The latest hotel openings and announcements made this week.
Yangon Excelsior, Myanmar
Housed within a 19th-century colonial building that once was the general headquarters of the Steel Brothers Company, the renovated five-storey boutique hotel now offers 74 luxurious rooms and suites. Rooms are split into four categories, with sizes varying from 30m2 to 65m2. Each room comes furnished with mod-cons such as a 46-inch LCD flatscreen TV, safe, mini bar, and complimentary Wi-Fi. There is a dedicated Executive Floor with 16 rooms and an Executive Lounge, plus on-site amenities including a gym, spa, two F&B options and two meeting rooms.
The Middle House, China
The Middle House by Swire Hotels has opened in the heart of Shanghai, within the bustling HKRI Taikoo Hui development. The property offers 111 modern studios – varying from 50m2 to 100m2 in size – and 102 serviced residences that range from 55m2 to 110m2 and come with kitchen and laundry facilities.
Recreational facilities include a heated indoor swimming pool, 24-hour gym facilities comprising a Hypoxi room and wellness studio, group yoga sessions and a lifestyle shop. There are three F&B venues, as well as a 660m2 top-floor Penthouse with a private kitchen that can be turned into an event venue.
Novotel Ambassador Seoul Dongdaemun, South Korea
AccorHotels has opened Novotel Hotels & Residences, the brand’s first mixed-use development that combines a hotel and residences, in the heart of Seoul’s shopping district. The Novotel Ambassador Seoul Dongdaemun features 331 rooms in double-, twin-, or triple-bed configurations, in addition to 192 residences that are a mixture of studios and one-bedroom suites. All dwellings feature high-speed wireless Internet, 55-inch full HD TV and one-touch temperature control.
Amenities within the new-build hotel include three F&B options, an indoor swimming pool on the 20th floor, fitness centre, an executive lounge and a kids’ zone. Events planners can avail any of the four meeting spaces, ranging from the Grand Ballroom which can host up to 280 guests banquet-style to the meeting room for smaller-sized functions for up to 20 pax.
Punthill Apartment Hotels, Australia
Apart-hotel Punthill Ivanhoe has opened in Melbourne’s north-eastern suburbs, opposite the Austin Health precinct and Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness & Research Centre. The hotel’s 52 one- and two-bedroom apartments are self-contained with cooking facilities and generous living areas. East-facing apartments also offer views of the Dandenong Ranges. Facilities in the complex include a cafe/bar, gym and parking spaces.
