Global Update
The GosTelow reporT
Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group , Hong Kong , is fast spreading its tentacles into Mainland China . The pipeline now includes Beijing , Chengdu , Chongqing and Shenzhen . Is it true that CEO Edouard Ettedgui is also eyeing Dalian ?
Rome-based The Sorgente Group , started by Valter Mainetti in 1999 , is heavily involved in Brazil with at least three hotel projects : in Santa Catarina , on what is called Brazil ’ s Costa Esmeralda , and in Quatro Barras , State of Paranà . This last — the Figueira Hotel , Spa , Golf Course and Villas in the Souza neighborhood of Campinas — will have an 86-room boutique hotel complemented by 372 luxury residences .
Mary GOSTELOw
Croatia may not have the immediate development appeal of its neighbor Montenegro , but the Adriatic Coast nation does have plenty to offer , says Horwath HTL ’ s Miroslav Dragicevic . Great Brijun Island is 10 minutes by boat from the Croatian coast , at Pula , which is handy for the airports of Ljubliana , Trieste and Venice . President Tito , last ruler of what was then Yugoslavia , had his main home on the 16-hectare ( 40-acre ) island , which is now owned by the Croatian government . President Ivo Josipovic is releasing some of the land , according to Dragicevic , which is zoned for two hotels ( up to 400 keys ) plus residences , a spa , MICE facilities , retail and an 18-hole golf course .
With Tokyo hosting the 2020 Olympics , major brands not already there are trying to find something . The challenges , says Sam Ohta , chairman of Ohta Publications , Tokyo , are numerous . There is no available land , and he only knows of one central property that might possibly be for sale , although the financial and logistical hurdles of acquiring it are numerous . One solution might be following the lead of Amanresorts , which plans to open an 80-room hotel at the top of a 30-floor building being developed by Tokyo Tatemono Co . The project is in the Otemachi district , between the Imperial Palace and Tokyo Station .
It ’ s the bed
Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts has introduced The Four Seasons Bed , which includes a mattress system that gives guests a choice of three different levels of firmness along with a variety of pillows and bedside amenities . Highlights include a bed topper that can be changed in minutes to meet firmness preferences and Gel Touch Foam Center technology that absorbs extra heat to ensure maximum comfort .
The Four Seasons bed is already in place in several U . S . locations and will replace beds at all Four Seasons locations over the next few years as part of the normal course of renovations . Four Seasons would not comment on the costs associated with the program .
16 HOTELS May 2014 www . hotelsmag . com