Latest news with #Viceroy
Al Etihad
20-05-2025
- Business
- Al Etihad
ADNOC L&S partners with REGENT to trial high-speed electric seagliders for offshore transportation
20 May 2025 16:46 ABU DHABI (WAM)ADNOC Logistics and Services plc (ADNOC L&S), a global energy maritime logistics leader, has selected US-based REGENT's electric seaglider for a proof-of-concept trial to assess the craft's suitability for transporting personnel to and from offshore energy announcement was made at the 'Make it in the Emirates' event, currently taking place in Abu 'Viceroy' seaglider – a next-generation maritime craft – combines the speed of an aircraft with the convenience of a boat, offering high-speed, zero-emission proof-of-concept is the first phase in a potential multi-stage deployment that could see the technology incorporated more widely across ADNOC L&S's offshore logistics will manufacture its electric seagliders in the UAE. It will also provide aftermarket services such as maintenance, boosting local manufacturing capabilities and strengthening the UAE's industrial base. The proof-of-concept trial will also be managed by a UAE-based seaglider operator, delivering additional in-country value and positioning the UAE as a hub for advanced maritime Abdulkareem Al Masabi, CEO of ADNOC L&S, said, 'ADNOC L&S is committed to adopting innovative technologies that enhance the safety, sustainability and efficiency of our operations. This proof-of-concept trial with REGENT's seagliders marks an important milestone in our journey to decarbonise offshore logistics, while supporting 'Make it in the Emirates' through the development of future-ready maritime capabilities in the UAE.'The Viceroy can carry up to 12 passengers or 1,600 kilograms of cargo and is capable of speeds up to 300 kilometers per hour (180mph) for routes up to 300km. Its ability to operate in multiple modes – floating, foiling and flying – offers unique versatility and comfort for offshore with helicopters, the craft provides up to 80% lower operational costs and is equipped with advanced sensors and automated controls to ensure safe and reliable Thalheimer, Co-founder and CEO of REGENT, said, 'REGENT could ask for no better end user for seagliders in the UAE than the largest energy producer in the country and leader in innovation and sustainability. Seagliders will drastically reduce the time, cost, and emissions of offshore energy logistics, and we look forward to working together to set a new standard for the energy industry.' The proof-of-concept trial aligns with ADNOC Group's broader Net Zero by 2045 ambition and supports the UAE's strategic objectives to foster innovation, sustainability and national industrial growth.
Hospitality Net
15-05-2025
- Business
- Hospitality Net
The Harriman, a Viceroy Resort Scheduled for June 2026 Opening
Viceroy is proud to announce the debut of The Harriman, a Viceroy Resort, set to open in June 2026 at the southeast corner of Main Street and River Street East—the gateway to downtown Ketchum, Idaho. Just minutes from Bald Mountain's River Run base, the resort marks Sun Valley's first luxury hotel and for-sale residence offering, bringing Viceroy's signature experiential hospitality to one of North America's most iconic, year-round mountain destinations. The Harriman is named in tribute to W. Averill Harriman, Chairman of the Union Pacific Railroad, who was instrumental in the creation of Sun Valley Resort in 1936. His goal was to find the ideal location in the American West to develop a European-style winter sports destination that could be easily serviced by the Union Pacific's national rail network. Today, Harriman's legacy is woven into the resort's DNA, from its mountain spirit to its refined design and strong sense of place. The hotel will also serve as a gathering space for both guests and locals. A mountain-modern food and beverage program will include a full-service restaurant, zinc-clad bar, café and ski concierge, seasonal terrace and bar, and 3,275 square feet of meeting and event space. The kitchen will highlight local purveyors and Idaho-grown produce, beef, dairy, and fish. The Harriman builds on Viceroy's global growth in high-end outdoor destinations, following recent expansion in Portugal's Algarve region. More details on the opening and launch events will be shared in the coming months. Hotel website
Skift
13-05-2025
- Business
- Skift
U.S. Tourism Optimism, Aviation Infrastructure Woes and Viceroy Expansion Plans
For today's podcast we look at April tourism numbers in the U.S. as well as airline traffic control issues, and wrap up the pod with a glimpse at Viceroy's expansion plans. Skift Daily Briefing Podcast Listen to the day's top travel stories in under four minutes every weekday. Listen to the day's top travel stories in under four minutes every weekday. Skift Travel Podcasts Good morning from Skift. It's Tuesday, May 13. Here's what you need to know about the business of travel today. Visits to the U.S. from 20 major countries — most notably those in Western Europe — rebounded in April after a March drop, writes Global Tourism and Experiences Reporter Jade Wilson. Visits from Western Europe increased 12% from last April, according to data published Monday by the U.S. International Trade Administration. Travel to the U.S. from Germany and the United Kingdom increased substantially in April — around 15% for each country. Visits from Germany were down about 28% in March. Overall inbound travel to the U.S. increased close to 3% in April. However, Wilson notes the data does not include visits from Canada, which have declined sharply in recent months and make up the largest percentage of international tourist by country. Listen to This Podcast Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Youtube | RSS Next, the U.S.' aging air traffic control system is facing increased scrutiny following a series of disruptions at Newark International Airport. Airlines Reporter Meghna Maharishi delves into the federal government's plan to improve the air traffic control system. Maharishi writes that the airline industry has long struggled with outdated technology and staffing shortages, with the FAA roughly 3,000 air traffic controllers short of its staffing goal. These issues have led United Airlines to cut 35 daily round-trip flights out of Newark. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy recently said the federal government plans to spend billions to modernize the air traffic control system and push for more hiring. Those plans include building six new air traffic control towers, which Duffy said would take three to four years to complete. Finally, real estate investment firm Highgate is increasing its investment in luxury brand Viceroy with developments in new markets, writes Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O'Neill. Viceroy plans to open The Harriman in Sun Valley, Idaho, in the summer of 2026. Richard Russo, a principal at Highgate, said the property will be the 'first true luxury hotel' at the popular ski destination. O'Neill notes the project represents a strategic shift for Viceroy, which Highgate acquired in 2023. Once known for urban boutique hotels, Viceroy is now targeting wealthy leisure travelers in outdoor destinations. In addition, Highgate expects to open more Viceroy-branded residences in the coming years.
Skift
12-05-2025
- Business
- Skift
Highgate Expands Viceroy With Sun Valley Launch, Branded Residences — Exclusive
Highgate is pivoting Viceroy away from just creating urban boutique hotels. Viceroy will also now chase the elite at resort destinations. Expect more branded residences, too. Three years after acquiring Viceroy Hotel Group, real estate investment firm Highgate is ramping up its investment in the luxury brand with new developments in new markets. Viceroy plans to open The Harriman in Sun Valley, Idaho, in summer 2026, according to Richard Russo, a principal at Highgate. The property will be the "first true luxury hotel" in the popular ski destination and an announcement is expected later this week. 'Sun Valley has remained extremely exclusive due to its strict development regulations, which have kept new hotels from entering the market," Russo told Skift. "Our job will be to honor the laid-back authenticity while delivering refined, world-class service without over-commercializing what makes Sun Valley special.' The property will include 73 guest rooms, a spa, year-round plunge and thermal pools, and an observatory for guests to view the unusually clear night skies in the area. The project represents a strategic shift for Viceroy, which was acquired by real estate investment firm Highgate in 2023. Once known for urban boutique hotels, Viceroy is now targeting wealthy leisure travelers in outdoor destinations. Last fall, for example, the brand opened a hotel in Portugal's Algarve region, which executives said was its model for future design and development. Since the acquisition, Highgate, which manages over 500 hotels across many brands, has been on a hiring spree at Viceroy, adding new leaders across operations, marketing, distribution, design, and development. Viceroy Brickell Residences in Florida. Source: Related Group Branded Residential Push The Sun Valley hotel will also come with a dozen condo-style units where owners can access hotel-style amenities, from room service to housekeeping, on demand. That's part of Highgate's broader effort to create more residences under the Viceroy brand. 'While pricing can vary based on location, unit size, and view, current listings for Viceroy-branded residences in Florida markets like Miami and Fort Lauderdale typically range from $1.5 million to over $8 million," said Arash Azarbarzin, CEO of Highgate. "These prices are generally 20–25% above comparable non-branded luxury properties." "We anticipate branded residential to represent a growing share of Viceroy's overall business, potentially reaching upwards of 30–40% over the next five years," Azarbarzin said. Viceroy currently operates properties in nine locations across Mexico, Colorado, St. Lucia, Serbia, California, Illinois, and Washington, D.C. Besides adding one in Sun Valley, Idaho, others are in the works. "We look forward to sharing new, brand-defining projects in the coming months,' Russo said. Viceroy Bets on Experiences in Overhaul of Luxury Hotel Brand Viceroy, a collection of hotels and resorts, has rebranded. It now promises to curate luxury experiences that will be consistently top-tier and locally immersive, from Portuguese beekeeping to glassblowing in Los Cabos. Read More
Times
06-05-2025
- Times
Inside St Lucia's £53k-a-night luxury villa
The beautiful Caribbean island of St Lucia, a peaceful haven long beloved by Brits, has never sought to become a hotspot for the international rich, unlike the French billionaire and celebrity magnet that is St Barts or neighbouring Mustique, where Princess Margaret was a regular and the Waleses are known to escape to. And that's not to mention such nearby touristy islands such as Antigua, Barbados and Turks and Caicos. St Lucia has extraordinary natural volcanic beauty — the territory is lush with vegetation and waterfalls, as well as mud baths and sulphur springs on its southernwest side, whose sickeningly sweet scent wafts through the air as you drive past. But it has seemingly preferred to hide its hospitality offering under a bushel, allowing that scenery to take centre stage instead. There are a handful of five-star hotels on the island, notably the vauntingly flash Jade Mountain (it featured in an episode of the BBC's Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond the Lobby), which has a collection of private villas for rent. But still, St Lucia has somehow managed to define itself as other than just a playground for the privileged. Jade Mountain featured in Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond the Lobby That might be about to change thanks to the Greens, a British family based in Bermuda who earlier this year unveiled Spice of Life, a 35,000 sq ft modern villa touted as the largest private residence in the Caribbean. It has been built in the grounds of the Viceroy Sugar Beach Hotel, acquired by the Greens in 2019, and sits beneath the Pitons, a Unesco world heritage site featuring two pointy volcanic mountains, or plugs, which reach heights of more than 2,000ft and whose summits lean into each other as if in conversation. Sugar Beach is the sort of classic hotel you'll find all over the region, low-built and classically Caribbean in style — albeit this one is set in more than 100 acres of rainforest. It was previously owned by another Brit, the Rolling Stones' accountant, Roger Myers, who bought it from Lord Glenconner, the man responsible for putting Mustique on the map in the Sixties. Advertisement • Read our full guide to St Lucia As a first-timer on the island I am floored by St Lucia's landscape which made me feel as if I've arrived on the set of Jurassic Park. I had no idea how spectacular it would be. I am equally struck by the St Lucians themselves and the passion they share for their homeland, from Sugar Beach's exemplary staff to the driver who accompanies me from the airport and gives me a nonstop, highly detailed commentary on the vegetation, rainforests, black sand beaches and buildings. St Lucia feels different from other Caribbean islands, somehow more rooted in itself and its culture. I am not surprised when I later find out that it has the highest ratio of Nobel laureates (two) to population of any sovereign country. Spice of Life is a 35,000 sq ft modern villa Spice of Life feels at first a bit like an anomaly. Devised by the Bermuda-based Botelho Wood Architects, it's a massive modernist construction in a prime position just above the beach, but never in full view of Sugar Beach itself. It brings to mind a spectacular Hollywood A-list type of stay and it comes with all the perks you might expect. It sleeps 18 and includes 24-hour butler service, two kitchens (one industrial-sized to cater for bigger events such as weddings or parties), 13 bathrooms, a private chef, an infinity pool, a children's playroom, an outdoor cinema, a gym and private beach access. Unusually, and perhaps idiosyncratically for a tropical setting, it is also crammed with a museum-worthy modern art collection, including works by Damien Hirst, Salvador Dalí, Yayoi Kusama, Anish Kapoor, Kaws, Michael Craig-Martin and Jeff Koons. Being removed from the main hotel works in Spice of Life's favour. Guests can keep to themselves but also use the hotel's facilities. But why would you want to leave? Spice of Life is not your ordinary holiday villa. It's more like a private mansion, a multilevel palace, the main sitting room of which is dominated by a large oval-shaped James Turrell light sculpture, its tone continually morphing, casting different colours on the 16-seat solid wood dining room table and the collection of abstract paintings by Hirst that line one of the walls. • I've finally found a holiday that pleases everyone — including teens Advertisement A blond-wood staircase leads up to the first floor, where there is a vast and airy collection of en suite bedrooms complete with bathrooms (with enormous outdoor showers) and dressing room, all in muted shades, save for the art and coffee-table books symmetrically arranged on low-level shelving. The walls are textured and tactile, embedded with large dove grey stones or swirly hessian designs. Each room is dominated by the money shot: the glittering Caribbean Sea and one of the Pitons looming skywards. The en suite bedrooms are airy and look onto the sea I'm visiting with a group and we spend our days sunbathing by the infinity pool, drinking cocktails or ambling down to the private beach. The villa has its own gym and the hotel's spa therapists are on hand for massages and treatments. But it is the exceptional cuisine of Spice of Life's dedicated chef that I look forward to most. It feels like eating in a high-end restaurant. • 16 of the best hotels in St Lucia The Greens, who also own the Hamilton Princess hotel in Bermuda, clearly have bigger plans for Sugar Beach. Along with a new racket club (including the now requisite padel and pickleball courts), there is a treehouse spa constructed by a Rastafarian craftsman using 900-year-old Carib-Indian techniques and the Cocoa Mill. This chalet-like hut near the beach is where guests can try a vast selection of the hotel's homemade chocolates, which reflect the island's cocoa trade, as well as take instruction on how to make chocolatey concoctions and truffles. Viceroy Sugar Beach Hotel sits beneath the Pitons I love my stay but can't help thinking there is a slight disconnect between Spice of Life and Sugar Beach. The main hotel's all-white accommodation of airy rooms and small villas with outdoor plunge pools dotted on the cliff face (accessed via winding trails blanketed by vegetation) is well appointed and luxurious. The main complex below, with its indoor and outdoor dining areas, swimming pool, four restaurants (all good), bar, marina and beach restaurant, needs a little 21st-century hospitality upgrade to align it with the luxury of Spice of Life. Advertisement Will the advent of Spice of Life move the dial and tilt St Lucia in the direction of its more fashionable neighbours? Perhaps — and not least because at present the island is a rare Caribbean destination not overrun with fancy restaurants and designer shops, or superyachts jamming its harbours. I imagine Spice of Life will attract a classier, more private wealthy travellerin search of peace, relaxation and Caribbean authenticity. Vassi Chamberlain was a guest of Spice of Life, which has one night's self-catering for 18 from £53,000 ( Fly to St Lucia This article contains affiliate links that can earn us revenue Where to stay and what to do in St Lucia By Siobhan Grogan Stay close to the capital, Castries, for the best choice of day trips and to visit the excellent market. Windjammer Landing Villa Resort and Residences is a ten-minute drive away but hidden among the rainforest, overlooking a beautiful white sand beach. Simple whitewashed rooms have wicker furniture and splashes of tropical orange, and all come with a balcony or terrace overlooking the sea. There's masses to do on-site including six swimming pools, daily fitness classes, a kids' club and an activity programme including hikes, silent discos and cooking classes. Restaurants include a casual beachside joint, a hillside Italian and a steakhouse (seven nights' B&B from £1,575pp, including flights and coach transfers; Windjammer Landing Villa Resort and Residences has an excellent activity programme The popular coastal town of Rodney Bay is 15-minutes' drive further north and one of the island's most tourist-friendly spots, with a great choice of restaurants, shops and bars. The Soco House is an adults-only hotel with Creole-inspired architecture, just off the beautiful Reduit beach. It has 76 all-white rooms over two floors, all with deep blue accents and a private balcony or deck. An outdoor pool has plush cabanas and a bar, while an included alfresco afternoon tea is served poolside daily. There's also a small spa, gym and an à la carte restaurant with a focus on local ingredients (seven nights' all-inclusive from £1,179pp, including flights; Advertisement Soufrière, on St Lucia's west coast, is the closest spot to the island's best-known attractions, including the twin-peaked Pitons and the geothermal La Soufrière volcano known as Sulphur Springs. The adults-only Ladera Resort is the only resort within the Unesco-listed Pitons site and all 37 suites have a three-walled, open-sided design offering knockout views of the peaks. Each one has details hand-crafted by local artisans in wood, stone and tile, with butler service and a heated plunge pool. Yoga, hikes, sunrise meditation and nature walks are all included and there's a free shuttle to nearby Sugar Beach (Seven nights' all-inclusive from £2,679pp, including flights; What to do Guided hikes are the best way to tackle the Pitons for panoramic views and easily accessible trails (£38; The smelly La Soufrière volcano is close by and described as the world's only drive-in volcano, with mineral-rich pools for DIY mud masks. Pricey tours are available but it's much cheaper to just pay the entrance fee on arrival (from £7). Most groups — including cruise ship tours — visit the often-crowded Toraille waterfall, but Latille falls is a much more peaceful option, with its waterfall-fed natural pool ideal for swimming deep in the rainforest (about £7). Other back-to-nature day trips include rainforest hikes to spot the rare St Lucia parrot and mangrove cuckoo (£64; or jungle zip-wiring at the base of La Sorciere mountain (£48; Boat trips are available year-round, but October to February is best for whale-watching, with cruises available from Castries (£64; La Soufrière is described as the world's only drive-in volcano ALAMY All the island's beaches are public, even if they're in front of a resort. Some of the loveliest include Anse Chastanet, which has fantastic snorkelling straight from the beach, the quiet Choc Bay and the rainforest-backed Jalousie Beach at the foot of the Pitons. Castries market is the best place for cheap eats and is open Monday to Saturday. No-frills stalls sell local dishes including lambi (conch stew) and accra (salt fish fritters) as well as coconut water straight from a coconut opened with a machete in front of you. For barbecued lobster, jerk chicken and rum punch, join the island's famous Jump Ups — free late-night street parties held each weekend in Gros Islet and Anse La Raye. Do you have a favourite stay in St Lucia? Share your recommendation in the comments
