Westin in Korea, EDITION in Italy, Growth Plans, and Other Hotel News You Might’ve Missed This Week

It was another truly global week in the hotel world. An anticipated Marriott property opened in northern Italy, while one of IHG’s brands made its debut in Saudi Arabia. A luxury Westin hotel opened in Seoul, and IHG opened an interesting property in Tennessee.

We also learned about exciting plans for hotels in Napa Valley, Mexico, and Florida, and saw some disappointing news from a hotel in Chicago.

Let’s take a closer look.

Hotel Openings

The Lake Como EDITION, Italy

We wrote about this property earlier this year when it started taking reservations, and the Lake Como EDITION is now open in northern Italy. This property is a conversion of the previous hotel, the Britannia Excelsior Hotel, and it underwent a complete renovation before welcoming guests on September 9. There are 145 modern, luxurious guest rooms.

Along with a minimalist flair, the hotel offers amenities like complimentary breakfast, an outdoor pool, a poolside bar, patio dining, and, of course, a great location.

• Opening date: Now open
• Typical cash price: From $820 per night
• Typical points cost: From 94,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night

Kimpton KAFD Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

IHG’s Kimpton brand has debuted in Saudi Arabia with the opening of the Kimpton KAFD Riyadh in the country’s capital. The property has 16 floors and blends the Kimpton brand’s playful personality with local touches.

Guests will find 4 dining venues, an outdoor pool deck, a modern fitness facility, and meeting and event spaces.

• Opening date: Now open
• Typical cash price: From $340 per night, though rates are closer to $1,000 in December and January
• Typical points cost: From 53,000 IHG One Rewards points per night

Hotel Indigo Gatlinburg Downtown, Tennessee

Located in downtown Gatlinburg, Tennessee, IHG opened the Hotel Indigo Gatlinburg Downtown on September 9. The hotel has 136 rooms and 9,300 square feet of event space. Its style combines the Great Smoky Mountains and Art Deco design elements.

Hotel amenities include one of the tallest rooftop bars in the area, modern technology in the rooms, 4 types of signature suites, and a Starbucks on the ground floor.

• Opening date: Now open
• Typical cash price: From $175 per night
• Typical points cost: From 23,000 IHG One Rewards points per night

The Westin Seoul Parnas

The Westin Seoul Parnas is now open in South Korea’s capital. It features 564 guest rooms and a high-quality lounge in the Gangnam neighborhood.

Elevated dining options at the property include pan-Asian cuisine, buffets, and baked goods. Guests will also find a lobby bar, fitness club, pool, and even golf simulators.

• Opening date: Now open
• Typical cash price: From $273 per night
• Typical points cost: From 52,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night

Upcoming Hotels

Kimpton Napa (2028)

There are currently 10 Kimpton properties in California, and another one is coming — this time to Napa Valley. IHG says the Kimpton Napa property should open in 2028, featuring 123 guest rooms spread across 2 buildings — each with 4 floors — and the hotel will be pet-friendly.

Highlights will include décor matching the natural surroundings and amenities like Kickstart morning coffee, Kimpton Social in the evenings, a rooftop bar, an outdoor spa, and more. The property itself will be located near the Oxbow Public Market.

Hotel News

IHG Signs 6 New Voco Properties in Mexico

IHG announced this week that it had signed 6 new voco properties in Mexico, all expected to open in 2027, in Cancun, Guadalajara, Ciudad Juárez, San Luis Potosí, Torreón, and Nuevo Laredo. These will be conversions of existing properties and will add 848 rooms to the voco portfolio in Mexico.

Voco is one of IHG’s premium brands, though it comes with flair and a bit fun mixed in.

Marriott’s StudioRes Brand Continues Growth

StudioRes is one of the newest Marriott brands, only opening the first property in Florida in June 2025. Now, the brand has broken ground on its 10th property — also located in Florida. Marriott says there are over 50 StudioRes projects in the pipeline, and roughly half of them are already under construction.

The St. Regis Chicago Adding Inflation Surcharges

The St. Regis Chicago, a property in one of Marriott’s luxury brands, surprised guests with a 3.5% surcharge on their dining bill this week, as first reported by Live and Let’s Fly. The hotel says the fee was to offset the cost of inflation, and staff removed it from the bill after pushback from the customer.

It could be worth checking your hotel bill at this location (or even others) to look for added fees that many guests likely won’t notice.

Final Thoughts

This week, we saw exciting openings in Seoul, Riyadh, Lake Como, and Gatlinburg, and we also learned about Kimpton’s plans for Napa Valley. IHG also provided updates on plans for its voco brand in Mexico, while Marriott’s shovels broke ground on the 10th property for its newest brand. We also got a reminder this week to check your bill carefully before paying at a hotel.

As always, we’ll be back next week with more exciting hotel news.