Thanks! Just staying one night before transferring to a couple of rentals in Sidi Bou Said and the Medina. Our flight touches down just before midnight and it's close to the airport.

Surprisingly, I booked a Jr Suite for less than 22K points. Perhaps that's because it's recently opened... I've spent more on basic entry rooms at the airport AC in South San Francisco.

It's booked under my girlfriend's account, but I'm calling Marriott now to see if I can get the name changed on the certificate so I can get upgraded to a full suite with my Platinum benefits. I guess it's only one night, but I'd like to get my 4pm checkout.

Marriott San Antonio Airport (TX) is now open - this appears to be a re-branding (and likely renovation) of the former Holiday Inn SAT Airport. Interesting as it is very close to the San Antonio Marriott Northwest (also a former Holidome Holiday Inn).

https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotel...port/overview/

I actually prefer the design of the junior suites better. Every one of the staff members are great. Because of low occupancy due to the hotel currently being an unknown entity, breakfast is served in a somewhat à la carte manner. Basically you order eggs and any and all assortment of cold cuts, cheese, yogurt, fresh fruits, breads, pastries and juices can be brought to your table. Your own personal buffet, if you will. At least that was my experience in the opening week. Pity you'll miss the buffet dinner spread. It was quite something during Ramadan with locals eager to try a new venue filling the tables.

The Marriott Geneva Airport (Switzerland) is now taking reservations as of July 14, 2022. I pass in front of it every morning and it doesn't look really ready to open though... :p

Rack rate seems to be CHF 356 with prepaid rates at CHF 268 for now.... Way more than I was expecting for the location....
https://www.marriott.com/hotels/trav...arriott-hotel/

That is a lot. I’ve got an award reservation for the nearby Crowne Plaza for this summer where the cash rate would have been 153 CHF.

Departure of the Marriott Okinawa Resort and Spa
 

The Marriott in Nago City, home to, at 170m, the largest garden pool in the prefecture, has left the chain, and is now the Oriental Hotel Okinawa Resort and Spa, one of the two Hotel Management Japan Group properties in the prefecture, the other being the Hotel Nikko Alivila Yomitan Resort Okinawa.

This property now exists not in a search for Bonvoy hotels in Okinawa:
https://www.marriott.co.jp/hotel-sea....japan.travel/

Although a Google search would direct you to this link:
https://www.okinawa.oriental-hotels.com/

JR East has announced it plans to open a JW Marriott in Tokyo near Shinagawa Station. They are currently targeting Spring 2025 for opening.
Hopefully foreign tourists will be able to visit by then.

More info here

Munich is getting a lot of love right now. After the JW, which has been announced the past week, another new hotel in the pipeline is scheduled to open in February next year:
Munich Marriott West Hotel is looking quite interesting with spa/pool facilities and five F&B options.

I had seen the Marriott Plaza San Antonio had been closed for a while - apparently, the property is being completely renovated and will reopen sometime in 2023 as The Otis Hotel, San Antonio. This will be an Autograph Collection property. It is owned by the same firm, White Lodging, that owns The Otis Hotel in Austin, also an Autograph Collection.

I'm a big fan of the Otis in Austin, so I'm excited about this new development in San Antonio.

Reference: https://www.expressnews.com/business...n-16825314.php

https://www.thehotelconversation.com...western-sydney

The much anticipated Western Sydney Airport is getting a Courtyard in 2026.

Was really amazed that five! F&D outlets exist there until upon checking the website and found only a formal Japanese fine dining restaurant, an casual Italian restaurant, and a casual barbecue restaurant.

W Milan - Duomo and W Naples have been announced today for Milan and Naples, Italy. The Milan property will be a rebranding of the former Palazzo Matteotti on Corso Giacomo Matteotti 4/6, and will reopen with 166 rooms and 36 suites designed by Yabu Pushelberg, while the Naples property will be a redevelopment of a former bank on Piazza del Municipio and will open with 78 rooms and 17 suites designed by the Rockwell Group.

Both hotels are planned to open in 2024.

khabah

It’s encouraging to see 20% of the rooms at each property are suites. Hopefully that’ll translate well into SNA / Elite UG chances.

https://www.zawya.com/en/press-relea...mpany-l6bpqum6

This new Ritz-Carlton Reserve in Saudi's Red Sea looks phenomenal.

A W hotel in Milan has been on the cards for as long as I remember. This is a different development but I’ll believe it when I see it.

Many W hotels seem to get announced and just never materialise (W Belgrade, W Budapest, W Marrakesh, W Sharm El Sheikh, W Phuket)