Latest news: Auberge tweaks brand; NYC casino update; Ivy adds in Cleveland

Auberge Collection rebrands. Bethesda, Maryland-based Auberge Resorts Collection has rebranded as Auberge Collection. The news comes as Auberge continues its strategic growth, opening new destinations in locations like the Collegio alla Querce, Auberge Collection in Florence, Italy, and The Woodward, Auberge Collection in Geneva, Switzerland. Forthcoming openings include Cambridge House, Auberge Collection, in London; The Knox, Auberge Collection, in Dallas; The Shore Club, Auberge Collection, in Miami Beach, Florida; The Birdsall, Auberge Collection, in Houston; and Moncayo, Auberge Collection, in Puerto Rico.

NYC casino update. Bally’s casino proposal for New York City became the third to pass committee vote, and its bid in the Bronx advanced to the next phase of the approval process after the Community Advisory Committee voted in favor of it. Last week, Resorts World New York City’s application was unanimously approved by a community advisory committee, as was MGM Empire City’s bid in Yonkers. They are competing for one of three downstate casino licenses to be awarded by the end of December, along with a bid for The Coney in Coney Island.

Ivy adds in Cleveland. Indianapolis, Indiana-based Ivy Hospitality has been awarded the management contract for the 157-key The Tudor Arms Hotel Cleveland, a DoubleTree by Hilton, in Ohio. The property is a historic hotel in the University Circle neighborhood of Cleveland and opened in 1933 as the Cleveland Club. The club closed in 1939 and later reopened as the Tudor Arms Hotel. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1994 and the list of Historic Hotels of America in 2015.

Naumi Hotels debuts in the Middle East. Singapore-based Naumi Hotels is debuting in the Middle East with the 237-key Naumi Hotel Dubai Façade. The hotel was recently acquired by Naumi Group and is operated by Naumi Hotels. The company plans a wider expansion strategy across the Middle East.

Club Med debuts in South Africa. Club Med is making its debut in South Africa with the launch of 411-key Club Med South Africa Beach & Safari on the Dolphin Coast of KwaZulu-Natal. Scheduled to open in July 2026, Club Med said the project is the country’s first high-end all-inclusive resort. It will be located 30 minutes from King Shaka International Airport and developed across 32 hectares of unspoiled natural surroundings.

Accor expands in KSA. Accor has signed a master development agreement with Jeddah, Saudi Arabia-based BinDawood Investment, through its dedicated hospitality arm Al Qimmah, to develop and manage a portfolio of more than 3,000 keys across Saudi Arabia. The first phase will feature four projects, including a new-build 288-key Swissôtel in Jeddah, which will be located near King Abdulaziz International Airport and is scheduled to open in 2029. Madinah will also welcome a new-build 1,015-key Mövenpick property in the northwest of the city, which is also scheduled to open in 2029. Makkah will see the transformation of two existing properties: The ibis Styles Makkah Mesfalah, an 801-key economy hotel which will undergo a full renovation and is scheduled to reopen in 2027 and the Mercure Makkah Shesha, a 1,078-key midscale hotel conveniently located near the Mina pilgrimage site, will also undergo a complete renovation and reopen in 2027.

Gorgeous Smiling Hotels formed. Munich, Germany-based Gorgeous Smiling Hotels GmbH and München, Germany-based Aspire GmbH are consolidating their hotel operations and setting the stage for future growth. Their first deal as Gorgeous Smiling Hotels will be with the addition of Great2Stay Hotels, which is a hotel management company based in Augsburg, Germany. This move will create one of the largest operators in the DACH region. The joint umbrella brand for all activities will be Gorgeous Smiling Hotels.

Park Hyatt's new marketing campaign. Park Hyatt is celebrating its 45th anniversary and will debut its first global marketing campaign in over five years: Luxury is Personal. Park Hyatt’s 45th year is also marked by growth, with recent and upcoming openings in Johannesburg, Kuala Lumpur, Los Cabos and Tokyo, plus future openings in Vietnam, Vancouver and Taormina, Italy.

Minor adds first NH in Brazil. Minor Hotels has repositioned NH Curitiba The Five as Brazil’s first NH Collection property. The hotel now features 24 new suites with balconies. By early 2026, two special suites measuring nearly 1,000 square feet each will be fully renovated, bringing the total number of rooms to 176.

Wyndham adds in Jaipur. Jaipur, India-based Shivansh Resorts and Hotels is partnering with Wyndham Hotels & Resorts to develop an 83-key upscale resort under the Wyndham Garden brand in Jaipur. The resort is scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2027.

Australian hotel expands. Melbourne, Australia-based Erdi Group is developing what would be the largest hotel in Geelong, Australia, with the construction of the $75 million, 11-story waterfront property. Scheduled to open in 2027, the extension to the existing Novotel Geelong will be the single largest hotel development in the city’s history. The project will feature 134 guestrooms and will expand the Novotel Geelong property’s capacity to 243 rooms.