ARTIC has officially opened the transformed Crowne Plaza Manhattan Times Square in Midtown Manhattan. The 22-story hotel at 790 Seventh Avenue has 685 guestrooms and suites, with Times Square, Rockefeller Center and Broadway nearby. The renovation covers guestrooms, dining areas, meeting spaces and event facilities.A new Manhattan Level includes suites with views of the New York skyline, while the 22nd-floor Broadway Suite adds another premium option. Highgate operates the hotel under the IHG Hotels & Resorts Crowne Plaza brand. Read more

PENN Entertainment and NASCAR are partnering on a new Tribute Portfolio hotel at Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway. The approximately 140-room hotel is expected to open in 2028 and will connect directly to the casino's west entrance. Prime Group US will finance and develop the property, while Shaner Hotels will operate it. The hotel will sit within the Village West area, close to Kansas Speedway, Children's Mercy Park and other major attractions. Read more.

New York City's hotel housekeepers have secured an eight-year labor agreement that will sharply increase wages. The contract sets a path from just under $40 an hour to more than $61 an hour by 2034. Union officials say annual earnings will pass $100,000 by the sixth year, with top pay reaching about $110,000 by 2034. Hotel owners will also continue to cover health care costs for 27,000 union members and their families.The agreement avoided a threatened strike during a period expected to bring heavy tourism to New York. Read more.

Field & Stream Lodge Co. is adding two outdoor-focused properties in Bend, Oregon, and Big Bear, California. The Bend property will have 151 rooms after the former Shilo Inn is renovated, while the Big Bear property will have 148 rooms. Both hotels are scheduled to open in 2028 and follow the brand's debut in Bozeman, Montana. The locations were selected for their access to skiing, hiking, biking, fishing and other outdoor activities. Read mor.

Entrepreneur Oliver Cookson is investing £60 million to develop The Oliver, a 167-room hotel in Manchester, England. The property will transform the Grade II-listed former Shena Simon campus on Whitworth Street into a luxury hotel. It will operate as part of Hilton's Curio Collection and marks the brand's debut in Northern England. Plans include a destination restaurant, gym and other wellness facilities. Cookson says the project will restore the historic building while creating a hotel closely connected to Manchester. Read more.

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