Latest news: MGM, Marriott alliance goes live; Limestone adds in Italy; Waldorf residence to Dubai

MGM, Marriott booking, loyalty goes live. Sixteen hotels and resorts in the MGM Resorts International portfolio are now available for booking through Marriott Bonvoy. The MGM Collection with Marriott Bonvoy features hotels in Las Vegas, Atlantic City, Detroit, Mississippi, Maryland and Massachusetts. Four of the 16 hotels already had affiliations with Marriott brands. The deal, which MGM expects will add $50 million in incremental revenue, was announced last July.

Limestone acquires in Italy. Zug, Switzerland-based Limestone Capital AG, a portfolio company of Berlin-based 029 Group SE, has acquired a 63-key luxury resort on Sardinia’s Costa Smeralda from an undisclosed seller. Limestone is repositioning the hotel under the Aethos brand and is scheduled to reopen under that brand in May. The Aethos Sardinia will be the fourth hotel in Italy in Limestone’s portfolio.

Waldorf’s first standalone residence in Dubai. Hilton and New York City-based NABNI Developments are partnering to develop the Waldorf Astoria Residences Dubai Downtown, the brand’s first standalone branded residence outside the U.S. The project is scheduled for completion in 2028.

Accor adds in China. Accor is partnering with Jinghe New City Industrial Development Group for a new dual-branded hotel in the Qin Zhihui Complex of Jinghe New City in Xi’an, China. The 420-key Sofitel and Novotel project will be part of the 700-plus hotel portfolio for Accor in China by the end of Q1 2024.

Red Sea, Four Seasons opening resort in KSA. Riyadh-based Red Sea Global (RSG) is partnering with Four Seasons to develop a new luxury wellness resort and Private Residences at Triple Bay AMAALA. The Four Seasons Resort and Residences AMAALA at Triple Bay will have 220 hotel rooms and 26 branded residential villas. The first phase of AMAALA, consisting of 12 resorts and 2,000+ keys, is scheduled to open in 2025.

Radisson adds in New Zealand. Radisson Hotel Group is opening its first Radisson RED hotel in Auckland, New Zealand. The 322-key Radisson RED Auckland is scheduled to open in 2025 and will be one of nearly 80 open or in development hotels worldwide.

Hilton debuts Hampton brand in Saudi Arabia. Hilton has partnered with Cayan Group to open its first Hampton by Hilton hotel in Saudi Arabia near NEOM city. The 201-key Hampton by Hilton Sharma was completed nearly 12 months after the start of construction. The hotel is the 18th in operation for Hilton in Saudi Arabia, with an additional 60 in the pipeline.

Tumas adds Hilton in Malta. St. Julian’s, Malta-based Tumas Group is opening its third Hilton hotel in the country with the 290-key DoubleTree by Hilton Malta scheduled to reopen in April. Nearly three decades after the opening of the Hilton Malta, the hotel will be the third owned by Tumas and managed by Hilton (over 1,000 rooms). The Tumas Group invested nearly €18 million in renovations to the property following the closure of its previous incarnation, the Dolmen Hotel, last November.