The Business Travel Magazine Feb/Mar 2019

THE REVIEW
R O O M R E P O R T
IN BRIEF
Adagio expansion
Aparthotels Adagio has
announced the opening
and signing of several
properties in London,
Brussels, Stuttgart,
Casablanca, Glasgow and
Bucharest, strengthening
its presence
internationally.
100 not out
IHG has opened its 100th
Hotel Indigo property. The
Berlin East Side Gallery
has 118 rooms and marks a
milestone for the global
boutique brand. Owner
IHG is promising to double
the size of the portfolio
within five years.
Staycity in Paddington
A 620-room hotel and
aparthotel complex is due
to open in London’s
Paddington. The tenants of
the scheme will be
Premier Inn and Staycity
Group and it is expected to
open by 2021.
Marriott Inverness
Work has started on a
multimillion pound
Courtyard by Marriot
property in Inverness. The
130-room hotel will be
located within Inverness
Airport Business Park. The
property will offer
convenient airport access
and feature fitness and
meetings facilities along
with a bar and bistro.
SilverDoor expansion
SilverDoor Apartments
has opened its US
headquarters in Denver,
Colorado. The opening
follows the company's
growing international
expansion, which has
driven requests from
customers to have
local support.
Hampton by Hilton
at Edinburgh Airport
EDINBURGH'S first Hampton by Hilton property is now open
on the doorstep of the city's airport terminal. The hotel joins
an existing 28 Hampton by Hilton properties in the UK.
The property is located within walking distance of the
airport terminal. "Edinburgh International Airport serves
more than 12.4 million passengers every year and we are
delighted to be opening the hotel at the doorstep of the
airport terminal," says Craig Webster, General Manager of
the Hampton by Hilton Edinburgh Airport.
The six-storey property features 240 bedrooms, an
Edinburgh Fringe Festival-themed lobby, state-of-the-art
fitness centre, business hub and 24-hour food service.
Edinburgh Airport has seen an 11% passenger increase
year on year.
LONDON HIPSTERS GET A CHANCE
TO SEE WHAT'S HAPPENING NHOW
THE NH Hotel Group will open
its first nhow property in London
– and its second in the UK – this
summer. Located between the
City, Islington and Shoreditch, the
190-room property is part of the
NH Group’s design and lifestyle
brand and will open under the
theme ‘London Reloaded’,
featuring a Big Ben rocket
sculpture, pixelated carpets and
an art installation.
The hotel will feature a bar, gym,
networking spaces, meeting rooms
and The Bell – a restaurant that
developers say will be an avantgarde
version of a traditional
British pub. "Visitors will find
themselves immersed in a world
of art and design that tells a story
and engages the senses; a
dynamic melting pot created to
surprise and inspire the guests,”
says architect James Soane.
ACTE UPDATE
Greeley Koch
Executive Director, ACTE
Rarely do we take time to
reflect but, this March, I’ll
leave ACTE, so I find myself
thinking what’s changed in
the six years since I became
executive director.
Not long ago, success in
business travel was measured
in financial savings. Now it’s
about traveller satisfaction
and productivity.
There was a time when
companies had one preferred
car service and one or two
preferred hotels. Today, with
myriad ground transport
options and boutique hotels
within preferred hotel chains,
travel buyers are making
decisions better suited to
themselves and their
employers. Some things, of
course, are evergreen – like
concern about duty of care.
Another – the understanding
that uncertainty reigns. That
seems like a bad thing, but
without uncertainty, there is
little innovation.
I’ve learned so much in
travelling the world, sitting
with buyers and suppliers
and hearing your issues and
concerns. At ACTE, we try to
be a conduit for ideas,
advocacy, sharing and
plugging away. I know that
will continue after I’m gone.
I’ll still be in business travel
and look forward to seeing
you soon. Thank you for your
support over the years.
THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.COM
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