HOTEL NEWS

LANGHAM HOSPITALITY GROUP’S nascent upscale Cordis brand is spreading its reach with three launches in Asia-Pacific. Cordis Shanghai in Hongqiao opened in May and is positioned as a MICE-focused property with 1,600 sqm of events space. A second hotel in China is scheduled to open its doors in 2019 in Hangzhou’s Future Technology City hub. The Langham Auckland will undergo a rebrand into Cordis, Auckland with an opening scheduled for November this year.

AVANI HOTELS AND RESORTS is eyeing an October 2017 debut into the New Zealand market following its NZ$11 million (US$7.6 million) acquisition of the Metro Suites business in Auckland, which the company will refurbish and rebrand. Rooms will offer living and dining areas, along with kitchens and laundry facilities. Additional facilities will include a 22-metre heated swimming pool, spas located indoors and outdoors, a sauna, gym and a steam room.

KIMPTON opened its first property outside of the Americas on May 22. Located near the Amsterdam Centraal station, Kimpton De Witt was formerly a Crowne Plaza, and is housed in a late 20th century building with architectural features from the Dutch Golden Age. Its 274 keys will include nine suites. The hotel will also have a four-storey residence (16th century) that was once the childhood home of Dutch playwright, P.C. Hooft. It can be rented privately for groups, offering two king-sized rooms and a first floor living room.