The Shelbourne,
Dublin, Ireland’s most storied hotel, reopened March 12
under Marriott’s Renaissance brand. The 265-room property, where
Michael Collins signed the Irish Constitution, was completely
restored -- except for the famous Horseshoe Bar, which was left as
is. The hotel has 11 meeting rooms comprising 10,000 square feet of
meeting space.
Richard Branson, owner
of Necker Island, a private luxury retreat in the British Virgin
Islands, purchased nearby Moskito Island and plans to build a
luxury eco-resort. The 120-acre island will have Balinese-style
accommodations and will be entirely carbon-neutral; a project
timeline had not been set as of press time.
Coach Inc., seller of
high-end leather goods popular as merchandise rewards, announced it
will no longer sell its products at a discount to end users through
corporate accounts. The purpose, according to Coach, is to “ensure
that the company has more control over where Coach product is
ultimately sold, in order to certify that it is through authorized
distribution in image-enhancing locations.”