England
Located in the newly developed Victoria Square in Surrey and within walking distance of 150 shops, restaurants and the new Woking Superbowl entertainment complex sits the new Hilton Woking hotel. The 23-story property, which is about an hour’s drive from London, features 189 guest rooms and 14 suites, each with contemporary interiors and panoramic views of Woking and the Surrey countryside.
The hotel also has 9,375 square feet of meeting and event space across 11 event venues, including Surrey’s largest hotel ballroom, the 5,274-square foot Beaufort Ballroom, able to accommodate up to 609 attendees in its largest configuration.
The hotel also participates in Hilton’s “Meet with Purpose” program, focusing on reducing waste and energy use, offering locally sourced healthy catering options and promoting overall attendee wellness.
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Indonesia
Overlooking the white-sand Sira Beach in North Lombok, Indonesia, The Sira, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, Lombok opened in November as Marriott International’s first luxury property on the island. The 60-key resort features luxury suites with ocean views, an expansive beachfront and private garden-view villas with their own private pool and terrace.
The resort also has an outdoor pool, 24-hour fitness center, spa, a 1,162-square-foot meeting room and 4,844-square-foot outdoor beach venue. The Sira will also house a curated local showroom, further introducing guests to Indonesia’s rich culture through locally made crafts and products.
Malta
Located on the water’s edge in the seaside town of St. Julian’s on Malta, the ME Malta opened in November and was the ME by Meliá brand’s Maltese debut. The hotel will have 20 floors with 113 guest rooms, 27 suites and 35 residences, embodying ME’s signature avant-garde design.
The property also features nine event rooms across 14,213 square feet of space able to accommodate up to 706 attendees. ME Malta will also have a new Radio Rooftop bar and spa that will open in early 2025, along with the already completed 24/7 gym, onsite restaurant and the rooftop Cabana Club.
Morocco
In Morocco’s historic Quartier l’Océan on the shores of the Atlantic sits the newly opened Four Seasons Hotel Rabat at Kasr Al Bahr. The hotel brought 200 rooms and suites to Morocco’s capital city that are spread across several modern and historic buildings featuring ocean or garden views. Most guest rooms include either a furnished balcony or terrace, and some also offer a private plunge pool.
The property features 29,244 square feet of meeting and event space, including two ballrooms, eight function spaces and a variety of garden areas. Its largest ballroom has 10,977 square feet of space and can accommodate up to 1,000 attendees. The property is also home to a collection of unique dining concepts, two outdoor pools, a 24/7 fitness center and the Spa and Wellness Centre opening later this year.
[Related: Benefits of Natural Light for Attendees]
The World’s Most Sustainable Destination
The Finnish capital of Helsinki was ranked No. 1 in the latest Global Destination Sustainability (GDS) Index released in October, moving up from its No. 4 ranking in 2023.
The GDS Index evaluates sustainability across four key areas: destination management, supplier performance, environmental performance and social performance. Helsinki has made investments in enhancing the social sustainability of tourism by supporting local businesses on their path to sustainability and increasing resources for the development of tourist destinations.
Despite occupying the top spot, Helsinki is still aiming to do more in the field of sustainability, having set a goal to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030. Helsinki is committed to reducing emissions through increasing the share of renewable energy in heat and electricity production and adding more energy efficiency measures in buildings.
The City of Helsinki has also invested in low-emission transport solutions, with more than 30% of the bus fleet in the Helsinki region having been electrified and over 18 miles of new tramways being built over the next decade.
Helsinki has several other sustainability-related projects and measures underway, including the participation of local residents in the development of tourism and supporting tourism companies to help them become more sustainable.
