Latest news: Accor's first Orient Express; Oakland hotels fail; extended-stay data

Accor’s first Orient Express hotel. Accor has announced the opening of its first Orient Express hotel in Rome. Orient Express La Minerva is in the heart of the city steps from the Pantheon with 93 rooms and 36 suites. This debut follows the recent launch of La Dolce Vita Orient Express trains and anticipates the opening of Orient Express Palazzo Donà Giovannelli in Venice later this year – in partnership with Arsenale Group. The Rome hotel will have three dining venues, including a rooftop space that opens in May, and five event venues. Gilda Perez-Alvarado, CEO Orient Express, said, “Opening the doors of Orient Express La Minerva marks a powerful moment in our journey… In partnership with Arsenale Group and through the visionary work of artist-architect Hugo Toro, we have the privilege to breathe new life into a heritage property deeply rooted in the fabric of this timeless city.”

Lender takes Oakland hotel. A dual-branded Residence Inn and AC Hotel by Marriott in downtown Oakland has reportedly been seized by the property’s lender because of a delinquent loan. Cook Children’s Health Care Services is now the owner of the 276 rooms following a deed in lieu of foreclosure on the remaining $117.1 million debt, documents filed on March 28 with the Alameda County Recorder’s Office show. Beverly Hills-based real estate firm Hawkins Way Capital, acting through an affiliate, originally paid $30.8 million to buy the property where the hotel would be built. The firm then developed the hotel, financed by a $112 million loan that a unit of Goldman Sachs Group provided in 2019. In 2023, the Goldman Sachs subsidiary transferred the loan to Texas-based Cook Children’s Health Care System, a nonprofit whose operations include a children’s hospital in Fort Worth, Texas.

Alpina Gstaad sells. An American investor who is a regular client of The Alpina Gstaad, Switzerland, has reportedly acquired the 56-room luxury hotel from local real estate investor Marcel Bach and French billionaire Jean-Claude Mimran for a reported CHF 200 million (CHF 3.6 million per room), which is equivalent to approximately €210 million (€3.75 million per room), according to an HVS report. The Alpina Gstaad opened in 2012 as part of a €315 million luxury development that included three chalets and 11 apartments.

IHG’s Garner to India. IHG Hotels & Resorts has signed two Garner hotels – 40 keys in Etawah in Uttar Pradesh and 45 keys in Kathua in Jammu & Kashmir. Garner Etawah, scheduled to open next year, and Garner Kathua, set for 2027, will be developed in partnership with Madan Infradevelopers Pvt Ltd and Rudraksh Nakshatra Hotel Pvt Ltd, respectively. Both properties will be managed by Rosastays (Rosaoul Hotelco Pvt Ltd), one of the preferred third-party management companies for Garner Hotels in India. IHG currently has 47 hotels operating across five brands in India.

New extended-stay data. Room revenue from guests staying seven consecutive nights or longer was $8.9 billion at traditional hotels compared to $7.5 billion at extended-stay hotels in 2024, according to Highland Group data. Corresponding room nights accommodated were 69.5 million and 72.4 million. Nationally, the share of extended-stay demand in extended-stay hotels is 50%; in traditional hotels it is 12% but there are 10 times as many rooms compared to extended-stay hotels. “The 6.5 million room night increase in extended-stay demand at traditional hotels over the last 5 years despite extended-stay supply gaining 83,000 rooms shows substantial unmet demand for extended-stay hotels still remains,” said The Highland Group’s Mark Skinner.

Floating hotel in Wales. Meyer Floating Solutions and Morfield Floating Hotels have unveiled plans to bring a floating hotel to Cardiff Bay in Wales. Developed in collaboration with Spicer Architects, the 120-room, non-self-propelled floating hotel will be fully manufactured with modular construction and pre-commissioned offsite. Once delivered to its dedicated berth in Roath Basin, no conventional construction site will be required. The project is currently progressing through the planning and consultation phase in collaboration with Cardiff City Council, Associated British Ports, and local stakeholders. A public consultation will help refine the final design and ensure it aligns with Cardiff’s long-term waterfront development goals. The project timeline includes 2027 for delivery, installation and opening.