Where to Stay: New hotels in Bangkok, New York, Melbourne and more…

Mercure Bangkok Makkasan

Location: Next to Makkasan station, the main downtown hub for Bangkok’s Airport Rail Link
Grade: Upper-midscale
Keys: 180
Facilities: Outdoor pool with bar, fitness centre, restaurant, lounge
Meeting space: Three meeting rooms
They say: “Mercure offers an authentic experience that is rooted in the local surroundings and Mercure Bangkok Makkasan is located in the area’s century-old railway heritage”
We say: Makkasan isn’t a perfectly central location, but it is extremely well connected to the city’s BTS, MRT and airport rail networks, so this hotel will be ideal for short-stay business travellers
Opening: Already open

Hyatt Centric Waikiki

Location: In the former Waikiki Trade Center on Kuhio Avenue, 14km from Honolulu International Airport
Grade: Upscale
Keys: 230
Facilities: Restaurant and bar, outdoor seating with fire pits, 24-hour fitness area, pool, retail area
Meeting space: Small lobby meeting space
They say: “Our vision for this hotel was to create a unique, forward-looking offering for travellers that seek to incorporate exploration into their international experience”
We say: Hyatt’s latest lifestyle brand arrives in Hawaii, and the impressive revamp of this central landmark should provide an attractive new option for visitors
Opening: Already open

Best Western The Lagoon Hotel

Location: Overlooking the Bay of Manado, close to the centre of the city on the northern tip of Indonesia’s Sulawesi Island
Grade: Midscale
Keys: 187
Facilities: Restaurant, spa, fitness centre, outdoor swimming pool
Meeting space: Extensive conference and banqueting space, including a large ballroom
They say: “Best Western The Lagoon Hotel [is] an impressive hotel that belies its midscale status with a wealth of amenities and facilities for both business and leisure travellers”
We say: The hotel’s views over Bay of Manado and offshore islands should be appealing to guests seeking to take advantage of the area’s famed scuba diving and snorkelling opportunities
Opening: Already open

Luma Hotel Times Square

Location: A newly-built hotel on 41st Street in New York, close to Broadway
Grade: Upper-upscale
Keys: 130
Facilities: Tapas restaurant, bar, fitness centre
Meeting space: Unspecified
They say: “Luma Hotel Times Square shines a new light in the neighborhood, proudly welcoming guests with a contemporary and innovative approach to hospitality”
We say: Contemporary Spanish style, which extends to offering free sangria in the lobby, should set this modern hotel apart from the competition
Opening: Already open

Hotel Gracery Kyoto Sanjo South

Location: Within the Teramachi Kyogoku and Shin Kyogoku shopping arcades – Kyoto’s historical covered streets
Grade: Midscale
Keys: 97
Facilities: Restaurant, guest lounge, laundry, and a corridor dedicated to Kabuki, the ancient Japanese theatrical art
Meeting space: Unspecified
They say: “The hotel stands next to Hotel Gracery Kyoto Sanjo North, which the company opened in July 2016. Both moderately-priced hotels were constructed in adjacent lots, strategically complementing each other”
We say: New hotel takes the total inventory of the complex to 225 keys. Should be a good affordable option in the historic Japanese city
Opening: Already open

Novotel Melbourne South Wharf

Location: Next to the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre
Grade: Upper-midscale
Keys: 347
Facilities: Novotel Gourmet Bar and Food Exchange F&B concepts
Meeting space: Unspecified, but next to major conference centre
They say: “Significant investment in infrastructure such as this Novotel hotel will further increase the capacity for Melbourne to attract significant events, conferences and exhibitions”
We say: New-build hotel likely to become a popular choice for MICE delegates
Opening: Q1 2018

Hotel Indigo Melbourne Docklands

Location: Melbourne’s heritage-listed Docklands waterfront precinct
Grade: Upper-upscale
Keys: 170
Facilities: Large resort-style pool, fitness centre, street-facing restaurant and bar
Meeting space: Meeting room and boardroom
They say: “We expect Hotel Indigo Melbourne Docklands to become a leading lifestyle hotel in Melbourne, differentiating itself from other hotel offerings in the city thanks to the brand’s entirely unique style”
We say: Melbourne’s Docklands area gets yet another new development. All rooms in the new hotel will offer views of the water, which should attract guests, as should the Hotel Indigo brand’s local style
Opening: 2019