Latest news: Big deals for IHG in UAE; first 3D hotel; extended-stay strength

IHG, Aldar partner on Yas Island. IHG Hotels & Resorts has signed a strategic partnership with UAE-based developer, investor and manager Aldar to transform six Yas Island hotels within the Yas Plaza complex into a single integrated Vignette Collection resort. The franchise agreement involves the refurbishment and conversion of the current hotels into distinct properties within the newly named Straylight Yas, Vignette Collection. A key element of the project is to open private beach access via underground tunnel. The ultimate transformation will add 1,389 keys to IHG’s UAE portfolio when it opens in 4Q25. Additionally, the partnership will also see the conversion of Aldar’s Al Dhafra region hotel, formerly known as Tilal Liwa, into a luxury Vignette Collection resort. Scheduled for soft opening later this year, followed by full opening in Q2 2025, the upcoming Vignette Collection hotel will add 110 keys to IHG’s portfolio.

1,000-room IHG hotel in Dubai. IHG Hotels & Resorts has signed a new, 1,000-room Vignette Collection property with The First Group set to be the tallest all-hotel tower in the world when it opens in Dubai next year. The franchise agreement will see the launch of Ciel, Vignette Collection, a multistorey high-rise hotel with 80-plus floors based in Dubai Marina. With construction advancing and the building already topped out, the property will include three restaurants, Dubai’s highest infinity pool, fitness center, spa, club lounge, and observation bar and lounge. First Group Hospitality will manage the property.

Lambert's 3D hotel. Reuters reported El Cosmico, an existing hotel and campground on the outskirts of Marfa, Texas, is using 3D printing to add 43 hotel units and 18 residential homes over 60 acres (24 hectares). The expansion is set to be completed by 2026. It is the world’s first 3D-printed hotel, said El Cosmico owner Liz Lambert, who founded the Bunkhouse brand. She has enlisted Austin, Texas-based 3D printing company ICON and architects Bjarke Ingels Group for the project. The printer uses a cement-based material called Lavacrete, a proprietary mixture designed for strength, affordable scale, and printability, the report said.

August good month for extended-stay. August was the fourth successive month that extended-stay hotel supply growth in the U.S. was above 3%, according to The Highland Group. This is well below the long-term average but significantly higher demand over the last four months was 4.9%, which is almost equal to the long-term annual average over 23 years. Consequently, in August extended-stay hotels reported a fifth consecutive month in which occupancy, average rate and RevPAR were all higher than the corresponding months in 2023.

Vail’s improvement plan. Vail Resorts, with 42 owned and operated mountain resorts, has announced a two-year plan to transform the company for future growth and global expansion. It said a two-year Resource Efficiency Transformation Plan is designed to improve organizational effectiveness and scale for operating leverage as the company grows. Through scaled operations, global shared services, and expanded workforce management, the company expects $100 million in annualized cost efficiencies by the end of its 2026 fiscal year. A portion of the cost efficiencies are position eliminations, impacting less than 2% of the company's total workforce, including 14% of its corporate workforce and less than 1% of the company's operations workforce. Impacts in operations are focused on management structure and back-end support structure, with only 0.2% impact on frontline roles. Impacted employees will have the opportunity to apply for open roles across the company.

Manchester development proposed. MEPC, the development and asset manager for Manchester, England’s NOMA neighborhood, is working with hospitality adviser Jenics to identify a hotel partner for the development of a proposed conversion, subject to planning approval, of the landmark New Century House in Manchester’s city center. The Grade II-listed building would be transformed into a 196-room luxury hotel with a rooftop restaurant and bar.