China
The 296-room Renaissance Suzhou Wujiang Hotel debuted in September. Located in Shengze, which was a major stop on the ancient Silk Road, the city is now a hub for tech companies and foreign enterprises. The hotel is home to the city’s first five-star restaurant, Wan Li, which features cuisine from the Canton, Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces in 11 private dining rooms. The property has about 19,000 square feet of meeting space, including a Grand Ballroom that can accommodate up to 1,000. There is a second ballroom and an additional six breakout rooms.
India
Le Meridien Hotels & Resorts announced the opening of Le Meridien Mahabaleshwar Resort & Spa, the brand’s first resort in India. The hotel features 122 guest rooms, all with private balconies, and Le Meridien Hub, a reinterpreted lobby offering a social gathering space. There is almost 2,700 square feet of meeting and event space with a ballroom, four meeting rooms, a business center and an additional outdoor venue.
Italy
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide announced it will sell The Westin Excelsior Rome to Katara Hospitality, but the property will remain operated under Starwood. As part of the deal, the hotel, which opened in 1906, will be renovated over the next five years, including upgrading all 316 guest rooms and public areas. The hotel is located on the famed Via Veneto and is situated between the Spanish Steps and the Borghese Gardens & Gallery, and nearby the Colosseum, the Pantheon and the Sistine Chapel. There is 14,000 square feet of meeting and event space, including 12 meeting rooms.
Japan
Tokyo’s Imperial Hotel celebrates its 125th year in November and will renovate all 361 guest rooms in the 31-story Imperial Tower. The top two floors of the tower are reconfigured and redesigned to be premium rooms with exclusive amenities and services such as complimentary food and drink and transportation arrangements. The hotel has over 900 guest rooms and suites in total, 65,000 square feet of meeting space with 27 meeting and banquet rooms. Renovations are expected to be complete in the spring 2016.
Sweden
Radisson Blu Metropol opened in Helsingborg with 205 guest rooms, and is the largest hotel in the city center. There is a conference floor with eight meeting rooms that can accommodate up to 150. The property also features a 2,700-square-foot atrium in the center of the hotel that can hold up to 200 and be used for a variety of events including concerts, cocktail receptions and meetings.
Taiwan
Taipei Marriott Hotel debuted with 320 guest rooms, including the 2,370-square-foot Presidential Suite, a convention center and a shopping mall. The property, the brand’s first in Taiwan, features the largest hotel ballroom in Taipei at 13,600 square feet, with 32,300 square feet of meeting and event space overall. The hotel has a rooftop garden, and as part of Marriott’s ‘Green Hotel Development’ initiative, indigenous shrubbery and plants are found throughout. There are five restaurants and a lobby lounge with all-day food and drink, along with free Wi-Fi.