Worldwide briefing

Target Toulouse

Hotel company Six Continents is to build a €46m (£28.2m), four-star, 183-bedroom Inter-Continental hotel in Toulouse, France. Work starts next year and should be completed in 2005.

Rock on

The Rank Group, which owns Hard Rock Café, will not let a slide in turnover and profit in 2001 affect its expansion plans. Turnover at Hard Rock fell by 4.5% to £248m last year, but the group plans to open 10 Hard Rock Cafés in the UK and Europe this year.

Chance in China

Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts has made its first foray into China with the opening of the 443-bedroom Hotel Shanghai. It has a ballroom, six meeting rooms, four restaurants, a fitness centre and a spa.

Coral colony

Quick-service Chinese restaurant group Café de Coral has bought a chain of Chinese restaurants in California for Cdn$20.7m (£9.1m) through its Canadian joint venture, Manchu Wok Enterprises. The group has 17 China Inns, two Japanese Oishii Kitchens, and Dai Bai Dang, a Chinese bistro.

Star-pesos

Coffee shop giant Starbucks is heading south to Mexico for the first time. It is to open a coffee shop in Mexico City by the end of the year.

Milanese jewel

Bulgari Hotels & Resorts, the joint venture formed by jeweller Bulgari and Marriott International, is to open its first hotel in Milan, Italy. The five-star, 52-bedroom hotel should open in late 2003.