available for celebrations or conferences. 

Tribe Nation Guiyang South is one of 50 new Tribe hotels that are being built globally, with the brand expecting up to 100 new addresses to open over the next five years.

The Atlantis The Royal resort in Dubai has appointed a managing director. The property’s long-time SVP and general manager, Tom Roelens, takes on the role, who has led the mega-resort since its pre-opening phase.

Roelens joined Atlantis The Royal in January 2020, taking charge of 795 guestrooms and suites, 231 private residences and 17 restaurants. He also played a pivotal role in the resort’s grand opening party where Beyonce held a private concert.

Prior to joining Atlantis Dubai, Roelens spent more than 20 years with Four Seasons.

His move up to managing director comes at a time where Atlantis Dubai is shifting around its leadership team and moving more towards global operations. In October, Timothy Kelly was named president of Atlantis Global – a clear sign the group is planning more hotels beyond Dubai.

Kelly now oversees Atlantis Dubai, Sanya and the expansion of the Atlantis brand globally. This puts him in charge of both Atlantis The Palm and Royal, and the China hotel.

In May of this year, Kelly told Bloomberg he wants as many as four more Atlantis hotels around the world. “We’re hoping this year to earmark a couple of deals,” he said, adding that the company is looking at Southeast Asia, the Middle East and North America.

Six Senses Southern Dunes, the Red Sea has officially opened in Saudi Arabia.

The Foster + Partners designed resort features 36 guest rooms and 40 pool villas that have been strategically placed to embrace the expansive views of the surrounding Arabian Desert.

According to Six Senses, the architecture and landscaping of the resort has been designed to ‘reflect the harmonious coexistence between Nabataean cultural roots and contemporary amenities,’ with the interiors reflecting the ‘tones and textures of the sandy dunes and soft furnishings drawing from the rich colors and patterns of traditional Bedouin tribal dress.’

Six Senses Southern Dunes, The Red Sea also aims to be the first LEED Platinum resort in Saudi Arabia, through a number of initiatives including electricity produced at a dedicated solar farm, a plastic-free policy, and chef’s garden for growing produce.

“Everything we’re doing here reflects our unwavering commitment to sustainability and cultural preservation, while also pushing the boundaries of adventure and wellness. This part of the world holds much intrigue for visitors and immense potential for regenerative tourism. We aim to showcase the unique beauty and cultural richness of this region, while promoting sustainable tourism practices that contribute to economic growth and heritage conservation,” said Fredrik Blomqvist, general manager of Six Senses Southern Dunes, The Red Sea in a press release.

One of the most prominent general managers in Dubai, Tolga Lacin, is leaving his post. The Marriott leader is moving on for a role in Ennismore.

Lacin led some of Marriott’s flagship destinations in the emirate, including The Westin Dubai Mina Seyahi, the long-standing Le Meridien Dubai by the airport, and the newest W Dubai. He has been Marriott’s area general manager in Dubai since 2020 and its complex GM before that since 2019.

He will now become COO for Ennismore’s lifestyle brands in UAE and Turkey. In the UAE, Ennismore has 25hours, SLS, Hyde and a new SO in Dubai, while in Abu Dhabi, it will open a Mondrian hotel. In Turkey, the operator is expected to open the Hyde Bodrum resort next year.

In total, he leads 14 hotels either in development or operational. Ennismore has eight pipelined hotels in the region, including a Delano in Dubai.

Lacin shared: “I’ve long admired what Ennismore has been doing in both the UAE and globally, and I’m delighted to be joining the team at such a pivotal moment in their growth. I look forward to working across such varied and iconic global brands such as SLS, 25hours, and SO/, and supporting our general managers and hotel teams to continue to deliver outstanding service and experience to our guests.”

Before becoming Marriott’s area GM, Lacin was a Starwood man. He has been with the original Westin and Le Meridien Mina Seyahi cluster in the city since 2009.

He will leave Marriott for his new role with Ennismore in early 2024.

Marriott International has announced that it is continuing its partnership with UNICEF by relaunching ‘Check Out for Children,’ a program that has been created to give guests the opportunity to make a voluntary donation to the organization during their stay.

According to a release, guest donations collected as part of the program will help to fund UNICEF’s work to ‘make a better world for every child in over 190 countries and territories,’ and will power initiatives to create cleaner environments, advocate for children with disabilities, and help to protect refugees.

“Marriott is proud to continue its legacy of serving our world in collaboration with UNICEF,” said David Marriott, chairman of the board, Marriott International in a release.

“Since 1995, we have worked with UNICEF to provide much needed funding for youth health and nutrition, safe water and sanitation, quality education and skill building, and the protection and care of children in the face of natural disaster. The Check Out for Children program is an incredible opportunity for our guests and our hotels to support UNICEF’s relentless pursuit of bettering the lives of children around the world.”

Check Out for Children is being expanded in recognition of World Children’s Day, with the program now live in over 500 properties across 40 countries.

In a long, dense and fascinating proposed rule document the U.S. Federal Trade Commission published earlier this month in the Federal Register, it outlines what the effect of fee transparency will be on the time consumers save to book online.

The document outlines the proposed rules, and calculates the times savings and costs involved in compliance with these new rules, for sectors such as the live-ticketing industry, the hotel and short+term rental industry (which it jointly calls short-term lodging sector) and the restaurant sector.

For the short-term lodging sector, these two charts of calculation are worth looking at. All of the benefits and costs and have been calculated over 10 years period.

The FTC analysis says that on an economy-wide basis, there are positive benefits to the proposed rule if the benefit per U.S. consumer is at least $6.65 per consumer per year over a 10-year period. Quantified benefits in these industries derive from time savings consumers would experience due to greater price transparency, leading to more efficient shopping processes. Quantified costs derive from the costs to firms of complying with the proposed rule.

Over a 10 year period, the U.S. consumers will save anywhere from $663 million on the low end to $980 million per year on the highest end of the assumptions, and anywhere from $4 billion to $8 billion over the 10 year period.

JW Marriott has launched a new Asia-Pacific campaign, taking inspiration from the K-drama genre and starring South Korean actor, Lee Min-ho. 

The three-minute video titled ‘Stay in the Moment’, tells the story of a headstrong son and his family, who face their issues and overcome barriers by embracing the life moments provided through the shared experiences of travel.

You can view the video below:

The campaign has been created to ‘underscore the beauty of human connections’, by emphasizing the strong familial bonds that are forged in unforgettable moments, said JW Marriot in a press release. 

“The ‘Stay in the Moment’ campaign focuses on the discerning luxury traveler who seeks well-being, mindfulness and profound connections－all the elements that speak to the spirit of the JW Marriott brand,” said John Toomey, chief sales & marketing officer Asia Pacific, Marriott International. 

“Lee Min-ho’s starring performance in the campaign video beautifully captures the JW Marriott experience, embodying the holistic and inspirational moments that shape our journeys and enrich our lives.”

One&Only has made its debut in Greece with the opening of One&Only Aesthesis, the first of the brand’s two new European locations to open.

Situated within a 21-hectare beach and forest reserve that overlooks the Aegan Sea, the resort has been built to ‘redefine the concept of al fresco living,’ and pays homage to mid-century design by using architectural elements that utilize local marble, native timbers and woven leather details, according to a release from the group.

The resort features a collection of rooms, bungalows, suites and villas that have been built to make the most of the outdoor living spaces on offer, which includes a number of pools, gardens, and even outdoor showers and fireplaces.

One&Only Aesthesis also features the first Guerlain Spa to open Greece, thanks to a partnership with the French beauty house, alongside a number of food & beverage offerings – including two from MICHELIN-star chefs.

“The opening of One&Only Aesthesis marks an important milestone and a significant achievement for Kerzner International as we continue our strategic expansion into Europe and key markets around the world,” says Philippe Zuber, Chief Executive Officer, Kerzner International. 

“Our exceptional one-off collection of ultra-luxury One&Only Resorts and Private Homes exist hand-in-hand with the natural landscape, the sustainable use of resources, and a positive impact on local communities – pillars that are embedded in One&Only Aesthesis. Together with Grivalia Hospitality, we are excited to be the driving force behind the renaissance of Glyfada and the Athenian Riviera.”

See Phillipe Zuber speak on-stage at the Skift Global Forum East in Dubai on December 14.