InterContinental Hotels (IHG) has acquired the Kimpton Hotel and Restaurant Group, the largest chain of boutique hotels in the United States.

The Kimpton brand is complementary with IHG’s existing Hotel Indigo and EVEN Hotels brands. The group now plan to accelerate the growth of Kimpton within the US and to launch it globally.

Richard Solomons, Chief Executive Officer of IHG, commented: “Kimpton is a well-established and highly successful business that has built an industry leading position in the US.  It has created a portfolio of world-class hotels and destination restaurants, and the distinctive and innovative Kimpton brand will fit perfectly into the IHG brand family.  Adding Kimpton to our portfolio of preferred brands creates the world’s largest boutique hotel business.”

Kimpton was established in 1981, and is the largest independent boutique hotel and restaurant business in the US.  It manages 62 hotels across 28 cities in the US in urban and resort locations such as Boston, Chicago, Florida, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington D.C.  There are a further 16 hotels in the development pipeline of which 10 are under construction.  Kimpton also operates 71 hotel-based destination restaurants, bars and lounges across the US.

Details: www.ihgplc.com


A 126-bedroom Residence Inn by Marriott will feature in the new £107million Marischal Square project currently under construction in the centre of Aberdeen. The site, which included the former Aberdeen City Council headquarters building, is being redeveloped to include office and retail space, cafes, restaurants and civic space along with public areas and the new hotel.

Residence Inn by Marriott hotels are designed to meet the needs of extended-stay guests. The Marischal Square hotel will comprise 114 studios and 12 one bedroom suites – each with a fully equipped kitchen and separate areas for living and sleeping.   The public areas will feature a lounge bar, a ‘Grab and Go’ market, a fitness centre and a business centre. Wi-fi will be complimentary throughout the hotel.

Residence Inn by Marriott at Marischal Square is scheduled to open summer 2017

Details:  www.news.marriott.com


The new Pullman Liverpool will be opening October 2015. The 216-bedroom four-star hotel is located in Kings Dock on Liverpool's waterfront. Pullman Liverpool will be adjoining the new Exhibition Centre Liverpool currently under construction which itself is alongside the ACC Liverpool. It will be the second Pullman Hotel in the UK – the first being Pullman London St Pancras which opened in 2012.

Pullman Liverpool will include 8,100 sq. metres of flexible and accessible event space.

Pullman Liverpool will be joining the 310-bedroom Jurys Inn Liverpool and the 132-suites Staybridge Suites both of which are opposite the ACC. The hotels are close to the city centre and all major transport links.

Details: www.pullmanhotels.com


Plans have been unveiled to convert the old Royal High School building on Calton Hill in Edinburgh into a luxury hotel. The A-listed building originally designed by Thomas Hamilton is crumbling and derelict and has been largely unused since the former boys school moved to another site in city in 1968.Three hotel chains, none of which currently operate in Scotland, have been shortlisted to operate the property.

The new hotel will add another tier at the top of Edinburgh’s hotel stock and is expected to cement the city’s reputation as a destination for international diplomatic events and global conferences.

An application for outline planning consent is due to be submitted in January 2015, with a three-day public exhibition at the old Royal High School in February which will set out further details.


57 Whitehall, better known as the Old War Office in London that was once occupied by the country's war-time Prime Minister Winston Churchill has been sold to private developers. They plan to restore and re-develop the 580,000 sq-ft building into a five star hotel and residential apartments with private function rooms as well as a spa and fitness facility.

The Old War Office is a heritage-listed property. It has around 1,100 rooms across seven floors which are linked by more than two miles of corridors. It was constructed in the years between the start of the 20th century and the outbreak of the First World War and has played an important role in the history of the last century. Previously it was inaccessible to the public but a commitment has been made to grant new access to the building with an outdoor public space as part of the re-development plans.