Latest news: Tallest hotel debuts; Laxmi adds in Philly; Agentic booking from Google

World’s tallest hotel debuts. The Ciel Dubai Marina in the UAE is now officially open within IHG’s Vignette Collection. Setting a new global benchmark as the world’s tallest hotel, the project, led by Dubai developer The First Group, spans 82 floors and rises 377 meters above Dubai and is home to one of the world’s highest infinity pools. Currently, there are 27 hotels within the Vignette Collection and a further 41 in the pipeline.

Laxmi acquires in Philly. Charlotte, North Carolina-based Laxmi Hotels Group has acquired the 152-key Sonesta Select Philadelphia Airport for $16 million, according to the Philadelphia Business Journal. It was one of 18 hotels that Sonesta International Hotels Corp. sold to Laxmi this summer as part of its planned sale of 113 management properties. Laxmi will also manage the property.

Agentic booking from Google. Two weeks after launching agentic bookings in AI Mode to reserve restaurants, buy event tickets and make beauty and wellness appointments Google has confirmed it is developing similar capabilities for hotel and flight reservations. Google said it is working on building out the experience with industry partners such as Booking.com, Expedia, Marriott International, IHG Hotels & Resorts, Choice Hotels International and Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. Google said specifics regarding the booking flow, payments and other details are still being worked out, and it did not provide a timeline for the launch of agentic travel booking.

AHT sells 2 in Texas. Dallas-based REIT Ashford Hospitality Trust (AHT) sold Embassy Suites hotels in Austin and Houston, according to its latest 10-Q filing as reported by analyst Michael Bellisario of R.W. Baird. AHT said it agreed earlier this week to sell the 150-key Embassy Suites Austin Arboretum and 150-key Embassy Suites Houston Near the Galleria to an undisclosed buyer for a combined $27 million. Both properties were built in 1998.

Royal acquires in Texas. Texas-based Royal Hotel Group has acquired the 122-key Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton in Houston from an undisclosed seller for an undisclosed amount. The hotel is located in the Houston suburb of Sugar Land and was listed for sale in early July. HVS Brokerage & Advisory facilitated the transaction.

Japan travel warning. Some of Japan’s most significant tourism and retail-related stocks slumped after Beijing warned its citizens against traveling to and studying in the country. The warning followed Japan’s Prime Minister's comment on the use of military force in any Taiwan conflict, and Japan is sending a senior diplomat to China to calm tensions. China’s warning threatens Japan’s tourism momentum, with Chinese tourists accounting for around 27% of total inbound consumption and could hurt sales of Japanese retailers popular with Chinese tourists.

Europe project update. Europe’s pipeline stood at 1,666 projects/245,705 rooms at the end of 3Q25 and remains relatively unchanged year-over-year (YOY), according to Lodging Econometrics. LE’s forecast for openings expects an additional 105 new hotels/14,041 rooms in Q4, bringing the year-end total for 2025 to 300 new hotels/37,500 rooms. Looking ahead, LE predicts 338 new hotels/47,694 rooms scheduled to open in 2026, and 350 new hotels/47,987 rooms expected to open in 2027. Claiming 45% of the projects and 46% of the rooms in the pipeline, projects currently under construction stood at 749 projects/113,306 rooms. At the Q3 close, Europe's hotel construction pipeline continues to be led by projects in the upscale chain scale with 357 projects/55,136 rooms, showing an 8% increase in projects and a 6% increase in rooms YOY. Construction starts at Q3 stood at 92 projects/11,203 rooms, showing an 11% increase in projects YOY. The leading countries in the construction pipeline were the U.K. with 277 projects/39,402 rooms, Germany with 152 projects/26,456 rooms, and Turkey with a record high project count of 140 projects/19,866 rooms. The cities with the largest pipelines are London with 76 projects/14,169 rooms, Istanbul with 49 projects/7,403 rooms, Lisbon with 38 projects/4,223 rooms, and Tashkent with 30 projects/5,080 rooms.

H10 rebrands all-inclusive in Mexico. Barcelona-based H10 Hotels is rebranding the Ocean by H10 Hotels in Costa Mujeres, Mexico, as the Ocean Signature Resorts, an all-inclusive, adults-only resort, which is set to reopen in December. This is the first resort to open under this brand.

Mandarin Oriental adds in Jeddah. Mandarin Oriental is adding a hotel and branded residence in Jeddah. The Mandarin Oriental, Jeddah, scheduled to open in 2030, will feature 140 guest rooms and 187 branded residences.

IHG adds in KSA. IHG Hotels & Resorts has signed a dual management agreement with Mosa bin Abdul Aziz Al-Mosa and Sons Real Estate Holding Co. for the launch of 232-key Crowne Plaza Al Khobar Al Bandariyah and the 106-key Holiday Inn Riyadh Rose Yard in Saudi Arabia. The Crowne Plaza Al Khobar Al Bandariyah is scheduled to open in Q1 2027, while the Holiday Inn Riyadh Rose Yard is expected to open in late 2026.

Iberian market surges. Appetite amongst investors for Iberia’s hotel sector is surging, according to research from Savills. The Savills Investor Sentiment Survey 2025 ranked Spain as the top destination for investors this year, with hotels emerging as a preferred asset class, up 21% compared to the previous year. Savills attributes this momentum to Spain and Portugal’s consistent outperformance of the wider Eurozone, underpinned by strong tourism, resilient hotel operations and a robust economic outlook. Both countries are forecast to remain among Europe’s fastest-growing economies through 2026.

Minor Hotel earnings. Minor Hotels recorded a solid financial performance in the third quarter of 2025, achieving higher profitability due to more substantial margins despite a slight decline in core revenue. For the quarter, Minor Hotels reported a core profit of THB 1.85 billion (approximately $57 million), representing a 7% year-over-year increase. Core revenue reached THB 33.5 billion, marking a 2% decline YOY. Minor achieved an 18% reduction in financing costs and a 4% quarterly decrease in operating expenses. Systemwide occupancy increased 1 percentage point to 70%, while RevPAR rose 3% YOY, supported by notable growth in the Maldives (+23%), Australia and New Zealand (+6%), and Europe and the Americas (+2%). ADR increased 1% overall, with the strongest growth in Asia and the Indian Ocean (+10%).

H World earnings. Shanghai-based H World Group Ltd. reported continued momentum across its asset-light expansion as part of its third-quarter earnings. Hotel GMV reached RMB 30.6 billion, up 17.5% year-over-year, while total revenue grew 8.1% YOY to RMB 7.0 billion. Revenue from manchised and franchised hotels rose 27.2% to RMB 3.3 billion. Adjusted EBITDA increased to RMB 2.5 billion, compared with RMB 2.1 billion in the same period last year.