Randall is Accor's North America luxury CDO. She previously led Hilton's luxury development group * Randall is Accor's North American luxury development chief. * She has experience in real estate and development. * She previously led Hilton's luxury development group. Kara Randall is chief development officer for Accor's luxury brands in North America. She will report to Agnès Roquefort, Accor's chief development officer for luxury and lifestyle. Randall previously served as vice president of Hilton Worldwide Holdings' luxury, residential and corporate development group for North America, supporting Waldorf Astoria, Conrad and LXR, Accor said in a statement. She has experience in hospitality, real estate and mixed-use development. Earlier, she held leadership roles in Hilton's real estate asset management and owner relations group. She will oversee development for Raffles, Fairmont, Sofitel Legend, Sofitel, Emblems Collection and MGallery Collection, the statement said. She will also join Accor's Global Development Committee and work with Edouard Schwob, senior vice president of global development for Raffles and Fairmont. "Beyond being home to some of our most iconic luxury properties and flagship destinations, North America is also one of the world's most important feeder markets for luxury travel," said Roquefort. "Strengthening our development capabilities in the region is essential to accelerating the growth, visibility, and long-term success of our luxury portfolio." Randall has led development projects and worked on deals, brand expansion and development strategy. She was an inaugural member of the Castell Project, a program focused on advancing women in hospitality. Separately, Accor recently appointed Vipin Khattar as chief commercial officer for South Asia.

Tempo by Hilton to make Germany debut at new Munich arena. By Iuliia Tore / Oct 5, 2026 / 3 minutes of reading Table of Contents Hilton is bringing its Tempo lifestyle brand to Germany for the first time, signing a 199-room hotel that will open alongside a major new concert arena at Munich Airport. Tempo by Hilton Munich Airport Arena is scheduled to open in 2029 on the MUNICH ARENA campus, with both the hotel and the entertainment venue expected to debut together. The development combines an airport hotel, lifestyle accommodation and live entertainment in a location beside one of Germany's busiest aviation hubs. Tempo by Hilton makes its Germany debut. The signing marks the first Tempo by Hilton property in Germany and adds another European destination to the relatively young lifestyle brand. Tempo currently has 86 hotels either operating or in development globally. European pipeline properties already include locations in Belfast city centre, Lisbon's Parque das Nações district and Reykjavik. The Munich hotel will have 199 guestrooms designed around the brand's focus on wellness, productivity and contemporary urban travel. Hotel will open beside a 20,000-capacity concert arena. MUNICH ARENA is being developed as a dedicated live-music venue at Munich Airport with capacity for approximately 20,000 fans. The project has a long-term strategic partnership with Live Nation and is being designed specifically around concerts, including acoustics, sightlines, touring-production infrastructure and backstage facilities. Hilton says the hotel is intended not only for conventional airport passengers but also for fans, artists, crews and other visitors attending events at the arena. The concept effectively allows concert-goers to stay on the same campus as the venue rather than travelling back into central Munich after an event. Rooftop bar and wellness-focused rooms. Tempo by Hilton Munich Airport Arena will include a ground-floor café, rooftop bar and fully equipped gym. The fitness area will offer cardio equipment, weights and a dedicated recovery zone. Guestrooms will feature Tempo's Get Ready Zone, incorporating a vanity mirror, desk and open wardrobe into a dedicated preparation space. The rooftop bar is planned to serve cocktails and small plates, creating an additional social space for arena visitors and airport travelers. Munich Airport handled more than 43 million passengers. The hotel also benefits from a large underlying airport market even outside concert dates. Munich Airport handled more than 43 million passengers in 2025, making it one of Europe's busiest international transport hubs. The management agreement has been signed with Allresto Munich Airport Hotel and Restaurants, a subsidiary of Munich Airport. Allresto has leased the hotel from SWMUNICH Accommodation, part of the MUNICH ARENA group. Hilton's October 2 announcement confirms the 199 rooms, 2029 opening, German debut and 86-property Tempo portfolio. Concert tourism becomes part of airport development. The project is unusual because the hotel is being developed as part of an entertainment campus rather than as a conventional standalone airport property. MUNICH ARENA's developers expect the venue to attract major international touring acts, creating additional demand for overnight stays from visitors travelling into Munich specifically for concerts. A Deloitte economic analysis cited by the developer forecasts approximately €350 million in annual gross value added once the arena is operating, including indirect and induced effects. The combination of international flights, accommodation and a large dedicated concert venue could make the campus a significant new event-tourism destination when it opens in 2029. Iuliia is the editor-in-chief and oversees all editorial content.She was born and raised in Kharkiv, Ukraine. Iuliia is passionate about all aspects of travel and tourism and holds a Master's degree in International Tourism Management.Iuliia Tore lives for two houses in Kharkiv and in Valencia, Spain, and loves spending time outdoors. Work aside, she has a passion for travel, painting, arts, food, and culture.

Hilton Garden Inn coming to Addis Ababa. (Posted 04th October 2026) The Ethiopian Investment Holdings (EIH) is developing a 150-key Hilton Garden Inn and wellness facility inside the existing Hilton Addis Ababa compound. The project is worth about $55 million, according to the holding company's announcement. EIH said the scheme will make better use of existing assets and expand quality hospitality offerings as the capital prepares to host the COP32 climate summit in November 2027. According to EIH, Elmi Olindo Contractors PLC has been commissioned as the design-and-build contractor, with ZIAS Architecture and Engineering as project consultant. Completion is targeted for October 2027, just weeks before the summit opens. That leaves little room for delay on a project meant to be in service for the event. The Hilton Hotel which is owned by EIH subsidiary Development & Hotels Company, and that the existing five-star hotel has around 370 rooms. The new hotel would therefore add roughly 40 percent to the compound's room count, on land EIH already owns. The announcement comes as the capital races to close a large accommodation gap. According to the Ethiopian News Agency (ENA), city officials say Addis Ababa has about 25,000 beds and aims to raise this to more than 80,000 through new construction and upgrades to existing hotels, guesthouses and serviced apartments. Recently MIDROC Investment Group CEO Jamal Ahmed as saying the group is mobilising resources to secure about 1,500 beds for COP32 delegates. Work has also resumed on the long-delayed Westin hotel project on African Union premises, which is expected to finish before the summit. The wider data point to a pipeline that is large by African standards. According to W Hospitality Group's 2026 Hotel Chain Development Pipelines in Africa report, Ethiopia has 5,964 rooms across 34 hotels in the pipeline, ranking fifth on the continent, with nearly 80 percent of those rooms already under construction. The report puts Africa's total pipeline at a record 123,846 rooms. Hilton, one of the five global groups that dominate that pipeline, is therefore adding to a market where international brands are expanding quickly.