Latest news: Wynn pulls out of NYC; Grand Lucayan plans; Tru refresh

Wynn out in NYC. Wynn Resorts said it is dropping its bid for a casino license in New York, suggesting it will instead focus on stock buybacks and existing and upcoming developments, including building the first casino resort in the Middle East in the United Arab Emirates. Wynn had partnered with Related Companies to develop an integrated casino resort in the Hudson Yards neighborhood of Manhattan. Las Vegas Sands in April said it would no longer pursue a license for the site it had been working to develop at the Nassau Coliseum on Long Island.

Big Bahamas redevelopment. The Grand Lucayan Resort on Grand Bahama Island will undergo an $827 million redevelopment, following real estate investment firm Concord Wilshire Capital's $120 million purchase of the property from the Bahamian government. The acquisition, which includes the 56-acre beachfront resort and its adjacent 160-acre Reef Golf Course, was finalized on May 15. Concord Wilshire Capital said it plans to transform the Grand Lucayan Resort into a 36-acre "cruise ship destination resort" open to all cruise lines, with a capacity for 10,000 passengers per day. The project will also feature a 25,000-square-foot casino, a branded hotel complex with 350 guestrooms and 120 residential and timeshare units, a new Greg Norman-designed golf course, a water park, and an 18-slip marina. Additionally, Concord Wilshire Capital is working with Bahamaland Investments to integrate several neighboring sites -- including the Port Lucaya Marina, the Grand Bahama Yacht Club and the Port Lucaya Marketplace -- into its redevelopment plan.

Milestone in Miami Beach. Hyatt Hotels Corp., along with development partners Terra and Turnberry, broke ground on the future Grand Hyatt Miami Beach, an 800-room hotel that will be directly connected to the Miami Beach Convention Center. Slated to open in late 2027, the hotel will feature 52 luxury suites; four floors of dedicated meeting and ballroom space; a skybridge to the convention center; and a rooftop resort-style pool deck, signature restaurant, bar, and retail.

Tru’s new prototype. Tru by Hilton, with 300 midscale hotels globally, has unveiled a refreshed prototype. In guest rooms, updates include a re-designed mobile rolling desk with a large surface, improved lighting, and updated furnishings to create a warmer, more welcoming atmosphere. For example, the new roller shade system design for window treatments minimizes maintenance labor, downtime, and cost versus the previous design. The lobby now features new soft seating and high-back chairs. A redesigned media wall brings Tru’s lobby games front and center. On every guest floor, the addition of a heat & cool. station near the elevator gives travelers access to microwaves, ice machines and water bottle refill stations.

Wyndham announces tech initiatives. As part of its 2025 global conference, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts announced several new technology initiatives designed to help its owners serve guests better while lowering costs, unlocking operational efficiencies and growing their bottom line. Among the initiatives announced include Wyndham Connect PLUS, which embeds AI across the company’s guest engagement platform and Wyndham Gateway, a new guest Wi-Fi portal that provides a consistent, centralized login experience. Other enhancements include Wyndham Marketplace, a new hotel shopping platform, Wyndham PriceIQ, which makes it faster and easier for owners to find, compare and purchase brand-approved products and a new partnership with sbe’s Everybody Eats F&B platform that will improve food and beverage offerings at many hotels. The company also announced a collaboration with Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill + Bar and the launch of Wyndham Rewards Experience that includes partnerships with Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall, Caesars Rewards and minor league baseball. 

Tampa Hampton sells. Tampa-based Liberty Group has sold the 74-room Hampton Inn Tampa East in Florida to Tampa-based KMD Hospitality Management. Berkadia Hotels & Hospitality led the transaction on behalf of the seller and said this property built in 2005 and being fully renovated in 2023 contributed to the success of this sale.

Club Med restructures in Asia. Club Med is restructuring its Asia Pacific operations, consolidating three existing business units into two integrated entities - East & South Asia and Pacific (ESAP) and China. Club Med said the move reinforces the brand’s commitment to deepening regional focus, unlocking new growth potential, and enhancing operational agility in high-priority markets.

Accor supports meeting business. Accor has developed a digital meetings and events ecosystem to maximize the ongoing expansion and support of its multi-billion-dollar meetings and events business. The new platform will unite over 5,600 Accor hotels and resorts worldwide, featuring an inventory of 2.5 million sqm of event space and 800,000+ guestrooms – providing a self-serve option for clients to view and book event space, guestrooms, and sales and catering services, while augmenting the continued support of on-site hotel teams.  This global website will be available as a pre-launch version in late 2025, with initial functionality for sales teams connected to Salesforce and online booking for small accommodation groups of up to 30 guestrooms. In early 2026, a more comprehensive suite of features will be introduced, including online booking for meeting rooms and residential seminars, guestrooms and meeting rooms, as well as connectivity to external channels.

easyHotel grows. U.K.-based budget brand easyHotel is expanding its Spanish operations by adding three new properties in the country this year. Acquired by investment firm Tristan Capital Partners earlier in May, easyHotel just opened a hotel in Madrid with properties in Barcelona and Valencia due to follow this summer. The three hotels will add a total of 250 rooms in Spain. New openings will take its presence in Spain up to five properties – the company already has hotels in Barcelona and Malaga.