pa n o ra m a
Hotels + Hot Spots
The Siam The Thai pop music star Krissada Sukosol Clapp — known as “Noi” — is stepping into the hoteldevelopment scene, hoping to lure luxury guests to Thailand’s capital city with the launch of his new hotel, The Siam. ¶ The urban, artdeco-meets-Thai-fusion hotel was designed by renowned Bangkokbased architect Bill Bensley. Noi’s personal collection of art and antiques adorns each of the hotel’s 39 suites. Its restaurant comprises multiple traditional teakwood houses reassembled on The Siam’s grounds. ¶ Among the many amenities guests may enjoy are an outdoor yoga terrace, bath and tea houses, a Thai boxing training center, a private art gallery, and speedboat trips up the Chao Praya River. As the only hotel located in the Dusit district, The Siam offers close proximity to sites such as the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre, the Grand Palace, Pak Khlong flower market and the Temple of the Reclining Buddha. 18
selamtamagazine.com
Since opening in January 2012, the new Radisson BLU Addis Ababa, based in the Kazanchis business district, has rapidly become one of the capital city’s most popular destinations for business and diplomatic travelers. The five-star hotel offers 204 ultramodern rooms — including 44 businessclass rooms, 16 luxury suites and one presidential suite — plus an events center with nine meeting rooms and a luxurious spa and fitness center. The hotel also boasts an upscale French brasserie–style restaurant, contemporary bar and terrace, and a branch of the popular Tomoca coffee shop. The Ethiopian outpost of the Radisson BLU hotel chain is part of an aggressive African expansion plan being undertaken by the Rezidor Hotel Group to open Radisson BLU hotels in capital cities across the continent. Another such venture is Gabon's
Radisson Blu addis ababa
Okoume Palace Hotel in Libreville. Formerly one of the country’s premier hotels, the Okoume Palace Hotel is getting a US$40 million makeover, thanks to its new management by the Rezidor Hotel Group. The property will stay open as an unbranded hotel while undergoing renovation but will be re-branded in September 2013 as a 330-room Radisson BLU hotel and a 140-room Park Inn tower. The dual-branded complex will together offer five restaurants and bars, meeting facilities, a business-class lounge, gym and outdoor swimming pool. The Rezidor Hotel Group is one of the fastest-growing hotel companies in the world, boasting more than 425 hotels across 68 countries. Of those hotels, 44 are either in operation or under development in Africa. The relaunched hotel in Libreville will be the company’s first in Gabon.
Gabon's Okoume Palace Hotel