Here are a few bits of exciting news from around the globe to give you some inspiration for next year
The Murray, Hong Kong
Foster + Partners has been busy overhauling the 1960s Murray Building, so that it can reopen on January 15 as the The Murray, Hong Kong (+852 3141 8888). The hotel will have some striking events facilities. Murray on the Roof, one of five food and drink offerings, will be a see-and-be-seen destination terrace, restaurant and bar, while Guo Fu Lou will serve Cantonese food from its own pavilion. The blank-canvas, semi-alfresco venue The Arches will have room for up to 500 guests, while the landscaped Murray Lawns will take up to 125.
Luciole, France
Drinks don Tony Conigliaro is, gradually, opening a cocktail bar with a restaurant and rooms in Cognac. The 69 Colebrooke Row founder’s Luciole (+335 4581 7011) venue, set on the banks of the river Charente, already has an 18-strong drinks menu on the go (the local brandy features extensively), with five rooms for overnighters due to open soon. Its Maestro restaurant is set for an early 2018 opening.
Bluebird Time Warner, USA
London’s Chelsea restaurant Bluebird is to get a sister in New York.
D&D London launches itself Stateside with Bluebird Time Warner (020 7716 7887), a third-floor establishment in Midtown Manhattan with views across Central Park. It’s set to open in spring of next year, and D&D’s second NYC opening is already slated for March 2019 in the Hudson Yards development.
Belmond Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, France, Italy and Turkey
A trio of Grand Suites are the latest offering from Belmond (0845 077 2222) aboard the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express. Launching in March 2018, they will comprise a bathroom, double bed and living area, and will come with a cabin steward, complimentary champagne and in-suite dining. Each suite will take the name of one of the cities to which the train travels (Paris, Venice, Istanbul) and their interiors will reflect the spirit of that city, while staying true to the train’s original art-deco design. Pictured above is the Paris cabin – we reckon Agatha Christie would approve. A one-night journey from London to Venice in a Grand Suite is set to cost £5,500pp.
Plus 3 event-ready hotels that have already opened
Need something pronto? These are three of our favourite recent openings
The Hoxton, Paris, France
You’ll find Hoxton group’s biggest opening to date in the second arrondissement. A pair of pretty courtyards look like a fetching location for a drinks reception, but the serious event space is Les Voûtes, an atmospheric spot (with barrel-vaulted ceilings), with seven meeting rooms and La Cuisine, a communal pantry kitchen.
Ritz-Carlton Geneva, Switzerland
This opulently refurbished property is the group’s first Swiss opening. Expect views over the lake and Mont Blanc beyond and impressive contemporary art. The property bills itself as a ‘luxury business hotel’, and its meeting space, Rive, offers state-of-the-art technology, floor-to-ceiling windows and space for 100 guests.
Nagoya Prince Hotel Sky Tower, Japan
Occupying floors 31–36 of a new-build skyscraper in Nagoya’s Sasashima Live 24 area, this 170-bedroom property has spectacular views. On floors 2-4 you’ll find the Nagoya Convention Hall, which offers guests access to a whopping 40 meeting and event spaces ranging in capacity from 16 to 600+.
Next, see what’s new with Eurostar and its destinations