CHICAGO—Robots serving drinks? Meeting rooms that resemble a giant terrarium? These are just some of the concepts guests may experience as hotel operators attempt to adapt and innovate amid the COVID-19 crisis according to The Hotel of Tomorrow Project, a global think tank consisting of 325 hospitality industry executives and spearheaded by The Gettys Group, a Chicago-based design, development and consulting firm. Since June, designers, manufacturers, owners, and operators from a wide range of brands—including Four Seasons, Hilton, IHG, Marriott, Kohler Company, Milliken and Cornell University—have been gathering online creating, reviewing and testing concepts. “The COVID crisis has created a need for...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Viceroy Hotels & Resorts is changing the conversation in Washington D.C., and beyond, with the opening of Hotel Zena, a bold new cultural hub celebrating the accomplishments of women and recognizing their enduring struggle for gender equality. It is an interactive venue where every architectural line, material and art installation was thoughtfully designed and curated to send a message of female empowerment. Experience the interactive Multichannel News Release here: https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8791651-hotel-zena-dedicated-to-female-empowerment-washington-dc/ Situated at the nexus of Downtown D.C. and the vibrant Logan Circle neighborhood and renewed 14th Street, the 191-room hotel is not only a story about women. It’s also a celebration...

TORONTO—Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts and Paralelo 19 Desarrollos, a leading real estate development company in Mexico, announced a new luxury resort located in Tamarindo, Mexico. Debuting in 2021 as Four Seasons Resort Tamarindo, México, the project will be located on a private peninsula along the Pacific Ocean in the state of Jalisco, between the towns of La Manzanilla and Barra de Navidad. The area, known as “Costa Alegre” or “Joy Coast” is acclaimed for its picturesque beaches, lush landscape and unique topography. “As we grow the Four Seasons portfolio in Mexico, this project in Tamarindo is the ideal opportunity to...

Montalba Architects, the Santa Monica, Calif. and Switzerland-based architecture firm, recently completed three new Swiss projects, including newly imagined accommodations for the hospitality-concept, Whitepod. The new Whitepod eco-chalets, which are ideal for group and family travel, are equipped with modern conveniences and minimalist, sustainable design that allows the alpine landscape to take center stage. “Heritage and craftsmanship are at the heart of design, so we give considerable attention to making sure local, timeless materials are incorporated into each project to create a continuation of a user’s experience with both the space and the region as a whole,” says Founding Principal...

PORTLAND, ORE.—Restore Oregon has named the boutique SCP Redmond Hotel as one of 11 historic projects from across the state as winners of the 2020 DeMuro Award for Excellence in Historic Preservation. After suffering a prolonged decline, the most prominent building along Redmond’s Main Street has come back to life as a boutique hotel, co-working, dining, and community meeting space. The project included careful rehab of the Georgian facade, addition of a rooftop lounge, and restoration of its dramatic lobby. The award is the state’s highest honor for the preservation, reuse, and revitalization of architectural and cultural sites. Launched in 2013,...

ST. LOUIS, MO.—Located at 3763 Forest Park Ave., the $40 million Element St. Louis Midtown is a seven-story hotel with 153 extended stay rooms. The rooftop UPBAR—Midas Hospitality’s first owned and operated bar in its 15-year existence—will feature a variety of signature cocktails that were created in partnership with Luxco, which is one of the nation’s leading beverage alcohol companies based in St. Louis. “As we created our plans for this site, we realized this was the perfect opportunity to introduce our very first UPBAR location with our ‘Where St. Louis Meets the Sky’ tagline,” said Midas Hospitality’s CEO and...

ATLANTA—LG Hausys Floors is introducing a new luxury vinyl tile collection with stunningly realistic visuals and textures that creates a dramatic artistic statement for commercial interior spaces. The Artistry Collection, featuring six plank and six tile visuals, is a revolutionary addition to LG Floors’ PRESTG line of premium SPC flooring products. Designers and trade professionals can begin exploring design possibilities with the Artistry Collection through two free resources. The Artistry Online Book, a downloadable PDF, provides product details, inspirational images, color palette information and much more. The Artistry Sample Book contains product samples showing Artistry’s mix and match capabilities with...

JASPER, IND.—Indiana Furniture continues to set new standards for affordable, design-friendly products. The company announced it will begin taking orders on the new Rockstar seating series—a modern, ergonomic collection designed to address a diverse range of users in a broad range of applications. Rockstar features clean lines, ergonomic contours with integrated lumbar support, well-balanced proportions, and an abundance of options to create all-day, standout comfort. Choose the optional button detailing to incorporate an additional design element, specify contrasting upholsteries on the seat, back, and button, or select the weight-activated control for a clean look that supports users up to 325lbs....

NORTH QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA—Accor will bring the Fairmont brand to Australia for the first time, with the announcement that the Fairmont Port Douglas is set to open in Far North Queensland in 2023. Set on the edge of two UNESCO World Heritage sites—the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest—the hotel has been sustainably designed to give back to the environment. “We are excited to bring the extraordinary Fairmont brand to Australia and are confident that Fairmont Port Douglas will deliver a new level of luxury and sophistication to one of the country’s most glamourous resort towns,” said Simon McGrath, Chief...

STEVENSON, WASH.—Based on the success of its first four treehouses, the Columbia River Gorge’s iconic Skamania Lodge will unveil two new treehouses in September that will provide guests the opportunity to relive the nostalgic, child-like experience of sleeping among the trees. “Our first four treehouses have been incredibly popular with our guests—90 percent occupied during summer months—the decision to add these additional treehouses made perfect sense,” said Skamania Lodge General Manager Ken Daugherty. Couples, families and groups alike will find the new treehouses, named Candy Flower and Shooting Star, elevated a bit higher—40 feet in the air—than the previous iterations, and...