In Case You Missed It
This week, our editors spotlighted 10 swoon-worthy hotels opening in 2023, from Dallas to Dubai and Orlando to Oslo. These impressive (and meetings-ready) properties will surely give you the travel bug—for both business and pleasure.
Here are six more things you should know this month...
1. A venue provider's annual meeting planner survey shows positive signs for in-person events.
etc.venues—a provider of urban, non-residential event venues—has released the results of its fifth annual meeting planner survey, and the findings provide great insight into the value of face-to-face meetings. More than half (53.5%) of the surveyed event planners from the U.S. and U.K. say there has been a noticeable improvement in business performance within their organization since returning to face-to-face meetings, while almost 99% say they value them more than or the same as before the pandemic—which is up from 82% just a year ago.
Another interesting trend? Over 65% of planners are arranging more one-day meetings, rather than multi-day gatherings. Respondents offered a variety of reasons for the shift, including making better use of people's time, reducing costs, and helping delegates' work-life balance.
On the venue booking side, etc.venues also shared some positive news: The company has seen nine months of positive growth in in-person meeting bookings across the U.K. and U.S., a trend that the team says is continuing into 2023.
2. Hotels are leaning into unexpected guest rooms and event spaces.
At BizBash, we’re hearing over and over that while attendees are eager to gather IRL, they may be more discerning about what they take the time—and spend the money on—to attend. One thing that surely helps? An interesting venue experience. Properties seem to be taking notice, and promoting their own unique offerings. One option we love is The Curtis, a pop culture-themed hotel that boasts guest rooms themed around comic book heroes, Ghostbusters, Barbie, and more. The creative space also offers 28,000 square feet of event space. 
One of The Curtis’ themed rooms is centered around video games and comes complete with a Donkey Kong arcade game.Photo: Courtesy of The Curtis
Other interesting properties we’ve spotted lately include The Joule in Dallas, where outdoor events can be held next to Tony Tasset’s 30-foot-tall Eye sculpture; the Four Seasons St. Louis, which is unveiling its own pop-up Little White Chapel—complete with an Elvis tribute artist—for Valentine’s Day; and Canopy by Hilton Bethesda North and its new “Green Room,” a plant-filled space designed to help guests feel relaxed and renewed.
Interesting group experiences continue to be an emphasis too. Nashville’s Hermitage Hotel, for example, has unveiled new group-friendly options like a retail-centric getaway (complete with private shopping parties), tours of a lush private estate, and a guitar-centric suite with a hand-delivered vintage guitar for personal use. One cool option? Groups can book The Studio Experience, where they’ll be teamed up with world-renowned songwriters and musicians to create their own studio track during a private session at one of Nashville’s premier recording studios.
3. New technology continues to focus on guest comfort and safety.
A number of futuristic tech options have rolled out at venues this month, including new smart vending machines at New York’s Rockefeller Center. Smart vending machine company SOS has added machines to public restrooms throughout the center, along with event space Clubhouse at 1 Rockefeller Center; the machines offer a range of personal care and wellness products, including sunscreen, pimple patches, and free menstrual care products. SOS’s 32-inch LED touch screens also deliver targeted, interactive advertising and educational content when not in use.
But that’s not all—also this month, international chain Leonardo Hotels & Resorts Mediterranean has launched MYLO, a “virtual lifeguard system.” Yes, you read that right. As part of a pilot program, Coral Smart Pool has installed the MYLO system at the Leonardo Plaza Cypria Maris Beach Hotel in Paphos, Cyprus, to demonstrate the technology—which analyzes video above and below the pool’s surface for a comprehensive monitoring view. MYLO features both an above-ground camera and pressure sensors to identify if a person is entering the pool and can calculate risks, and a high-resolution underwater camera detects a sinking person and sends a series of alarms to take action.
The brand will open its first hotel in Mallorca, Spain—where both Nadal and Escarrer are from—in 2023.Photo: Courtesy of Meliá Hotels International
Last month, tennis player Rafael Nadal and Gabriel Escarrer, CEO of Meliá Hotels International, announced the launch of ZEL, a new brand of resort and urban leisure hotels that will first operate in Spain, and expand in key destinations throughout Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and the Americas. According to a press release, the joint venture between the two Spaniards will focus on classic Mediterranean character along with a hospitality experience that focuses on the outdoors, standout cuisine, bright spaces, and curated well-being activities. Each property will boast a courtyard at the heart of the property, aiming to serve as a center for flow and connection, along with access to a digital community where guests are encouraged to share their experiences once their stay ends. The hotels will also specialize in rotating pop-ups featuring local crafters, artists, beauty products, and culinary offerings.
5. Marriott president Stephanie Linnartz will become the CEO of Under Armour next month.
In February, longtime Marriott International exec Stephanie Linnartz will leave the company after 25 years. Linnartz has been president of Marriott since 2021, where she has led all aspects of the company's global consumer strategy as well as its global development organization, which is responsible for the strategic growth of its 30 lodging brands. She originally joined the company in 1997, and has played a pivotal role in moments like the acquisition of Starwood Hotels and the creation of the Marriott Bonvoy program. After her departure from Marriott on Feb. 24, Linnartz will become president and CEO of Under Armor.
6. The so-called “world’s best restaurant” is shifting to a pop-up model.
In news sending shockwaves across the luxury dining industry, Noma—the Copenhagen restaurant known for its multiple Michelin stars and time atop various lists of the world’s best restaurants—will be closing for regular service in late 2024. Renowned chef René Redzepi told The New York Times that the space will transform into a “full-time food laboratory, developing new dishes and products for its e-commerce operation, Noma Projects, and the dining rooms will be open only for periodic pop-ups.” Redzepi described his new role as “chief creative officer” rather than chef.
