St. Regis Dubai, The Palm Confirms Nov. 1 Reopening at Full Inventory
St. Regis Dubai, The Palm will reopen November 1 after a roughly six-month renovation, retaining its full 290-key count (264 rooms plus 26 suites) on Palm Jumeirah. The property's six-restaurant St. Regis Gardens lineup, anchored by three-Michelin-star Trèsind Studio, remains the headline amenity carrying the brand through closure and into peak winter season. For advisors, this locks a firm date for rebooking clients displaced during the closure window and confirms inventory won't shrink post-renovation — useful for setting expectations on room categories and F&B reservations, which will likely see strong demand once Trèsind Studio and the property reopen ahead of Dubai's high season.
- Reopens November 1, 2026 after ~6-month renovation
- 290 keys unchanged: 264 rooms + 26 suites
- Six restaurants including 3-Michelin-star Trèsind Studio
Shangri-La to Convert Historic Kyoto Site Near Nijo Castle
Shangri-La is moving into Kyoto with a conversion of a historic site near Nijo Castle into a new ultra-luxury flagship, extending the chain's push deeper into Japan's highest-demand luxury market. No opening date or rate positioning has been disclosed yet, but the move adds a marquee Asia-luxury address to a portfolio already well known to US advisors booking premium Japan itineraries. Advisors with clients planning multi-year-out Kyoto trips should flag this as a property to watch as details firm up — historic-building conversions in Kyoto tend to carry restricted inventory and command premium rates once they open, so early awareness helps with positioning against competing luxury options in the city.
ALL Accor+ Explorer Subscription Expands to 10 More Countries
Accor's paid loyalty subscription, ALL Accor+ Explorer, is expanding into 10 additional countries — including markets in the Middle East and Pakistan — starting October 1, 2026. The program bundles perks like room upgrades and F&B credits for a subscription fee, and broadening its footprint gives advisors more markets where they can position Accor loyalty benefits as part of a client's overall value proposition, particularly for travelers based in or connecting through the newly added countries. It's a incremental but steady expansion of Accor's subscription-loyalty push rather than a one-off promotion, and worth noting for clients who travel frequently within the Accor network across these regions.