Atlantis resort launched with £13.5m party - and other international hotel news

Atlantis resort launched with £13.5m party
There was little evidence of the global credit crunch at the $20m (£13.5m) party thrown to launch the new Atlantis resort, on the The Palm Jumeirah resort in Dubai last week. Michelin-starred chefs Nobu Matsuhisa, Santi Santamaria, Michel Rostang and Giorgio Locatelli had come up with an array of elaborate dishes for party attendees such as Robert de Niro, Lindsay Lohan and Charlize Theron. Kylie Minogue performed for an hour, and took away £1.3m for her work.

Spain’s Rocamador hotel up for sale
The Rocamador, a 32-bedroom boutique hotel in the Extremadura region of Spain, has been placed on the market alongside nearby sister hotel La Comarcal for a combined asking price of €12m (£10.1m). Built on the site of a 16th century monastery in western Spain, the hotel opened in 1997. The property includes a restaurant, conference and events rooms, as well as a swimming pool. It is situated on a 25,000 sq m site, which allows for the future extension of the hotel. Property agent Christie & Co is handling the sale for the private owners.

SSP lands Vancouver airport deal
SSP Canada, the Canadian division of travel concessions contractor SSP, has won a seven-year contract for three fast food restaurants and an eight-year contract for a casual dining restaurant at Canada’s second busiest airport, Vancouver International Airport (YVR).   The contracts are expected to generate an estimated $60m (£40.6m) in revenue and create more than 100 full-time jobs. The announcement follows SSP’s contract win at Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport.

Starwood to open in Saudi Arabia
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has announced plans to open three new hotels in Saudi Arabia. The group has signed a long-term management agreement with the Alhokair Group to open Four Points by Sheraton Mall of Arabia in Jeddah, Four Points by Sheraton Dhahran and Aloft Riyadh. The addition of these three new properties increases Starwood's portfolio to 13 hotels in Saudi Arabia.  Starwood currently operates 50 hotels and resorts in the Middle East under five of its nine brands.

By Daniel Thomas

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