Enjoy this surprise Hotel Wrap! Well, we thought it was Friday and were halfway through tomorrow’s wrap before realising what day it was.

Cross Hotels and Resorts grows portfolio with iconic X2 Vibe Halong Bay

Flight Centre Travel Group business Cross Hotels and Resorts has expanded its presence in Vietnam with the signing of a hotel management agreement for the X2 Vibe Halong Bay.

The agreement was signed with Halong Bay Hotel Joint Stock Company, a subsidiary of Vietnam tourism – Hanoi JSC.

Set to welcome its first guests in late 2023, the property will comprise 470 guestrooms making it one of the largest internationally branded hotels in the area.

It enjoys a prime location in the heart of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Halong Bay, less than 60 km from Van Don International Airport and a few hours from Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi, which has direct links to 25 major destinations across Asia with more to come in the future.

Midnight Hotel, Autograph Collection welcomes first guests

Marriott International today announced the opening of Midnight Hotel, part of the Autograph Collection. Independently owned and operated by Iconic Hotels, Midnight Hotel is the first Marriott International hotel to open in Canberra, Australia’s capital city.

Accor seal deal as official accommodation partner for NRL Holden Women’s Premiership 2019

Accor and the National Rugby League Women (NRLW) jointly announced today that Accor have secured the title of ‘Official Accommodation Partner’ for the NRL Holden Women’s Premiership 2019.

Teams will cross the Tasman for the first time this coming weekend, and come head-to-head for an inaugural standalone fixture in Auckland, New Zealand, with the premiership season ultimately concluding with the Grand Final match on 6 October 2019, at ANZ Stadium.

Southbank set to welcome brand-new lifestyle hotel

One of Melbourne’s fastest-growing suburbs is set to be home to a brand-new, 69-storey mixed-use tower which will combine residential apartments, co-working spaces and a world-class, purpose-built lifestyle hotel.

Located on Clarke Street in Southbank, the 199-room hotel will have a vibrant ground floor restaurant and bar, sprawling conference and event spaces, two swimming pools, a gym and yoga studio, as well as a rooftop observatory and sky garden which will provide uninterrupted views of Melbourne CBD, Port Phillip Bay, the Botanic Gardens and beyond. There will also be a Club Lounge located on level 66 of the tower, which will be available as a meeting and entertainment space for hotel guests, residents, tenants and visitors to enjoy.

The Anam introduces remarkable new beach club

Cam Ranh has welcomed its most happening venue yet, a cool new beach club with sweeping views of Long Beach, a vast outdoor deck and live music.

Aptly called the Beach Club, the venue is perched on the 12-hectare Anam resort’s finest ground right on Long Beach, renowned as one of Asia’s top beaches where traditional sampans and coracles still ply the coastal waters and picturesque islands loom just offshore.

The Beach Club’s immense deck and bright and airy interior seat up to 180 people. The new spot stakes a claim to Cam Ranh’s longest bar counter, measuring 18.5 metres and affording a panoramic vista of the beach’s white sands, turquoise waters and dramatic headland.

The menu specialises in Western cuisine, offering a diverse selection of grilled meats, homemade pizzas, burgers, pastas, fresh salads, platters and desserts. Signature dishes include “The chef’s burger” comprising a wagyu beef patty, grilled boneless beef rib, local pickled mushrooms, mozzarella cheese, sliced chorizo, grilled zucchini and red onion marmalade, as well as red wine-braised lamb shank with soft polenta and fresh citrus salad, and a BBQ Beach Club platter with fresh grilled lobster.

The Beach Club also serves up a broad spectrum of beverages ranging from tea and coffee including beetroot and turmeric latte, freshly squeezed juices and mocktails, to local, draught and imported beers, cocktails, spirits, wines and more.

Moxy East Village opens, embracing the rebellious spirit of the historic, vibrant neighbourhood where American counter-culture was born

Moxy NYC East Village has opened in the heart of the iconic East Village, where rock ‘n’ roll, renegade art, LGBTQ+ activism and generations of immigrants have all merged to give birth to American counter-culture.

Located on East 11th Street between Third and Fourth Avenues, directly across from the legendary concert venue Webster Hall, the hotel features 286 design-driven bedrooms, co-working spaces and tech-savvy amenities, as well as lively restaurants, bars and cultural programming – all at an affordable price. Part of Marriott International’s experiential Moxy Hotels brand, Moxy East Village marks the third Moxy property developed by Lightstone, following the successful openings of Moxy Times Square and Moxy Chelsea.

IHG and Mr & Mrs Smith announce exclusive loyalty partnership 

IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) and Mr & Mrs Smith, the world-renowned travel club and boutique hotel specialists, are proud to announce their exclusive loyalty partnership.

From early next year, IHG Rewards Club members will be able to earn and redeem points at over 500 handpicked Mr & Mrs Smith hotels in new and iconic locations, when booking through IHG’s direct channels (including IHG.com and IHG mobile app).

This exclusive partnership will more than double the number of luxury and boutique hotels which members can choose from; complementing IHG’s luxury and boutique portfolio of hotels and resorts across Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas, Regent Hotels & Resorts, InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants and Hotel Indigo.

IHG Rewards Club members will be able to earn and redeem points across hundreds of luxury and boutique hotels around the world, including some of Smith’s most seductive stays, such as Jasper Conran’s self-styled riad hideaway L’Hôtel Marrakech, 18th-century organic Tuscan estate Borgo Pignano, high-in-the-Himalayas retreat The Kumaon and the charming Old Rectory on South Africa’s famed Garden Route. IHG’s most loyal members can expect free room upgrades whenever available and a free gift, called a Smith Extra, on arrival at each Mr & Mrs Smith hotel.

Café del Mar Bali opens its doors in Canggu

Ibiza’s iconic lifestyle brand has just arrived in Indonesia, with the long anticipated Café del Mar Bali opening its doors to the public today.  Known worldwide for its dazzling sunsets and euphonic music sessions, the brand will feel right at home in Batu Belig on the celebrated Canggu shoreline with front row seats to Bali’s own famed sunsets.

Visitors to Café del Mar Bali can expect all of the laid-back luxury associated with the hospitality and lifestyle brand which first launched as a sunset bar in Sant Antoni de Portmany on the Spanish island of Ibiza in 1980. Café del Mar has since blossomed into one of the world’s most revered entertainment venues, boasting multiple venues around the globe. It’s no surprise that music forms a key focus for each of these venues, as Café del Mar is also the world’s leading Chill House music label, and the birthplace to one of the longest-running and most successful music compilation series in history.

Spring/Summer vibes calls for Sunday Splash Sessions

The Pool Terrace at Next Hotel Brisbane is getting ready to turn up the heat, crank up the tunes and stock up the bar as it gets set to launch its inaugural Sunday Splash Sessions.

From Sunday 6 October and every Sunday until the end of summer, the Pool Terrace & Bar will be the place to be as the temperature starts to rise over the river city.

The bar will be open every Sunday from midday and DJ Bitza will be spinning tracks from 12 until late. To set the pool party scene, there will be hunky lifeguards standing guard while the team from local beer brewers Two Suns, will be making sure everyone stays hydrated.

The Pool Terrace will be taking table bookings and the kitchen will be open daily from 12 o’clock.

Boasting a 20m infinity-edge pool and offering picturesque views of the city skyline and Queen Street Mall, the Pool Terrace & Bar has become a mecca for Brisbane locals, the after-work crowd and hotel guests.

Big Sky Ridgeview Lodge provides the ultimate regional retreat for families

The heart of Victoria’s Alpine High Country has welcomed Big Sky Retreats to the region, and with it a new boutique stay called Big Sky Ridgeview in the mountainous town of Bright. Encouraging longer stays and a retreat to nature without sacrificing life’s little luxuries, Ridgeview is the newest group getaway spot for families and friends to enjoy year-round.

Only three-and-a-half hours’ drive north-east of Melbourne, the large, contemporary lodge is set on just over an acre of private property, providing a secluded, restful environment that exudes familial peace and relaxation. A rare jewel in the Bright region and unique in its ability to provide a truly lavish family escape, Ridgeview is a beautifully styled slice of sophistication.

Small Luxury Hotels of the World introduces three new hotels this September 

Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH) has welcomed three new hotels this month that demonstrate the kaleidoscope of luxury experiences its known for. From a hotel hamlet in the French Alps, a back to nature experience in the jungles of Guatemala, to a classical European feel in the heart of Nanjing city. We also welcome the reopening of a long-time SLH favourite in central London, bringing a taste of Japan to Marble Arch.

The new properties include Le Refuge de la Traye, Meribel, France, Bolontiku Boutique Hotel & Spa, San Andres, Guatemala and  The New Jingli Hotel, Nanjing, China.

World’s largest high-rise modular hotel officially opens in Perth

The world’s largest high-rise modular hotel, the ibis Styles East Perth, has officially opened with a ceremonial ribbon cutting led by the Honourable Paul Papalia, Western Australia’s Minister for Tourism, the Honourable Rita Saffioti, Minister for Transport and Planning and Simon McGrath Chief Operating Officer Accor Pacific.

Accor, the largest operator of hotels and resorts in Australia, together with Rehawk Property Group, teamed up to build the new-build ibis Styles East Perth which spans 18 floors and adds 252 guest rooms to East Perth’s hotel supply – specifically geared towards the economy travel market.

Peugeot and Sofitel Sydney Wentworth partner up

The two French icons Peugeot and Sofitel Sydney Wentworth will collaborate this spring to offer five lucky winners a luxury weekend escape*. Customers are invited to test drive any new Peugeot to enter for a chance to win a two nights’ weekend escape at Sydney’s most iconic hotel, set right in the heart of Sydney CBD.

French heritage Sofitel Sydney Wentworth is a unique Sydney icon with a 52 years of history in the landscape of Sydney, a place where different generations hold treasured memories and dignitaries called their home throughout the last five decades.

The Prince Akatoki London opens today after a complete transformation

This week sees the official opening of The Prince Akatoki London, the highly-anticipated inaugural luxury hotel under the newly launched global brand.
Centrally located on Great Cumberland Place in Marylebone, the 5-star luxury hotel, formerly The Arch London, now welcomes guests after a multi-million-pound refurbishment. The hotel blends a refined Japanese aesthetic with a unique sense of Western heritage, creating a one-of-a-kind urban sanctuary.

Vomo Island releases Stay Pay deals

VOMO Island Fiji is offering some great Stay Pay deals for all Villas and Private Residence categories during peak season.

The deal is Stay 7 Nights Pay 5 and stay 5 Nights Pay 4 – so the longer the stay the better the deal. These can also be doubled to Stay 14 Nights Pay 10 and Stay 10 Nights Pay 8.

It can also be combined with birthday, anniversary and honeymoon deals and all purchased packages – dive, wedding and spa.

Singita Malilangwe House opens its doors 

Following last year’s design transformation of Singita Pamushana Lodge, leading conservation brand Singita is delighted to open its doors to Malilangwe House with a brand new look.

Located in the remote Malilangwe Wildlife Reserve in Zimbabwe’s South East, this elegant, exclusive-use five-bedroom villa presents families and groups of friends with an intimate, tailor-made safari experience. Offering panoramic views of the Malilangwe Dam below and the pristine surround landscape of Singita’s private reserve, this exclusive-use five-bedroom villa takes its design and architectural cues from nature and local Shangaan culture.