Latest news: First Hyatt in Belize; new Mandarin in Bali; HEI adds in Dallas

Hyatt's first in Belize. Hyatt Hotels Corp. is opening its first Hyatt-branded hotel in Belize with The Placencia Resort. The resort will join the Hyatt portfolio as an affiliated hotel before joining the Destination by Hyatt brand by late 2025. Following a $10 million renovation, the resort is expected to open 90 rooms on the Placencia Peninsula, a verdant, 13-mile long beach in southern Belize near the largest barrier reef in the western hemisphere.

Mandarin Oriental opening hotel, residence in Bali. Hong Kong-based Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group is opening a new luxury resort and branded residence in Bali with the 110-key Mandarin Oriental, Bali. The project, which will also have 68 private villas, is a collaboration with Bali-based Harmoni Bali and is scheduled to open in 2028. Mandarin Oriental operates 40 hotels, 12 residences and 24 homes in 26 countries or territories.

HEI adds in Dallas. Norwalk, Connecticut-based HEI Hotels & Resorts has added the 326-key The Westin Dallas Downtown to its portfolio. The hotel will be HEI’s fifth property in the Dallas market and its 15th in Texas. It opened in 2015 and features 34,000 sq. ft. of meeting space.

Choice opens 4 more Cambrias. Choice Hotels International has opened four more Cambria Hotels across the U.S. The new properties are the 120-key Cambria Hotel Niagara Falls in New York, the 106-key Cambria Hotel Rehoboth Beach in Delaware, the 115-key Cambria Hotel North Conway in New Hampshire and the 153-key Cambria Hotel Denver Downtown RiNo in Colorado. Choice now has more than 70 open Cambria Hotels in the U.S.

W Kuala Lumpur sells. Malaysia-based IOI Properties Group Berhad has acquired the 150-key W Kuala Lumpur Hotel from Malaysia-based Tropicana Residences Sdn. Bhd. for MYR 270 million, according to HVS.  

Hong Kong hotel sells. An entity tied to Shih Wing-ching, the founder of Hong Kong-based Centaline Property Agency, has acquired the 63-key Popway Hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui in Hong Kong for HKD 180 million from Hong Kong-based hotelier David Lau Ka-wai, according to HVS.  

GDF adds in Venice. Italy-based Gruppo Della Frera (GDF) has acquired the 136-key Hilton Garden Inn Venice Mestre San Giuliano in Venice, Italy, from an undisclosed buyer for approximately €20 million in an all-equity share deal, according to HVS. GDF will take over management of the hotel as part of its acquisition, which will remain under a franchise agreement with Hilton.

Spanish hotel sells. Barcelona-based Grupo Hotelero Gargallo has acquired the 89-key Casa Lit Barcelona by Ona in Catalan, Spain, from a joint-venture between Geneva-based real estate investor Stoneweg SA and Bain Capital for an undisclosed amount, according to HVS.  

Sohoma adds in Belgium. France-based hotel operator Sohoma, Extendam and PE firm 123 Investment Managers have acquired the 94-key Hotel Navarra Brugge in Bruges, Belgium, from the Maertens family for an undisclosed amount, according to HVS. This is Sohoma’s first acquisition outside of France, where the group presently operates around 70 hotels. 

Spanish regulators fine Booking.com €413M. Regulators in Spain have hit Booking.com with a €413.24 million fine. The decision came from the Comisión Nacional de los Mercados y la Competencia (CNMC) – an independent regulator responsible for enforcing competition laws — alleging the online travel agency has abused “its dominant position over the past five years.” The regulator said Booking.com has committed two specific abuses - “imposing various unfair commercial conditions on hotels located in Spain that use its booking intermediation services and restricting competition from other online travel agencies that offer the same services.” Booking Holdings CEO Glenn Fogel first mentioned the investigation by Spanish regulators in February, during the company’s call to share 2023 financial results with analysts and said it would appeal if the draft decision became final.

Archipelago adds in Indonesia. Jakarta-based Archipelago International has added its first Sharia hotel, the 104-key Aston Pekalongan Syariah Hotel & Conference Center, which opened on July 27 in Pekalongan, Indonesia.