Berlin hits the heights with new hotel openings

Berlin is booming with a wave of new hotels scheduled to open throughout 2026.

The German capital currently has 93 hotel chains with a total of 197 hotels offering over 25,000 rooms.

By the end of the year that will increase to 95 brands and 205 hotels, news hub Travel Mole reports.

Among the new openings will be the Estrel Tower (top image), along the riverside promenade of the Neukölln shipping canal.

At 176 metres with 45 floors of accommodation, it will become Germany’s tallest hotel building. The property will offer 522 rooms, suites, and serviced apartments, alongside co-working areas, a gallery, spa facilities, and extensive meeting infrastructure.

Lifestyle-focused concepts also continue to drive Berlin’s hotel expansion. The Me and All Hotel Berlin East Side by Hyatt brings 227 rooms, co-working spaces, and a 24/7 fitness concept near the East Side Gallery along the Spree river.

Irish lifestyle brand Dean Hotels also entered the Berlin market with The Dean Berlin in Charlottenburg. The 81-room property focuses on "design-led hospitality and social dining", anchored by the all-day restaurant Benedict.

Another lifestyle-driven addition is Radisson RED Berlin Potsdamer Platz. The design-forward hotel is due to opening in late 2026 inside a listed former Siemens building. The 249-room property blends heritage architecture with contemporary branding.

The Cloud One, part of the Motel One Group, will open later in the year with 344 rooms and a rooftop bar. The hotel is targeting younger urban travellers seeking stylish yet affordable accommodation.

Several established properties are undergoing transformations. The former Novotel near Tiergarten will reopen as Clayton Hotel Berlin Tiergarten, a repositioned four-star property with 274 rooms.

Scandic Hotel Berlin City West will become the brand’s third Berlin property following an extensive renovation, with reopening slated for late 2026.

Hotel de Rome at Bebelplatz, meanwhile, is scheduled to relaunch in 2027 as Four Seasons Hotel Berlin.

Adaptive re-use is also prominent with The Knast, a boutique hotel currently under development in Lichterfelde, transforming a former prison into a hospitality experience with restaurant, bar, and event spaces.

Ocean Berlin at Rummelsburger Bucht is a large marine park featuring an aquarium and interactive exhibits. The complex will include a hotel with approximately 170 rooms, with the entire project expected to open at the end of 2026.

Near Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER), the Ramada Encore by Wyndham Berlin Airport will expand accommodation capacity with a new-build property offering 271 rooms.

Change of plans for new Adelaide hotel

 

There has been a change of direction for the new IHG Hotels & Resorts property in the city of Salisbury, north of Adelaide, which will open later this year.

A joint venture between IHG, Pelligra Group and ONE7, the new hotel was originally announced as a 130-room Holiday Inn & Suites - but will now be a more upscale Crowne Plaza property.

The Mawson Lakes property has "undergone a transformation during the development phase" and been re-branded as Crowne Plaza Mawson Lakes.

The new hotel, which will be focused on the meetings and events space, .is scheduled to open in the second half of 2024.

The property will now feature 155 rooms, three meeting spaces across 442 sqm, a fitness centre and a bar and restaurant.

Pelligra Group, currently the owner of Holiday Inn Werribee, Holiday Inn Dandenong, and Holiday Inn Melbourne Airport, is also set to add three more IHG-branded hotels to its portfolio, including the soon-to-open Crowne Plaza Carlton and Holiday Inn Richmond.

“IHG and Pelligra Group share a remarkable partnership, operating three hotels together with three more in the pipeline," said Matt Tripolone, managing director for IHG Hotels & Resorts Australasia & Pacific.

"We are delighted that Ross and the Pelligra team envision such a positive outlook for the premium travel segment in Australia, leading them to invest in elevating this asset to the premium sector. This move brings exceptional iterations of the Crowne Plaza brand to Adelaide.”

Ross Pelligra, chairman of Pelligra Group, said: “We're excited to be expanding our IHG brand portfolio to include our second Crowne Plaza, in Adelaide.”

Hotel Morris: Accor's newest Handwritten property

Guest poster Roderick Eime takes a look at a new Sydney hotel drawcard. 

I make no secret of my fascination for old buildings and hotels revitalised and repurposed. The Porter House is one recent example and Capella Sydney is another.

So my interest was piqued with the announcement of the reopening of Hotel Morris, a boutique reimagining of one of Sydney’s early landmark hotels.

Built in 1929 as a showcase design from architect Virgil Dante Cizzio, it was exemplary of the Inter-War Palazza style and it’s pleasing to see the new owners' nod to this important pedigree.

From opening until 1963 the building held the title of Australia’s tallest hotel. Up until the recent sale, it traded as Nomads Westend Backpackers Hostel and attracted anything but accolades. The bare-bones refurbishment included much remedial work and the reversal of the many tasteless embellishments thrust on the poor structure over the years.

According to a report in Hotel Management Magazine, four agencies were behind the new design and branding of the hotel, which honours Cizzio’s style, including hospitality refurbishment specialist Reward Group, Squad Ink on brand development, Tom Mark Henry on interiors, and Fellow Hospitality, responsible for conceptualisation.

Hotel Morris also perfectly suits Accor’s new midscale Handwritten Collection featuring “charming and stylish places curated by thoughtful people.”

By all accounts, it’s a success and we had an opportunity to test the product last month, not long after the official opening, which was delayed like everything else that requires a builder at present.

Straight off the street is Bar Morris, an intimate 40-seat multifunction bar and restaurant featuring deep tones of green and burgundy, natural wood flooring, marble bar and tabletops, and brass metal and tiling. I’m having a snack on Friday evening and every seat is occupied with younger 20- and 30-somethings presumably as a precursor to a big night on the town. At this end of Pitt Street, however, there’s quite a bit of new residential, so they may well be residents grabbing an evening bite.

Bar Morris in restaurant guise (supplied)

The space also serves breakfast for guests and doubles as the reception for the hotel. So you’re getting the idea that Hotel Morris is a pared-down property focussing on being good at the essentials. 

And, as a guest, you’re not paying for swimming pools, spas, gyms and business centres that you won’t use anyway. It’s whispered that a rooftop space is in the planning, but it could be a little while off as building approvals are navigated.

There are 82 rooms in total, each in an Art Deco style with five ensuite varieties. Golden mustard tones are used throughout alongside brass detailing and bold stone finishes.

With names like Bambina and Piccolo, you get the idea that these are smaller rooms at 13 and 15sqm respectively. With a Queen-sized bed in each, there’s not room for much else. But hey, what else do you need? The rest range up in size to the ‘palatial’ Grand King at 28sqm and these feature gorgeous ornate windows facing the street.

Grand King

Despite the minimalist design, there’s a lot to like about Hotel Morris and, with its excellent location, it's sure to attract its own type of appreciative guest.

Full details and rates at: https://all.accor.com/hotel/A1G7/index.en.shtml

The writer was a guest of Hotel Morris

Massive Hyatt expansion across Asia

The Hyatt Hotels Corporation has unveiled plans for major brand portfolio expansions across the Asia Pacific region.

Hyatt has several luxury and lifestyle hotels and resorts set to open in late 2022 and through 2023 to coincide with the rebound of leisure travel in the region, it said in a statement.

The plans include the introduction of several brands into new markets, including The Unbound Collection by Hyatt in Japan (sounds like a bondage destination), the Andaz brand in Thailand, and the Hyatt Centric brand in south-east Asia.

"Following the relaxation of travel restrictions across much of Asia Pacific, we remain confident in the region’s path to recovery,” said Carina Chorengel, senior vice president, commercial, for Asia Pacific, Hyatt.

“We are seeing greater demand for premium accommodations and longer stays at Hyatt hotels. With nearly 70% of our global portfolio classified as luxury and upper upscale, we are well positioned to meet the growing demand.”

Hyatt brands entering new markets for the first time include: Fuji Speedway Hotel, the first hotel under The Unbound Collection by Hyatt brand in Japan; Hyatt Centric Kota Kinabalu, the Hyatt Centric brand’s first hotel in south-east Asia and Andaz Pattaya Jomtien Beach (above), marking the debut of the Andaz brand in Thailand.

Other hotel openings planned for 2022 and 2023 include Grand Hyatt Shenzhou Peninsula, Andaz Macau and Alila Donghu Wuhan.

For details visit www.hyatt.com

New hotel brand makes an impact

It might not be a name as familiar as Hyatt, Hilton, Sheraton or Mercure, but travellers can expect to see a lot more voco hotels on their travels. 

Billed as "playful and sustainably-minded" vovo is part of the IHG Hotels & Resorts group and three new voco hotels will open over the next two months: voco Melbourne Central (above, April 28), voco Auckland City Centre (May 12) and voco Brisbane City Centre (May 27).

Since opening the world's first voco Hotel in Australia in 2018 – voco Gold Coast – the brand has been launched in 31 locations around the UK, France, Austria, Montenegro, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and China. 

The new destinations join  voco Gold Coast, and voco Kirkton Park Hunter Valley which opened in 2019.

The Melbourne Central property will be Australia's first new-build voco Hotel and will take up a prominent Lonsdale Street address. 

Every one of the 252 guestrooms feature a window that opens (hooray!), reducing reliance on air-conditioning and a reduction in energy.  

Auckland City Centre will be the voco brand's first foray into New Zealand and will boast the highest rooftop bar in the city: Bar Albert. 

The 194-room voco Brisbane City Centre will have a rooftop pool and sweeping Brisbane River views. 

voco bedding is made from 100 per cent recycled materials, while the linen produced in line with the Better Cotton Initiative that supports sustainable cotton harvesting. 

Opening 'voco life' packages include overnight accommodation, complimentary breakfast for two, an upgrade on arrival with guaranteed views, complimentary voco cocktail and bespoke welcome treat on arrival. 

The package is available at each hotel and is bookable now for three months. See www.ihg.com/voco/hotels/gb/en/reservation

Hotels predicted to drive Melbourne's economic revival

                                                Novotel & ibis Styles, Melbourne Airport

A new generation of international hotels will be a key driver for the revival of Melbourne tourism prior to the re-opening of international travel, Simon McGrath, Chief Executive Officer of Accor Pacific, Australia’s largest hotel operator, has predicted.

While corporate and non-leisure travel to Melbourne has dipped over the past year, impacted by the closure of local and international borders, and is likely to remain subdued for the next 12 months, McGrath forecasts that leisure travel will shape a recovery.

“Melbourne is one of the world’s greatest cities and, over the next two years, we are bringing eight hotels and 1,583 rooms to the city," he said. 

"That is an investment of over $700 million by a variety of owners. This will create around 600 jobs, while boosting the appeal of the city and the quality of accommodation available.

“As well as the new Mövenpick hotel, which will open in June, we will be opening new hotels which include SO/ (shown below), 25hours, Mercure and Peppers - before the end of 2023. 

"These new properties will complement our current portfolio of 43 hotels in Melbourne, offering even greater choice for travellers.

”People love to visit Melbourne for its world-leading events calendar – for its sport, arts and culture. Sporting events such as the Australian Open, the AFL and Formula One are also tourism events, attracting thousands into the city. Even without international travel, events can contribute to the city making a serious tourism comeback.”

Accor is Australia’s leading operator of hotels, and is set to unveil the second of its Mövenpick branded hotels in Australia next month, in a prime location in the Melbourne central business district. 

Mövenpick Hotel Melbourne on Spencer follows the debut of the brand in Hobart earlier this year and brings to the Victorian capital a design-focussed hotel that captures the vibrancy of Melbourne’s dining and fashion district.

The Mövenpick opening follows the addition in 2019 of the lifestyle-focused Hotel Chadstone, part of Accor’s MGallery collection. 

The proposed Accor hotel opening schedule:  Mövenpick Melbourne on Spencer, June 2021 (172 rooms); Mercure Doncaster, 2022 (181 rooms); Novotel & ibis Styles, Melbourne Airport 2022/23 (464 rooms); SO/ Melbourne, 2023 (288 rooms); 25hours Melbourne, 2023 (203 rooms);  Peppers Richmond, 2023 (83);  Mercure La Trobe, 2023 (192 rooms).