Latest news: Fairfield to Europe; Wyndham, Choice leadership moves; NH Collection to S Africa

First Fairfield in Europe. Marriott is debuting its Fairfield by Marriott brand in Europe with the Fairfield by Marriott Copenhagen Nordhavn. The 122-key hotel is part of a portfolio of 1,290 open hotels (with over 450 in the pipeline) for Fairfield, Marriott’s second-largest brand. The company expects to open new Fairfield hotels in France, Germany and the UK in 2025 and is scheduled to open its first Fairfield in Saudi Arabia in 2027.

Wyndham shuffles executive leadership. Wyndham Hotels & Resorts announced that chief information officer Scott Strickland has been appointed to the chief commercial officer role. In this newly created role, Strickland will continue his technology and distribution duties and will now be in charge of global sales, revenue generation, marketing, communications and the company’s loyalty program. Strickland and his expanded team will continue to build brands, drive direct revenue and advance the Wyndham value proposition through a newly combined, tech-forward commercial organization. Lisa Checchio, executive vice president and chief marketing officer, is leaving the company. She launched the “by Wyndham” endorsement strategy, helped introduce new hotel brands, and grew the loyalty program to over 100 million members. She also led Wyndham’s program to advance female hotel ownership.

New core brand manager at Choice. Choice Hotels International has promoted Judd Wadholm to senior vice president and general manager, Core Brands, charged with driving the growth and performance of the company's nine upper midscale, midscale, and economy brands in the U.S. market, which as of the end of 2023 consisted of 5,500 hotels. Wadholm joined Choice in 2022 and previously held leadership roles in operations, owner relations, and finance with Radisson Americas and its predecessors. Most recently, Wadholm served as vice president, Managed Hotels Americas for Choice.

Minor, Cavaleros to open South Africa’s first NH Collection. The 329-key NH Collection Sandton will open in Johannesburg in July. The Cavaleros Group will manage the property, which will first operate as NH Sandton and, following an extensive refurbishment, be rebranded as NH Collection Sandton.

Michelin debuts “Keys” ratings. Michelin is debuting its “Michelin Keys” rating system for hotels, similar to its “Michelin Stars” rating for restaurants. France is the first country to unveil its honorees with 189 hotels (24 with three keys, 38 with two keys and 127 with one key). The Michelin Keys will be announced for the United States (Atlanta, California, Chicago, Colorado, Florida, New York and Washington D.C.) on April 24, Spain on April 29, Italy on May 7, and Japan on July 4. Other destinations will follow throughout the year.

Ace opening in Greece. Ace Hotel Club is partnering with Brook Lane Capital for the 120-key Ace Hotel & Swim Club Athens, a new project in Glyfada on the Athens Riviera scheduled to open this summer. The project will be the second resort-style property in the brand’s portfolio, following the Ace Hotel & Swim Club Palm Springs, which opened in 2009. Ace Hotels said the Swim Club brand extension will be a focus for Ace in the coming years.

ECE to convert Copenhagen office. Hamburg-based ECE Group has acquired an office property and plot of land for the €65 million development of a new hotel project in Copenhagen. ECE Work + Live purchased the land and the office building from TPG Angelo Gordon. The 210-key hotel is scheduled to be completed by the start of 2027.

Ascott debuts Citadines in North India. Ascott Limited has debuted its Citadines aparthotel in Gurugram, India. The 94-key aparthotel is the first hotel in North India for Ascott’s portfolio, and it is a partnership with developer Paras Buildtech. The company has 18 properties elsewhere in the country. 

Aprirose acquires ground rent of three UK hotels. United Kingdom-based Aprirose has acquired the ground rent of three hotels in the UK from Lloyds Pension Fund. The three hotels are the 117-key Crewe Hall Hotel and Spa near Manchester, the 141-key Slaley Hall Hotel, Spa and Golf Resort near Newcastle and the 152-key Oulton Hall Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort in Leeds. The hotels are part of the QHotels portfolio and are owned by a joint venture between Aprirose and Chinese private equity firm Cindat Capital Management. 

La Llave de Oro acquires in Barcelona. Barcelona-based La Llave de Oro has acquired the 79-key Hotel Ciutat de Barcelona in Spain for a reported €29 million from Barcelona-based Ciutat Hotels Group. La Llave de Oro is expected to take over property management. 

Azora acquires 2 in Brussels. Spain-based Azora Capital has acquired two adjoining hotels in Brussels, the 66-key Le Berger Hotel and 34-key Jardin Secret Hotel, for €18 million from a consortium of investors. The hotels are expected to be rebranded under the boutique hostel brand Latroupe and managed by Azora Capital.  

Grupo Hotusa acquires in Spain. Barcelona-based Grupo Hotusa has acquired the 59-key Hotel Alma Pamplona in Spain from Alma Hoteles for an undisclosed price. The hotel is expected to reflag under the Eurostars brand.

JLL Thailand study. Thailand’s tourism sector has had a remarkable recovery with international arrivals reaching 28 million in 2023, marking a 152% year-over-year increase, according to a report from JLL. The inaugural Thailand Hotel Investment Guide, co-published by JLL’s Hotels & Hospitality Group and Baker McKenzie, said Thailand has long been regarded as one of the most strategic investment destinations for hotels in the region. From 2012 to 2018, the market was relatively liquid, with hotel sales volume consistently exceeding THB 10 billion per year. Click here to download a copy of the report.