Latest news: Hyatt adds Argentina; Expedia soft in US; Fairmont trio for KSA

Hyatt grows in Argentina. Hyatt Hotels Corp., along with the Scalesciani family, owner of Palacio Duhau - Park Hyatt Buenos Aires, and the David family, Mendoza entrepreneurs, announced plans for Casa Duhau, a new-build luxury hotel – with 52 villas and suites – in Mendoza, Argentina, that will join The Unbound Collection by Hyatt. Casa Duhau will be part of Reserva Alto Agrelo, a new development project spanning nearly 1,000 acres that will also feature a premium winery and 116 luxurious residential lots for sale. Hotel construction is expected to begin by the end of 2025, with an anticipated opening date in late 2027.

Expedia soft in US. While Expedia Group’s 1Q25 results fell within its guidance range, the company felt a pinch as travel demand softened in the U.S. and inbound travel dipped, with bookings from Canada falling by almost 30%. The company’s B2B business, which skews international, posted 14% bookings growth. Expedia Group saw a 6% rise in room nights booked in the first quarter versus the same period last year, increasing to 107.7 from 101.2 million. Total gross bookings were up 4% in the first quarter, increasing to $31.45 billion from $30.16 billion in Q1 2024.

Fairmont trio for KSA. Accor announced its Fairmont Hotels & Resorts brand will open three properties in Saudi Arabia with the 193-room Fairmont Red Sea opening end of 2025, the 160-room Fairmont Ajdan Al Khobar in 2027 and the 143-room Fairmont Rua Madinah in 2028.

Records in Rome. Rome recorded its highest daily hotel performance levels of 2025 due to the funeral of Pope Francis, according to CoStar data. The market peaked on April 25 in occupancy (88.8%), ADR (EUR351.13) and RevPAR (EUR311.90). Each of Rome’s submarkets saw double-digit ADR increases on April 26, with Rome Centre posting the largest year-over-year lift (+42.1% to EUR786.89). At the start of the conclave on May 7, Rome’s hotel occupancy on the books was as high as 84.2%.

UK hotelier’s new brand. U.K. hotelier Chris King, whose Birch hotels fell into administration in late 2023, has launched Crafted hotel with the first hotel – the 55-room Crafted at Powdermills in East Sussex – set to open later this year taking over the Grade II-listed PowerMills hotel. King said the “life-friendly” brand with membership clubs will grow across and outside the U.K. with a focus on nature-first, creatively charged, and thoughtfully design for balancing modern lives.

CDL fails to take New Zealand unit private. City Developments Ltd (CDL) failed in a bid to buy out its listed New Zealand hotel unit, Millennium & Copthorne Hotels New Zealand. A revised final offer did not attract sufficient interest from minority investors to meet a 90% threshold by a May 8 deadline, the hotel operator said in a New Zealand stock exchange filing. CDL had offered to buy the 24% of ordinary shares it did not own. That would have cost about NZ$71 million (S$54 million) at the most recent offer price, according to Bloomberg calculations.