MIAMI BEACH -- Expansion, whether in terms of property count, amenities or geographic scope, emerged as a theme at this year's L.E/Miami trade show, where roughly 2,000 hoteliers, destination marketers, travel advisors and other industry professionals gathered.
The event, held at the Miami Beach Convention Center from June 10 to 13, offered a respite from a week of intense storms across South Florida, with music, flashing lights and avant-garde art -- including a giant, inflatable installation by French artist Cyril Lancelin that served as the show floor's centerpiece -- creating an immersive, energetic atmosphere.
Many hospitality brands took the opportunity to reveal upcoming property openings and fresh programming, responding to the continued demand for luxury hotel product.
The Royal Mansour Collection has long been anchored by its lone branded hotel, the Royal Mansour Marrakech, which opened in 2010. But the brand, owned by the king of Morocco, is now in the midst of an expansion spree, recently opening the Royal Mansour Casablanca this past May and a third hotel, the Royal Mansour Tamuda Bay, slated to debut this July.
Two more Royal Mansour hotels will join the portfolio over the next two years, one in Morocco's capital city of Rabat and the other in Agadir, along the country's southern Atlantic coast.
Wellness resort pioneer Canyon Ranch is launching its first Family Summer Camp experience this year, welcoming guests of all ages between July 28 and Aug. 4 at the group's Canyon Ranch Lenox resort in Massachusetts. Family-friendly activities will include options like cookie baking and decorating; yoga; stargazing; and even a TikTok dance workshop.
Concurrently, the brand is making alcoholic beverage options more accessible to its guests, debuting the Javelina Cantina bar at the Canyon Ranch Tucson in Arizona in February. The Javelina Cantina serves up beer, wine and tequila-based cocktails three days a week. And when the brand opens its Austin, Texas, resort in 2026, that property will also offer a bar. (Previously, beer and wine had only been available at the Canyon Ranch Woodside in California, and only since 2019.)
Greece-based Domes Resorts is growing its Mediterranean footprint at a rapid clip, averaging about three openings per year. The luxury brand currently has more than a dozen properties in its stable, with its most recent addition being the 91 Athens Riviera, which opened on June 15 along the Athenian Riviera just south of Athens. The property is a glamping-style concept, featuring 28 "Luxents," or luxury tent accommodations.
The 40-room Il Sereno Hotel in Lake Como, Italy, has seen U.S. demand explode since the pandemic, and this summer is no exception. But while the property's rates jumped more dramatically between 2022 and 2023, this year's increases have been more moderate. (Most entry-level accommodations for this year's high season, which runs from mid-May to mid-September, are hovering at around 2,400 euros per night, according to an Il Sereno Hotel spokesperson.)
And with demand running high, the property is ramping up its boating amenities, announcing plans to launch a second Vaporina del Lago water limousine next season. The hotel also offers three Riva Jetto motorboats, available exclusively for guest use.
The Fontainebleau Miami Beach is targeting a fall completion of its Coastal Convention Center, which will comprise 45,000 square feet of meetings and event space, including a 16,500-square-foot grand ballroom. The hotel also wrapped a renovation of its Chateau category rooms late last year, with a revamp of its Versailles Tower rooms and presidential suites set to follow in the latter part of this year.