Worldwide briefing
Kimpton hotels go girly
A new season of "girlfriend getaway" packages is now on offer at Kimpton hotels. With names like "girls just want to have wine" and "first ladies of luxury", the packages are available at several of the 39 boutique hotels across the USA and Canada, and include complimentary wine, Brazilian waxes, feather boas and manicures.
Four Seasons in the Caribbean to be refurbished
The Four Seasons Resort Nevis in the West Indies will undergo a £6m renovation programme from late August. The developments will take four months and will include the addition of a free-form pool and 120-seat beachside restaurant. The two top suites and 80 guest rooms will also get a face lift.
Domina expand in Italy
The Domina hotel group is to open a 42-suite residence outside the centre of Milan in 2006. It is also opening a new Royal Media Hotel & Towers in Milan, which will open in 2006. The 259-room hotel will be constructed as two buildings, with hi-tech facilities in all rooms. The group is also set top open a 200-room Domina Inn in the Piedmont region, in Marene, which will open in 2007. The group has launched its four hotel brands globally and plan to have 250 properties by 2015.
Thompson renovate and expand
Thompson hotels has renovated the Hollywood Roosevelt 300-room hotel in Los Angeles. It includes one of the largest pools in LA, as well as the Dakota restaurant, which seats 110 people. The multimillion-pound renovation was aimed at creating a "Hollywood reborn" feel. Thompson is also set to open the Six Columbus hotel in Manhattan this autumn. It will have 90 rooms, all with preloaded iPods wired into the walls.
Caribbean to suffer from USA passport controls
The Caribbean could lose out on £1.5b because USA citizens will be required to hold a valid passport to re-enter the USA from January 2006. The Caribbean Hotel Association has released the findings of a economic impact study, which found that visitor export earnings could decrease and more than 188,000 travel and tourism jobs could be at risk, as the number of last-minute travellers from the USA drops.
Westin open in the Dominican Republic
Westin is to open a beach and golf resort in the Dominican Republic in November 2006. The 315-room resort will be Westin's fifth property in the Caribbean, and includes an 18-hole championship golf course, a spa, seven restaurants, seven lounges and bars, six tennis courts, six swimming pools and an activity club. It also includes 20,000sq ft of meeting space in 14 rooms.
