Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Dearborn Rebranding as The Henry

Hospitality design firm Gettys is currently reinventing the former Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Dearborn, Michigan as The Henry, an art-focused hotel experience and one of the latest additions to Marriott’s Autograph Collection.

Virgin's Richard Branson plans his own line of luxury hotels

Billionaire Richard Branson, peddled everything from airline tickets to space travel under his Virgin brand's iconic name, hopes to bring his own brand of hip to the hotel scene.

His newly created Virgin Hotels will likely appeal to younger, up-and-coming travelers: "the guys walking around with the shirt untucked and no ties, very similar to Mr. Branson," says Charles Quinn of hotel investment advisory firm CBRE Hotels.

5 things to know

1. Three special servicers are shopping more than USD 400 million of nonperforming hotel mortgages, according to a report in the Commercial Mortgage Alert.

Most of the loans are being supplied by LNR Partners with C-III Asset Management and J.E. Roberts Companies providing the rest. A two-day online auction will start 1 November, run by a partnership between Jones Lang LaSalle and REDC. Bidders can make offers on individual loans.

Space Adventures Partners Boeing

Boeing, and the innovative company - Space Adventures, established a memorandum of agreement regarding the marketing of anticipated transportation services to destinations in low Earth orbit (LEO) on Boeing commercial crew spacecraft.

Luxury Beach House at The Legian Bali to Reopen

GHM is set to reopen its private beach house at The Legian on Seminyak Beach, Bali following recent renovations to convert it to a three-bedroom retreat.

Styled by internationally acclaimed interior designer Jaya Ibrahim, ‘The Beach House’ fronts onto a tranquil stretch of beach with views of the Indian Ocean and faces west to capitalise on the legendary Balinese sunsets.

Ascott launches Best Rate Guarantee

Ascott launched a “Best Rate Guarantee” initiative, promising the lowest publicly available internet rate each time a guest makes a booking through any of Ascott’s websites.

If a guest finds a lower rate for the same property, apartment type and reservation dates on another website within 24 hours of their confirmed booking made on one of Ascott’s websites, upon verification, Ascott will honour the lower rate found and extend a further 10 percent discount off that rate.

HotelCorp has launched Manathai Hotels and Resorts

HotelCorp launched Manathai Hotels & Resorts, featuring their flagship suite property the Manathai Resort, Surin Beach-Phuket and the cozy Manathai Village Chiang Mai.

Bernhard Ollmann, HotelCorp, Director and Chief Operating Officer said, “We are delighted with this exciting opportunity to upgrade these two outstanding resorts, not only by enhancing the product for our guests comfort, but more importantly, by instilling the passion and service, that Thailand is renowned for.”

Sivatel Bangkok to Offer In-Room Apple TV Technology

Sivatel Bangkok will be one of the first hotels in Thailand to launch the interactive high-definition IPTV (Internet Protocol TV) on Apple platform and IP Phone in all of its 75 Sivatel hotel suites and 10 Sivatel serviced residences. Sivatel Bangkok is going to open in October 2010.

The technology will allow guests to access to a wide range of pay Video-on-Demand services, as well as to key travel information such as real-time flight information, weather, world time, YouTube, Google Map via an in-room wireless keyboard and LCD screen.

Centara Signs Four Hotels

Centara Hotels and Resorts sealed a management contract with the Nova Group to manage three properties in Pattaya and one property in Bangkok.

These 4 properties will be under the new brands ‘Centra’ and ‘Centara Residence and Suites’. The first four properties under these two brand names are currently under development and they are joint-ventured by Nova Group and Harilela Group of Hotels.

Emirates launches A380 Flights to Manchester

Emirates launched Airbus A380 flights between Manchester and Dubai in the north west of England.

Maurice Flanagan, Executive Vice Chairman Emirates Airline and Group, who joined the first Manchester A380 flight said, “This is a historic moment for Emirates as we bring our 21st century superjumbo to the north west twenty years after our first flight from the region. Our Manchester service has been an incredible success story, and we are delighted to be opening the next chapter today.”

Ritz Carlton lower pool, Bukit, Bali

The Ritz-Carlton, Bali, is the first Asian resort for the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, LLC, opened November 29, 1996, Built on 70 hectares (173 acres), the 323-room resort hotel is perched on a bluff overlooking the Indian Ocean. It is four stories, following the basic Balinese architecural principles that no building should be higher than coconut palms. The hotel includes 36 one and two-bedroom villas. The majority of the guest rooms have ocean views. Located in Jimbaran in Southwest Bali, eight degrees south of the equator, the hotel is a 15-minutes drive from Ngurah Rai International Airport.