Liran Wizman’s Sircle Hospitality Group plans major expansion and IPO, private luxury submarines could be the next big thing, and a landmark exhibition of Black artwork opens at the Met this weekend. All that and more in this week’s Five on Friday.
Move over superyachts, luxury submarines have entered the chat
The Migaloo M5 prototype, shown in a rendering
Austria-based Migaloo is looking to shake up the ultra-luxury market with a new type of vessel. The company released a preliminary design of its Migaloo M5, a more than 540-foot-long private submersible yacht with the ability to descend 800-plus feet below the ocean’s surface, Dezeen reports. The concept includes a helipad, swimming pool, gym and cinema, as well as multiple art galleries and a large salon with a DJ booth. “The needs of superyacht owners are more complex than ever,” says Migaloo CEO and chief designer Christian Gumpold. “They are looking for privacy, security, and protection for themselves, their guests and their valuables, or for the fulfilment of unique experiences up to scientific desires as well as for the greatest possible exclusivity.”
Sircle Hospitality Group plans to go public
Max Brown Hotels, part of the Sircle Collection of brands, recently opened its first Italian property in Milan; photo by Steve Herud
Sircle Hospitality Group, the Amsterdam-headquartered lifestyle company led by Liran Wizman, has merged with SMG European Recovery Group, Hotel Investment Today reports. The move readies Sircle to go public—with SMG’s parent company, SMG Holding, acting as IPO sponsor and investor—and grow its portfolio substantially. “With plans to open 100 hotels and the continuous expansion of our F&B offerings including Seven North Restaurant and Miznon in collaboration with celebrated chef Eyal Shani and our members’ club, the Cover, we’re set to raise standards and shape the future of lifestyle hospitality,” Wizman says.
The Met presents its first wide-ranging exhibition of Black art
Photo by Anna-Marie Kellen, courtesy the Met
Ahead of the February 25th opening of The Harlem Renaissance and Transatlantic Modernism exhibition at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, The New York Times co-chief art critic Hollander Cotter provides an in-depth review of the new show, which will be on view through July 28th. Cotter writes that the soon-to-open exhibit is a stark comparison to the Met’s much-criticized 1969 show Harlem on My Mind: Cultural Capital of Black America, 1900—1968. He refers to the museum’s second survey of Black art as “a whole other thing.” Cotter goes on, “It’s all art: more than 160 paintings, sculptures, and photographs, many quite fabulous. The museum isn’t framing the show as an institutional correction, though how can it be viewed otherwise? At the same time, it’s more than just that. It’s the start—or could be—in moving a still-neglected art history out of the wings and onto the main stage.”
Soho House’s financial struggles come into view
Soho House Mexico City launched in 2023; photo by Fernando Marroquin
Three years on the public stock exchange may have been enough for private members club Soho House. Earlier this month, short-seller GlassHouse Research released a damning report about the hospitality group, calling it a “company facing existential crisis.” Soho House’s response stated that it is considering strategic transactions, which could result in it going private again, writes Bloomberg. Since its IPO in 2021, Soho House shares have fallen approximately 60 percent and the group, which holds significant debt, is valued at just $1.1 billion. The club, founded by Nick Jones in 1995, has amassed about 185,000 members (and is currently not accepting new members) and operates more than 40 locations globally. Houses are set to open in Portland and Charleston this year.
We want to celebrate you!
Ashli Johnson of the Marriott-Sorenson Center for Hospitality Leadership received the 2023 Awards of Excellence recipient; photo by PWP Studio
While HD Awards submissions may have closed last week, there is still time to enter the sixth annual HD/West Elm Student Product Design Competition and the fourth annual Awards of Excellence, presented by the Hospitality Diversity Action Council (HDAC). Submissions for both programs are due Friday, March 15th. Winners will be honored at the 20th annual HD Awards ceremony on April 30th at the Four Seasons Hotel Las Vegas during HD Expo + Conference. Get your tickets today!
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