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Hurricane update. Sandals Resorts International said on
Wednesday that it is conducting comprehensive resort assessments following
Hurricane Melissa’s landfall in Jamaica on October 28, according to Travel
Weekly. The company has seven Sandals resorts and one Beaches resort in
Jamaica. Sandals added that it is “committed to providing all possible
support” to guests who have had their travel plans disrupted by the hurricane,
with an initial focus on contacting and offering rescheduling options to guests
who have reservations within the next two weeks. Sandals said all guests and
staff at its Jamaica properties are safe. According to the Jamaica Tourism
Board, both of the island’s main airports are closed as safety assessments
continue. Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston is expected to
reopen within the next 24 hours, while Sangster International Airport in
Montego Bay could resume operations by the end of the week.
Ratia
acquires in Florida. Doral, Florida-based Ratia Real Estate Development has acquired the 112-key
Doral Inn & Suites Miami in Florida from an undisclosed seller for $15.85
million. The financing for the acquisition loan was arranged by WD Capital
Group and Related ISG represented the seller in the transaction.
Hilton’s
100th hotel in Saudi Arabia. Hilton has surpassed 100 hotels trading and
in the pipeline in Saudi Arabia, representing a combined investment of $8
billion from hotel owners and investors. With a multi-brand rollout across 14 brands, Hilton plans to add more
than 22,000 rooms to the country’s portfolio. The company currently operates 21
hotels in KSA with another 83 in the pipeline.
Signature
Hotels acquired. Zurich-based Grand Metropolitan Hotels (GMH) has acquired London-based
Signature Hotels. The acquisition enables GMH to strengthen its position in
several key international markets, particularly in the U.K. and India, while
expanding its upscale hotel portfolio. While the financial terms of the deal
remain undisclosed, the acquisition is expected to significantly extend GMH’s
presence in regions including Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Southeast Asia
and the Indian subcontinent.
Four
Seasons adds in KSA. Four Seasons is partnering with Red Sea Global announce the 75-key Four Seasons
Private Residences Red Sea at Shura Island in Saudi Arabia. Comprised of 43
dune villas and 32 waterside villas, the project will open in 2026.
YTL
acquires in NZ. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia-based YTL Hotels has acquired the 225-key Hotel Indigo
Auckland in New Zealand for a record NZ$160. YTL Hotels, a subsidiary of
Malaysian conglomerate YTL Corp., represents the company’s first hotel
investment in New Zealand and is the second-largest hotel transaction in the
country this year. YTL is planning to expand in New Zealand.
Dreamscape
adds in Utah, Florida. Dallas-based Dreamscape Hospitality has added two properties to its
management portfolio: the Hampton Inn & Suites Bradenton Downtown Historic
District in Bradenton, Florida, and the Hyatt Place Park City in Park City,
Utah.
Extended-stay
hotel resilience. Extended-stay hotels further demonstrated the sector’s resilience in September, especially at lower price points, according to the Highland Group. Monthly RevPAR declines compared to
September 2024 for economy, mid-price and upscale extended-stay segments were
2.3%, 1.7% and 2% respectively. Extended-stay hotel’s powerful Q4 in 2024 will
be hard to exceed in 2025, so further declines in RevPAR are expected over the
next three months.
SF
hotel rebrands. The
421-key Grand Bay Hotel San Francisco has joined the Marriott
portfolio. The hotel has a full-scale renovation planned for 2026, ahead of an
official rebrand to the Marriott Redwood Shores in early 2027. The hotel is owned by Arden Group and managed
by Crescent Hotels & Resorts.
Past
AAHOA Chairman dies. AAHOA Past Chairman Jayantalil (JK) Patel died on October 28 at the age of 85.
Patel immigrated to the United States at the age of 38 from Kenya, with his
wife and two young children. He purchased his first hotel in 1979 in Aiken,
South Carolina. Since then, he has developed, owned, and operated numerous
hotels throughout the Southeast and founded North Point Hospitality in Atlanta.
During his tenure as AAHOA Chairman from 1996 to 1997, he laid the foundation
for stronger, more collaborative relationships between owners and
franchisors—an impact that continues to benefit the industry today.
Accor
adds in Makkah. Accor is partnering with Jeddah, Saudi Arabia-based Jabal Omar Development Co.
to develop the Sofitel Jabal Omar Makkah in Saudi Arabia. The 1,141-key property
is within walking distance of the holy mosque in Makkah and is scheduled to
open in 2026. Jabal Omar Development also signed a deal with Rotana for three
hotels with 655 rooms under the Rotana Jabal Omar brand, with operations set to
start in 4Q25.
Banyan
opens 100th property. Singapore-based Banyan Group is opening the Mandai Rainforest Resort by Banyan
Tree in Singapore, which is the company’s 100th resort worldwide. Owned by
Mandai Wildlife Group, the resort marks Banyan Group’s debut in Singapore.
Kempinski
adds exec. Geneva-based Kempinski Hotels has appointed Paul Lonergan as
chief operating and asset management officer – a new role that will oversee the
luxury hotel group’s operations and asset management strategy across EMEA, the
Americas, and Asia Pacific (excluding China & Mongolia). Lonergan brings
more than three decades of global hospitality experience, combining 20 years in
senior operational leadership with 15 years in commercial hotel asset
management. Lonergan will work closely with veteran Kempinski executive Manish
Nambiar, who has been promoted to senior vice president of operations for the
Middle East, Africa, and Asia Pacific.
Sunday
enters the outdoor space. Oyo’s parent company, Prism, has announced that its premium brand, Sunday
Hotels, plans to launch 10 properties across India’s national parks and
reserves in the next six months. The company has opened its first hotel, the
50-key Sunday Hotel & Resort, at Kiyari Kham, near Jim Corbett National
Park. The expansion is part of Prism’s plans to add 40 Sunday properties
into its portfolio by the end of the current fiscal year.
Ascott
adds in Nigeria. The
Ascott Ltd. (Ascott) has signed a franchise agreement for Somerset Admiralty
Way Lagos, a new serviced residence located in Lekki, Nigeria. Developed as a
greenfield project by Admiralty Hotel Co. Ltd. and operated by Aleph
Hospitality, Somerset Admiralty Way Lagos will comprise 135 purpose-built
serviced apartments and is scheduled to open in October 2028.
La Vie
adds in Australia. Sydney-based La Vie Hotels & Resorts has taken over the management of the
Mercure Townsville, reinforcing its footprint in North Queensland’s hospitality
sector. The 174-key Mercure Townsville is a well-established resort-style hotel
that will undergo a strategic refresh. Under new ownership, plans also call for
increasing inventory to more than 200 keys.
Oasis drives bookings in Australia, South
America. Upcoming dates of the Oasis Live 2025 tour is driving hotel occupancy levels
across host markets in Australia and South America, according to CoStar. Between October 31 and November 8, Oasis is set to perform
three nights in Melbourne and two in Sydney. As of October 20, Sydney reported
the highest occupancy on the books for those shows, reaching 75.1% for Friday,
November 7. Last year, the market was at 65.4% for the comparable night.
Melbourne’s highest occupancy on the books (74%) is on the night of the second
concert, Saturday, November 1. Starting November 15, the band will move to
South America for the final leg of its tour, and the highest forward booking
levels are in Buenos Aires at 74.3% (Saturday, November 15). The final two
performances will take place in São Paulo, where booking levels are peaking at
52% (Saturday, November 22), a +32.7% increase from the comparable night last
year.