INTERNATIONAL REPORT—Hotels are opening all over Europe, including Kimpton’s first property in Spain and Hard Rock’s entry into Ireland. Here are those and some others:
Kimpton Vividora Hotel
Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants has opened its first property in Spain, Kimpton Vividora Hotel in Barcelona. Located in the Ciutat Vella district (the old city), the property features 156 guestrooms, 10 suites, three restaurants and bars, and a rooftop terrace and pool.
Ave Bradley, Kimpton’s creative director and SVP of design, collaborated with local interior design studio El Equipo Creativo on the design, which mixes terracotta colors, representing the urban landscape of Barcelona, with blues to channel the Mediterranean. Pantone’s 2020 Color of the Year Classic Blue is one of the main colors used in the rooms and in the restaurant Fauna.
Each guestroom was inspired by a stylish Barcelona apartment. The Mediterranean color palette, natural wood, marble and tiles give a nod to the city’s coastal setting. Each room features locally designed furniture and artwork, Vifa Bluetooth speakers and exclusive luxury bath amenities.
Terraza de Vivi, the rooftop of Kimpton Vividora Hotel, features a swimming pool, sun loungers, pergolas and a bar.
Hard Rock Hotel Dublin
Hard Rock International continues its expansion into Europe with the opening of Hard Rock Hotel Dublin. Located near the Temple Bar district, the 120-room hotel is a reimagining of two historic buildings, combining the Exchange Building, built at the turn of the 20th century, and the adjacent Fashion House building, linked together by a newly built glass bridge.
The red-brick exterior of the buildings has been maintained, while interiors are adorned with Hard Rock memorabilia, curated to include possessions and instruments from some of Ireland’s most loved musicians, including U2, Van Morrison, Thin Lizzy’s Phil Lynott and Hozier, as well as pieces from artists who have played memorable gigs in the country.
The hotel offers the brand-signature amenities such as The Sound of Your Stay program, which includes an in-room Crosley vinyl player; a Fender guitar delivery with amp and headphones; and music playlists available to stream or download. Also offered is Rock Om, a one-of-a-kind in-room yoga program. F&B locations include Zampas, a South American-inspired eatery; and cafe Constant Grind.
Comfort Hotel Arlanda Airport
Nordic Choice Hotels, the Scandinavian master franchisee of Choice Hotels International Inc., has opened Comfort Hotel Arlanda Airport in Stockholm. The 503-room property is the largest in the Comfort brand system worldwide and is one of several new hotels that Nordic Choice expects to add to the Choice portfolio over the next three years, including the Comfort Hotel Copenhagen Airport later this year and Comfort Hotel Vantaa Airport in Helsinki in 2023.
Located between terminals four and five at the Stockholm Arlanda Airport, the hotel features the Comfort brands signature amenities include an open lobby; a 24-hour fitness center; complimentary breakfast; a business center; and meeting space. F&B offerings include Barception in the lobby; Anorak Bar on the 12th floor; and a rooftop bar with a mile-wide view of the airport runways.
Gekko House
Tribute Portfolio, Marriott International’s collection of independent hotels, has opened Gekko House, the brand’s second hotel in Germany and first in Frankfurt. The 128-room urban-designed hotel is located in the city’s Gallus district. Frankfurt-based Morgen Interiors led the design.
Guestrooms feature exposed concrete walls with wooden flooring; hand-blown statement glass lighting fixtures; olive green furniture; and velvet seating, as well as floor-to-ceiling windows with skyline views of Frankfurt. They also include a Marshall Music Box; Nespresso coffee machine; amenities by Australian organic skincare brand Grown Alchemist; and a Gekko House curated city guide.
The hotel also features The Gekko Späti market in the lobby and Chicago Williams, a Berlin-born BBQ restaurant and bar.
Hotel Indigo Madrid Princesa
IHG has opened Hotel Indigo Madrid Princesa in Madrid. It is the brand’s second property in Spain’s capital city and third in the country.
The hotel has 101 guestrooms featuring two distinct room designs based around nature and taking cues from the greenery of Parque del Oeste next door. The room styles and colors are inspired by the seasons with gold and red for fall and green and blue for spring. The headboards are made of sack cloth with leather strapping. Each room features premium bedding, a smart TV and high-speed internet.
The public spaces throughout Hotel Indigo Madrid Princesa reflect the contemporary style of the Spanish capital with an industrial exposed ceiling aesthetic, as well as the use of raw metals and exposed brick.