2 new Ritz-Carlton hotels + New W in Amsterdam + Another Marriott for Osaka

After a six-year renovation and improvement project, the Cairo hotel that used to be the Nile Hilton has reopened as The Nile Ritz-Carlton. The five-star, 331-room Ritz-Carlton, located downtown between the river and Tahrir Square, has four restaurants, three bars, a round-the-clock fitness center, Olympic-sized outdoor pool, a spa and salon. Guest rooms offer high-speed Internet, 47-inch TV, minibar, tea/coffee machine, and 24-hour room service is available. Standard rates start at $320.

Marriott’s Ritz-Carlton brand is adding another new affiliate: Effective December 16, the prestigious Hotel de la Paix in Geneva, Switzerland will become a Ritz-Carlton partner hotel — i.e., it will become a part of the Ritz-Carlton group, but will retain its existing identity. But after the property undergoes an “extensive renovation” in 2016, reducing the number of guest accommodations to 75 suites, it will be rebranded as The Ritz-Carlton, Hotel de la Paix Geneva. The hotel, which dates back to 1865, has played host to royalty and celebrities for most of its history.

The newest of Starwood’s trendy W Hotels to open its doors is the W Amsterdam, located downtown close to Dam Square and the Royal Palace. The W Amsterdam currently numbers 172 rooms in the city’s old Telephone Exchange building, and will add 66 more rooms early next year in the former KAS Bank building. The W Amsterdam has 21 suites, including three over-the-top WOW suites and two even grander Extreme Wow suites. On top of the Exchange building is the W Lounge, with outdoor terraces, a rooftop pool (the first in the city, and heated in winter) and a rooftop bar and restaurant. Rates start around $400.

In Japan, Marriott has cut the ribbon on a new Courtyard by Marriott in Osaka. It’s located next to the Shin Osaka Bullet Train Station, where guests can ride the rails in just 30 minutes to Kyoto or Kobe. The hotel has 332 rooms ranging from 30 to 90 square meters; an all-day restaurant with international cuisine and a Japanese Teppanyaki-style restaurant. It also has a 24-hour fitness center and three meeting rooms. Rates start at $174.

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