Latest news: Aman adding Mexico; T2 buys in Florida; HLS deal with Live In Lodge

Aman debuting in Mexico. Luxury hospitality group Aman anticipates a spring 2026 opening for the Amanvari resort near Los Cabos, Mexico, which will be its first property in the country. Situated along the East Cape of Baja California, the property will be part of Costa Palmas, a 1,500-acre resort and residential complex that also features a yacht club and the Four Seasons Resort Los Cabos. Amanvari will feature 18 casita accommodations with sea and mountain views, as well as a collection of branded residences with private pools and courtyards.

T2 acquires in Florida. An affiliate of Newport Beach, California-based T2 Hospitality has acquired the 128-key Hilton Garden Inn Jacksonville Ponte Vedra Sawgrass in Florida from Atlanta-based Noble Investment Group for an undisclosed amount. Noble acquired the property in 2021 and it was renovated in 2022. Hunter Hotel Advisors facilitated the transaction.

Hilton expands SLH partnership. At the one year anniversary of the partnership between Hilton and Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH), Hilton announced the number of participating properties has expanded from nearly 400 to more than 450, which has expanded Hilton’s luxury footprint from 35 to 90 countries and the company’s global presence from 124 to 146 countries, including Andorra, Cambodia, Saint Vincent/Grenadines, São Tomé and Principe and Slovenia.

HLS deal with Live In Lodge. Atlanta-based Hospitality Lodging Systems (HLS) has become the exclusive franchise and management firm for the Live In Lodge extended-stay brand based on a long-term licensing agreement with Atlanta-based S&S Hospitality. As part of the deal, HLS assumes management responsibility for seven existing Live In Lodge properties, all located in Georgia and featuring 992 rooms. The existing HLS portfolio features 69 hotels in three upper-economy, limited-service brands with 35 Budgetels, 25 AmeriVu hotels and 9 Haven Hotel properties.

Choice debuts in Argentina. Choice Hotels International has opened the 80-key Radisson Blu Bariloche in Argentina. The hotel marks the company’s first property in Argentina and a significant milestone in the expansion of its upper upscale brand, Radisson Blu, across the Caribbean and Latin America, which includes Radisson Blu Aruba in Mexico and the Radisson Blu Acqua Hotel & Spa Concón in Chile.

Documentary on White Lodging founder. One World Digital and Merrillville, Indiana-based White Lodging are debuting the documentary chronicling the life of Bruce White, the founder of White Lodging, with Bruce: Begin with the End in Mind. The documentary shows the entrepreneurial journey that transformed a single hotel opportunity in Northwest Indiana into what Bill Marriott, Jr. called one of Marriott’s most trusted partners. The documentary is narrated by television host Mike Rowe and can be accessed here and is streaming on Prime Video. 

Coast adds in Canada. Coast Hotels Ltd., a fully owned subsidiary of Vancouver-based APA Hotel Canada, is adding a franchise in North Vancouver, British Columbia. The renovated 70-key Coast Lonsdale Quay Hotel opened this week.

Ruby adds in Sweden. Ruby Hotels, which was acquired by IHG Hotels & Resorts in February, has announced plans to open a second property in Sweden, in the coastal city of Malmö. The 78-key hotel will open in early 2028 following the redevelopment of a former office building in the city’s Davidshall district.

One&Only adds in Fiji. Dubai-based Kerzner International is bringing its One&Only brand to Fiji’s Yasawa Islands in 2029. The ultra-luxury resort will be located on a 127-acre site on Nacula Island and be accessible from Nadi International Airport via a 30-minute seaplane ride. The One&Only resort will have 40 guestrooms, suites and villas as well as 20 private residences. One&Only currently has 13 resorts, with the brand’s first U.S. property, the One&Only Moonlight Basin in Montana, slated to open this November.

Royalton adds 2 in Mexico. The recently formed Royalton Hotels & Resorts announced it will take over the management of Royalton Riviera Cancun, An Autograph Collection All-Inclusive Resort & Casino, and Royalton Hideaway Riviera Cancun, An Autograph Collection All-Inclusive Resort – Adults Only in Mexico in December.  Both hotels will reopen after comprehensive multi-million-dollar renovations.

Travelodge adds 4. Travelodge has exchanged contracts to acquire four former Ibis hotels in the U.K. The acquisitions bring the number of hotels acquired from other operators to 16 so far this year. Located in Preston, Bradford Shipley, Chesterfield and Cardiff, the four hotels have 324 rooms. Travelodge has secured the freehold for three of the sites, while the Cardiff property was acquired under a new 25-year lease agreement. All four properties will undergo renovations later this year. Travelodge continues to prioritize rebrand opportunities as a key part of its wider U.K. growth strategy, alongside new-build hotel developments and conversions of office or retail spaces. The company has already identified over 300 potential locations for expansion in the U.K., along with 20 in Spain.

Hyatt debuts in Estonia. Hyatt Hotels Corp. has opened the 169-key Hyatt Place Tallinn, marking the brand’s first hotel in Estonia and its first property in the Baltic States.

Mandarin Oriental to debut in South Korea. Hong Kong-based Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group has announced its first property in South Korea. The 128-key Mandarin Oriental, Seoul is scheduled to open in Seoul in 2030.

Diriyah adds residences in KSA. Diriyah, Saudi Arabia-based Diriyah Co. is launching of The Chedi Residences Wadi Safar, a collection of 20 branded private villas in Saudi Arabia. The Chedi Residences are the latest addition to Diriyah’s portfolio of branded residences, which total 300. Chedi Hospitality will manage the residences.

Scandic converts in Norway. Stockholm-based Scandic Hotels Group has announced another hotel conversion to feed its growing pipeline for its second brand, Scandic Go. One of the group’s existing hotels in Oslo will convert to the format to create the first Scandic Go in Norway. The 96-key hotel will relaunch in the first half of 2026, following renovations. The Scandic Go brand launches in Stockholm and has two open hotels with seven in the pipeline.

TUI expands into Japan. Hanover, Germany-based TUI Group has signed its first hotel management agreement in Japan, strengthening its global growth strategy. The 50-key TUI Suneo Otaru is scheduled to open in 2029 and will be the group’s easternmost hotel location. It introduces the company’s leisure hotel brands to the Japanese market and will join TUI’s global portfolio of more than 400 leisure hotels and resorts, including 25 hotels across eight countries in Asia.

Jin Jiang adds in Southeast Asia. China-based Jin Jiang Hotels China Region is partnering with Malaysian-based Riyaz International to enter the Southeast Asian hospitality market. The firms have announced the launch of RJJ Hotels, a subsidiary of Riyaz Group that will introduce five hotel brands under Jin Jiang to Southeast Asia: Metropolo Jinjiang Hotels, Lavande Hotels, Jinjiang Inn, Ginco Hotel and Renjoy Hotel. According to reports in the Malaysian press, Jin Jiang seeks to open 181 hotels in Southeast Asia over the next five years, including 60 in Malaysia. Jin Jiang Hotels China Region is a unit of Shanghai Jin Jiang International Hotels Co. with more than 17,000 hotels across 55 countries.