Marriott International has opened a property in Dubai, the UAE debut for its long-stay brand Residence Inn. In a prime city district with views of the Burj Khalifa, the Residence Inn by Marriott Al Jaddaf has 134 units, including spacious studios, one and two-bedroom suites, and three-bedroom duplex suites. Many have private terraces and impressive views and all have full kitchens, large bathrooms and separate living and working spaces. 

Gray Dawes has added Grapevine’s AI engine to its online booking tool, YourTrip, to create YourTrip+. Once travellers have booked their flight or train tickets, they will automatically receive recommendations for hotels, transfers and restaurants both before and during their trip, based on their previous individual choices and adhering to their company’s travel policy.

Sofitel has expanded its ‘Test and Rest’ package to its central London hotel, Sofitel London St James. It follows the recent introduction of the package at its properties at Gatwick and Heathrow. It means guests will be able to visit any Sofitel hotel in the UK and book an overnight stay together with a self-administered saliva-based PCR Covid-19 test kit.

Nina & Pinta has appointed Michele Delgado and Shalini Iyer to its North American team. Delgado was previously VP of Branch Operations East and Central Region at Protravel and joins as a Consultant and Director of Training. Iyer joins as Director of Business Development and Training Consultant with more than 16 years of experience in sales, marketing, revenue management and operations for hotel brands including Marriott Starwood and Hyatt.

Wyndham Hotels & Resorts will open the Hotel Avenue Louise Brussels later this month after a €2.6 million refurbishment. The group’s first Trademark Collection by Wyndham hotel in Belgium, the hotel is situated in the heart of the city – a 20-minute walk from the Eurostar terminal – and will have 78 spacious and soundproofed guest rooms and a rooftop business centre.