Latest news: Proper debuting in Dallas; Leela expands into Dubai; new CDO at Sonesta

Proper debuting in Dallas. Santa Monica, California-based Proper Hospitality is partnering with Dallas-based Lincoln Property to debut its flagship luxury brand, Proper Hotels, in the Uptown area of Dallas with the launch of Dallas Proper Hotel and Residences. The hotel is scheduled to break ground in 2026 and open in 2029. The hotel will have three restaurants, five bar and lounge concepts, a rooftop pool, wellness amenities and a dedicated Proper Club, a members-only club with its own restaurant, pool, bar, lounge and dedicated workspace.

Leela expands into Dubai. Mumbai, India-based The Leela Palaces, Hotels, & Resorts is expanding outside of India for the first time with a new development in Dubai. Leela  has acquired a 25% stake in a luxury beachfront resort in Dubai’s iconic Palm Jumeriah while private funds, managed by Brookfield, will acquire the remaining 75% with the purchase price of $504 million. The resort is located next to Atlantis The Royal and is spread across 23 acres on one of the largest freehold beachfront land plots in Dubai. It comprises 546 keys, including a 361-key hotel, 182 residences, and 3 villas. Closing is slated for Q3 2026.

New CDO for Sonesta. Sonesta International Hotels Corp. has revealed that Phil Hugh will assume the role of chief development officer, succeeding Brian Quinn upon his planned transition. Quinn joined the organization in March 2023, immediately following Sonesta’s acquisition of Red Lion Hotels Corp. During his tenure, Quinn effectively led new franchise efforts for the combined company across the full portfolio of Sonesta and Red Lion brands. He reengineered Sonesta’s franchising platform, setting up internal systems and hiring a team to support rapid growth in lodging development. Hugh joined Sonesta in March 2024 as senior vice president/head, luxury & lifestyle development. He brings more than 30 years of experience in portfolio development and brand growth, strategic partnerships and leading franchise sales teams to this new role.

MGM drops NY casino bid. MGM surprisingly dropped its bid to build a casino in Yonkers in a move that whittles the field of new prospective gambling dens downstate. The move leaves just three contenders for three coveted state gaming licenses. MGM’s senior vice president Patrick Madamba said “since submitting the application in June, the competitive and economic assumptions underpinning the Application have shifted, altering MGM’s return expectations on the proposed $2.3 billion investment.” The withdrawal is the latest twist in race to win over the state’s gaming commission, which will award up to three casino licenses by year’s end.

Azul adds in Reno. San Diego-based Azul Hospitality has added the Marriott Reno South in Reno, Nevada to its management portfolio. The 128-key property is owned by the Pegram and Carano families. Azul operates properties in 29 markets across 11 states.

Bristoria debuts in China. Bristoria Hotels, a brand of Munich, Germany-based Kempinski Hotels, is debuting in China with the opening of the 313-key Bristoria Hotel Yangzhou Opening on China's Grand Canal. The hotel will be adjacent to the soon-to-open Kempinski Hotel Yangzhou. Bristoria and Beijing Tourism Group, one of China’s largest tourism companies, have founded Key International Hotels Management Co. Ltd., a joint venture that manages a portfolio of almost 30 hotels across China under the brand names of Kempinski, NUO and Bristoria.

IHG’s Low Carbon Pioneer in Asia. IHG Hotels & Resorts said the Holiday Inn Express Singapore Clarke Quay has become the first IHG hotel in Asia to join IHG’s Low Carbon Pioneer hotel program. IHG’s Low Carbon Pioneers is a growing global community of IHG properties that are energy efficient, have no fossil fuels combusted on-site* and are backed by renewable energy.

NEWH Mentors program. Shawano, Wisconsin-based NEWH, Inc. (Network of Executive Women in Hospitality), is now accepting applications for its third annual Martha’s Mentors Program. This 10-month initiative connects emerging hospitality professionals with seasoned leaders, fostering relationships that inspire growth, guidance, and opportunity. Click here for more information on the program.

Marriott adds in Singapore. Marriott International is partnering with Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) to open the Four Points by Sheraton Singapore in early 2026. The hotel is a rebranding of the current Genting Hotel Jurong. It is is the second partnership between Marriott and RWS, following the recent launch of the  luxury The Laurus in Sentosa in Singapore.

Aleph opens 50^th hotel. Dubai-based Aleph Hospitality has opened its 50^th hotel as part of its 10^th anniversary. The company has expanded from one hotel in 2015 to 50 across 39 cities in 23 countries. In 2026, Aleph plans to open four new regional offices and launch a luxury division and now aims to operate 100 by the end of 2029.

Concerts boost London performance. Several concerts, including Oasis, Lewis Capaldi and Lady Gaga, lifted London’s hotel performance in September, according to preliminary data from CoStar. For September, occupancy was 86.5% (+3.3%), ADR was GBP209.97 (+5.4%) and RevPAR GBP181.69 (+8.9%). The market posted its highest daily occupancy (94.8%) on the second night of Lewis Capaldi’s three concerts—Wednesday, September 17.  The highest ADR and RevPAR were recorded on Tuesday, September 9, the first night of the DSEi exhibition. On that day, occupancy climbed as high as 94.3%. Lady Gaga performed on September 29-30, pushing occupancy to 88.7%, while ADR and RevPAR reached GBP217.43 and GBP192.75, respectively. Oasis held two concerts, with London hotel performance peaking on the first night (September 27) across all three metrics: occupancy (93.9%), ADR (GBP227.24) and RevPAR (GBP213.33).

Record numbers for São Paulo. A mix of events in Brazil helped São Paulo’s hotel industry post its highest ADR RevPAR on record, according to September preliminary data from CoStar. For September 2025, occupancy was 69.9% (+1.9%), ADR was BRL831.02 (+15.6%) and RevPAR: BRL580.97 (+17.9%). In addition to the ADR and RevPAR records, the market saw its highest occupancy level for September since 2010. On Friday, September 5, the NFL matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers pushed ADR to a monthly high of BLR964.24. That was the highest nightly ADR in the market since March. The game night also pushed occupancy to 77.7% and RevPAR to BLR748.78.

Forward booking in Australia up. The upcoming Ashes series is driving hotel bookings across key Australian markets, according to Forward STAR data from CoStar. The Ashes will mark the second major English sporting tour to lift Australia’s hotel performance in the second half of 2025, following the British and Irish Lions Tour in July and August. The first Ashes Test match is scheduled for November 21-25 at Perth Stadium, and hotel occupancy on the books (as of October 6) is already at 83.6% for the first night. At the same time last year, Perth’s occupancy on the books for the comparable night was 45.1%. Melbourne and Brisbane currently show their highest forward booking levels at 60.6% (December 27) and 57.2% (December 5), respectively. Sydney’s highest occupancy on the books is on January 4 (41.5%).

F1 drives record rates for Milan. Driven by the Italian Grand Prix and Fashion Week, Milan posted its highest ADR and RevPAR on record, according to preliminary data from CoStar. For September occupancy was 82.2% (+6.1%), ADR was EUR292.27 (+14.7%) and RevPAR was EUR240.23 (+21.7%). During the second night of the Italian Grand Prix (6 September), Milan hotel performance peaked in each of the three key metrics: occupancy (93.1%), ADR (EUR411.57) and RevPAR (EUR383.30).