With the millennial generation holding an increasingly substantial amount of influence in the hospitality industry, many of the world’s largest hotel brands have become all too aware of the average young person’s desire for individualized travel experiences. As a result, companies like Marriott International and Hilton have begun to create new brands within their brands that are aimed at recreating the experience one would find at a boutique hotel, replicating signature boutique touches like local aesthetics, individualized attention, and a heavy emphasis on all the latest innovations in tech.
As a result, of course, this has led to some of these brands, including Moxy Hotels, focusing on style over size. This, however, does not mean that the day of the massive megahotel is dead. In fact, according to information from the TOPHOTELPROJECTS database, there are some truly stunning (and absolutely gigantic) hotels in the international project pipeline, destined to make their very serious presence on the international scene felt.
Let’s take a look at a sample of large hotel projects (defined as 300 rooms or more) currently in the pipeline across the globe:
Atlantis, Sanya Hainan
This hotel, which has 1,300 rooms, is a part of the ocean park of Sanya, located in coastal China, and it is currently in the pre-opening stage of progress, meaning it is slated to make its debut very soon. Overlooking the stunning South China Sea, Atlantis will offer a sense of awe-inspiring discovery, spread across 62 hectares. Guests here will find water play in the Aquaventure Waterpark, exotic marine exhibits and dining experiences on par with the best in the world.
Grand Hyatt San Francisco International Airport
With 351 soundproofed guest rooms (including 21 suites), the Grand Hyatt San Francisco International Airport is about as far as one can get from a boutique hotel, especially considering that this estimated $160 million project is located at the city’s airport. Slated to open in the third quarter of 2019, this hotel will feature direct connectivity to AirTrain Station, 15,200 square feet of net meeting space, a 90-seat three-meal restaurant, two bars, a grab and go market, in-room dining, a 2,700-square-foot fitness center, a 215-space surface parking lot, and lush native landscaping and green areas. Simply put, this hotel is so large and comprehensive that it stands a chance of making even the trendiest millennial forget why he or she ever liked boutique hotels so much in the first place.
Aquis Great Barrier Reef Resort
This is actually a resort made up of eight separate hotels with a total of 7,500 luxury rooms. This project is slated to open in two stages, with the first including an artificial lake and island, a casino and all eight of the hotels. The first stage will also boast retail shopping options, an aquarium, a theater, an actual reef lagoon, an outdoor sport and recreation facility with an 18-hole golf course, and a convention center. The second stage will bring three additional hotels, a second casino, more shopping and another theater, as well as a rainforest area.
Center Parcs Allgau
The plan for this German resort is to build a holiday resort with as many as 1,000 rooms on a former military area located in scenic Leutkirch. The project, which is estimated to cost a total of $178 million, is slated to open in the first quarter of 2019. It is part of an ongoing hotel construction boom in Germany that has seen the country surge ahead as the leader in Europe in terms of having the most projects in its pipeline.
Marina Resort Chbika
Chbika, originally known as Chbika Sahara Atlantique, has been master-planned to include three or more total hotels with 1,851 apartments and villas, a town center, a marina with berths for 100 boats, a sports center, a spa, a medical center, and a tournament-worthy golf course. It is located in Chbika along the Atlantic coast in a remote part of southwestern Morocco near the town of Tan-Tan, making it a unique and scenic destination.