Latest news: Loews adds in DFW; hostel player grows; Club Med adds Mont-Tremblant

New Loews hotel in Texas. New York City-based Loews Hotels is building a third luxury hotel in the DFW suburb of Arlington, Texas. The 500-key, $410-million project will replace the existing Sheraton Arlington and will have 25,000 sq. ft. of event and meeting space. The Sheraton hotel is scheduled to be demolished by September 2026 and the new hotel will then be built on its site.

A&O acquires Schulz Hotels. Germany-based A&O Hostels, with 30,000 beds under management, has acquired Berlin-based Schulz Hotels for an undisclosed price to strengthen its position in core markets. The founders of Schulz, Nizar Rokbani, Oskar Kan and Sacha Gechter, are joining A&O’s management and advisory team. The trio previously founded Meininger, a European hotel hostel concept that today offers more than 20,000 beds. Schulz Hotels is a premium budget concept that targets both traditional hostel guests and business travelers. The company operates a single 1,000-bed hotel at Ostbahnhof in Berlin and is developing a second location in the German capital. In 2024, A&O welcomed 2.8 million guests and 6.2 million overnight stays.

Club Med adds in Quebec. Club Med is partnering with France-based Alderan and Station Mont-Tremblant to develop the Club Med Tremblant, marking a strategic expansion of its presence in North America. The new resort marks the brand’s second Canadian resort, after the opening of Club Med Québec Charlevoix in 2021. Club Med has existing mountain resorts in Canada, France, Italy, Switzerland, Japan and China. 

Acquisition in South Carolina. Florence, South Carolina-based Raines and Atlanta-based Vantage Realty Partners have acquired the Rose Hill Estate in Aiken, South Carolina. The owners plan to restore and re-imagine the property, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974, into a boutique hotel with a F&B program, private event spaces and restored public gardens. The hotel is scheduled to open in late 2027.

Remington hires new EVP. Dallas-based Remington Hospitality has appointed Travis Burns as its executive vice president of business development. Burns joins the company from Aimbridge Hospitality, where he most recently served as vice president, business development, spearheading national initiatives to expand the company’s managed portfolio. Earlier in his career, Burns held leadership roles at Leisure Hospitality Management, Anish Hotel Group and Hyatt Regency.

DKN acquires in San Diego. Irvine, California-based DKN Hotels has acquired the 150-key Residence Inn by Marriott San Diego Sorrento Mesa/Sorrento Valley in San Diego from an undisclosed seller for an undisclosed amount. The hotel will undergo renovations that are scheduled to start in the second quarter of 2026.

Aperture adds in Atlanta. Atlanta-based Aperture Hotels has added the 111-key voco The Darwin Atlanta Midtown to its management portfolio. The property converted from an independent hotel to IHG Hotels & Resorts’ voco brand at the start of 2025.

LivAway adds in Arizona. Salt Lake City, Utah-based LivAway Suites is expanding its Arizona presence by breaking ground on a new LivAway Suites-branded hotel in Mesa. This project marks the fifth LivAway Suites location in Arizona. The hotel is scheduled to open in Fall 2026 and is part of the company’s broader national development pipeline, which includes 22 locations open or under development, with an additional 12 to 15 groundbreakings planned for 2026.

Choice rebrand in Australia. In February, the Leura Gardens Resort in Leura, Australia, will be rebranded as Comfort Resort Leura Gardens under a franchise agreement between the Schwartz Family Co, and Choice Hotels Asia Pacific. Trilogy Hotels will continue to operate the resort. The collaboration marks the first time Trilogy Hotels has partnered with Choice. The property will undergo a significant expansion in 2026, adding approximately 100 rooms.

Lux Collective’s expansion plans. Floreal, Mauritius-based The Lux Collective has had seven signings in 2025 and a pipeline across Asia, the Indian Ocean, the Middle East and Africa. The three latest signings include Lux Tea Horse Road Mount Tiantai Sichuan and Lux On The Bund Shanghai in China and the Lux Xinii Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe.

Hilton, Explora Journeys partner. Hilton and Geneva-based Explora Journeys, the privately owned ocean travel brand of the MSC Group, have announced an exclusive collaboration. As part of this new travel offering, Hilton debuts Hilton Honors Adventures, an extension of Hilton’s award-winning guest loyalty program focused on immersive, adventure-driven travel. By next summer, Hilton Honors members will be able to book, earn, and redeem their points aboard Explora Journeys voyages from the Mediterranean to Northern Europe to the Caribbean and beyond.

Marriott, YTL deal in Johor Bahru. Marriott International has signed an agreement with YTL Hotels to bring JW Marriott to Johor Bahru, Malaysia. Following a conversion of the former Thistle Johor Bahru, the 410-key JW Marriott Hotel Johor Bahru is expected to open by December 2026.

Hilton adds Tapestry in KSA. Hilton is partnering with AREA Investment and Real Estate to add an 84-key Tapestry Collection by Hilton hotel in Dammam, Saudi Arabia. Dubai-based Aleph Hospitality will manage the hotel, which will be its third Tapestry Collection property. The hotel is scheduled to open in 2027.

IHCL adds Taj in India. Indian Hotels Co. Ltd. has signed a Taj hotel and Taj-branded residences in Noida, India. This greenfield Taj Noida development will feature 150 guest rooms and 74 branded luxury residences.