Latest news; Hurricane update; Ratia adds in Miami; Hilton’s 100th in KSA

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.