U2's Bono gets permission to redevelop Clarence hotel and other international hotel news

U2's Bono gets permission to redevelop Clarence hotel U2's Bono and The Edge have been given the go-ahead for their controversial redevelopment plans of the Clarence hotel in Dublin. However the board has granted permission under the proviso that the public has access to the fabled Sky bar, which is an intrinsic part of the plans. U2 members along with property developer Paddy McKillen can now begin work on the €150m project to quadruple the size of the building and transform it into a nine-storey, 140-bedroom, five-star hotel, designed by Gherkin architect Norman Foster. The project had caused outrage amongst conservationists because it involves the destruction of the 19th century art-deco listed building. A legal action aimed at overturning the permission is said to be "likely".

Rezidor opens Radisson SAS hotel in Jordan The Rezidor group has opened its new property in Jordan the Radisson SAS Tala Bay resort, Aqaba. The new build hotel is owned by Shatea Al-Kamar for Tourism Investment company in the south of Jordan and comprises 336 rooms. The hotel also features a selection of restaurants and bars, including an all-day restaurant Aziab, Heatwave, a modern outdoor restaurant serving Mediterranean food, Kenzi an indoor lounge, the in-pool Dugout Bar and the Sunset Deck serving grilled food and offering guests traditional Shisha. There are also five pools, a fitness centre, and water sports facilities.

Hotel Concorde in Paris awarded four-star status The hotel Concorde in Montparnasse Paris has been awarded its fourth star after an investment of €800,000 (£637,000) in the past six months. The fourth star means it is at the highest grading in France, which does not award five-star status. The hotel originally opened in 2004 under the Bleu Marine three-star brand and was later introduced into the Concorde Hotels & Resorts portfolio in 2005. Following the investment, the lobby has been redesigned, and a new mezzanine devoted to business guests has been built.

A new Peninsula Hotel planned for central Paris Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels (HSH) has entered into an agreement with Qatari Diar Real Estate Investment Company (QD) for a proposed hotel development in Paris. The building is located near the Arc de Triomphe and has until now been used as the Centre International de Conferences. The proposal means HSH would purchase a 20% share of the asset from QD and subsequently redevelop the building as a Peninsula hotel. The purchase of the asset and costs of redevelopment is expected to be in the region of €140m (£111m) with an opening date of 2012.

SSP sign agreement for all Terminal 3 outlets in Abu Dhabi airport
Food and beverage operator SSP has signed an agreement with Abu Dhabi Airports granting them exclusive management of all Abu Dhabi's airport outlets within the new Terminal 3 building. The contract means that SSP will commence its operations from the opening of the airport's Terminal 3 in October 2008. Brands included at the airport will be Burger King, Sahten (Lebanese food), Gino's Pizza, Yum Cha (Chinese), Upper Crust, Segafredo, Café Ritazza, Hippopotamus and SSP's new bakery brand Panopolis. SSP currently operates in 130 airports, 30 countries and manages over 2,000 restaurants, bars, cafes, convenience stores and food courts worldwide.

By Gemma Sharkey

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