China
Nestled in China’s Jiangsu province in the historic city of Suzhou sits The Ritz-Carlton, Suzhou, the brand’s first venture into the “Venice of the East.” The city’s history spans over a thousand years and is home to UNESCO World Heritage Sites such as the ancient Grand Canal and the Classical Gardens of Suzhou.
The hotel features 190 guest rooms and suites, taking inspiration from the minimalist Suzhou architecture for a modern Chinese aesthetic. The property also has a 24-hour fitness center, a 1,539-square-foot swimming pool and four meeting and event spaces. The largest event space is the 5,468-square-foot Grand Ballroom, which can accommodate up to 416 attendees, along with three meeting rooms and an outdoor venue in the style of Suzhou’s classical gardens.
England
A new dual-branded Hyatt property marks Hyatt’s debut into the city of Leeds in West Yorkshire with the opening of Hyatt Place Leeds and Hyatt House Leeds. Together the two properties offer 305 guest rooms, 88 of which are apartment-style rooms designed for an extended residential experience.
The property also features two onsite restaurants, the ground floor Zoom Restaurant & Bar and a rooftop bar and Latin American restaurant called Azotea with views of the Leeds skyline via two outdoor terraces. Hyatt Place Leeds and Hyatt House Leeds also provide four meeting rooms, the largest of which is 223 square feet. Larger events can be held at Azotea, which can accommodate up to 200 attendees for private events.
[Related: Global Upgrades and Openings From China, India, Saudi Arabia and Spain]
India
Located in the dense forests of Jim Corbett National Park and on the banks of river Kosi in Uttarakhand, India, the newly opened Jim Corbett Marriott Resort & Spa offers a gateway to nature and authentic local experiences. Guests of the property can participate in jungle safaris, birdwatching excursions or guided village tours that offer a deep connection to the region.
The property features 99 guest rooms and two onsite restaurants, The Corbett Kitchen and Malani Grill, as well as a gaming arcade, golf simulator, fitness center, pool and spa. Jim Corbett Marriott Resort & Spa also offers over 54,000 square feet of meeting and event space, including the largest pillarless ballroom in Jim Corbett, spanning 3,825 square feet and able to accommodate up to 300 attendees. Other notable venues are the two outdoor lawns, the Kosi Lawn and the Center Lawn, which can accommodate up to 750 and 500 attendees, respectively.
A Spanish Palace Reborn
The historic Palace Hotel in Spain’s capital city of Madrid reopened as a Marriott property called The Palace, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Madrid following a two-year restoration and refurbishment.
The project has revitalized many of the hotel’s original architectural designs, such as its iconic stained glass and iron dome originally designed in 1912 by Eduardo Ferrés i Puig and executed by master glazier Jules Pierre Mauméjean. The structure consisted of 1,875 glass panes and required 100 glass specialists to dismantle and restore the stained glass to its original colors.
The hotel also redesigned all 470 of its guest rooms and suites and its two onsite restaurants, La Cúpula located within the glass dome and iron structure, and the 27 Club, named after the Generation of ’27 poets who frequented it.
The Palace, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Madrid also features a state-of-the-art gym and over 27,000 square feet of meeting and event space spread across 20 venues. The largest of these venues is the Medinaceli Ballroom, which can accommodate up to 600 attendees in its 4,763 square feet of space. Other notable venues include the Neptuno room, able to accommodate 150, and the Espacio Palace, able to accommodate up to 500 attendees.
