STR reported China hotel RevPAR for the week ended November 26 was up 2.2% year over year. When compared with the same week in 2019, hotel RevPAR was down -33%. Absolute occupancy for hotels in China for the week was 53.7%, up from 50% during the comparable week in 2021.
Macau hotels’ had average occupancy in October of 41.8%, up 4.2 percentage points from September, not that great when you realize October had a Golden Week. The number of guests rose by 11.3% year over year to 494,300. Five star hotels saw the smallest drop in occupancy rates year over year, up 4.4 percentage points to 40.4%. Four star and two star hotels saw double digit drops, falling 20 and 18.6 percentage points respectively to 41.7% and 49.1%. Three star hotels saw occupancy decline by 14%.
Accor announced details on some of its newest properties across Australia and New Zealand that will be opening in 2023. They expect another strong year of growth and investments in communities. In Australia, the Hotel Morris will open January 2023 in Sydney CBD’s historic 1929-built West End Hotel. It will reopen as the 82 room Hotel Morris, an evocative bar and boutique hotel, following an extensive refurbishment. Also opening in January will be the Manly Pacific – MGallery featuring 213 rooms, an exclusive residence, nine suites with wellness experiences centered around the ocean, a rooftop pool, and a new conference and events space. The Sydney icon is being described as having front row seats to Manly Beach. Rounding out the NSW openings will be the 153-room Pullman Sydney Penrith, opening in 4Q23, adjoined to the new 1,250 square meter Western Sydney Conference Center. Accor said Mercure Hotel Cairns will open in January in Tropical North Queensland. The new 75 room hotel emerges following a multi-million dollar refurbishment and rebrand of the ibis Styles Cairns. In New Zealand, Accor will be opening the 63 room JO&JOE Auckland Fort Street, 60 room Tribe Auckland Fort Street and 63 room Hyde Queenstown in Q3 2023. The Sebel Wellington Lower Hutt is expected to open in Q2 2023 with 60 fully serviced studios and one bedroom apartments while the 313 room Te Arikinui Pullman is expected to open in Q4 2023 near the airport.
Hotel Lotte’s hotel division is merging its resort division to enhance competitiveness. Lotte Hotels will merge with Lotte Resort to form a single division. The company said Hotel Lotte will transform from four divisions to three: hotel, duty free, and world. The two businesses were integrated to boost management efficiency and to raise hospitality competitiveness as Korea’s biggest hospitality group. Lotte Hotels was operating 29 chains in and outside Korea while Lotte Resort operates three resorts and golf clubs domestically. The merger allows for a hotel group with 11,000 rooms internationally. The merged division has five brands – Signiel, Lotte Hotels, Lotte City Hotels, L7 Hotels, and Lotte Resort. The new unit expects to launch new brands in the future and they will break away from the previous industry customs for new businesses.
The 17-story St. Regis Jakarta in Indonesia will open on December 3. The hotel features 282 guest rooms and suites and 164 luxury residences in the city’s Central Business District, known as the Golden Triangle. The new property includes eight food and beverage concepts, a spa, two ballrooms and an outdoor swimming pool.
Marriott International’s JW Marriott brand announced the opening of the JW Marriott Khao Lak Resort Suites, an all-suite luxury retreat nestled in a beachside setting on southern Thailand’s Andaman coast. The resort has 52 two-bedroom suites, ranging from 89 to 111 square meters with bright indoor and outdoor spaces, contemporary living areas and private terraces or balconies. On the ground floor, a collection of pool access suites allows guests to step straight into the 2.4 km-long lagoon swimming pool, Southeast Asia’s longest. JW Marriott Khao Lak Resort Suites shares the facilities of JW Marriott Khao Lak Resort & Spa. The resort has a collection of 11 restaurants and bars. The unique Suites experience also provides access to meeting facilities, a fully-equipped fitness center, tennis and squash courts, the Kids Club and Quan Spa.
Hoiana Residences, part of a $4 billion super project by Hoi An South Development, opening its doors in November in Vietnam. The development includes four luxury hotels along with a serviced apartment. Hoiana Residences belongs to the Hoiana Resort and Golf integrated resort located near two UNESCO World Heritage sites. It includes the Hoiana Hotel and Suites with 141 suites as well as the New World Hoiana Hotels with 476 guestrooms, and the upcoming KHOS Hoiana and Rosewood Hoi An, scheduled to begin operations in 2023 and 2024 respectively. Hoiana Residences has 270 serviced apartments, many with ocean views. Spacious private terraces enable visitors to watch sunrises over the coastline. The serviced apartments feature four types of rooms, ranging from studios to three bedroom options with many units offering a fully equipped kitchen to complement its array of local products. The visitors gain access to the more than 10 restaurants and bars throughout the Hoiana complex. The complex is said to offer the best golf links course in Vietnam at Hoiana Shores Golf Club. The casino includes over 140 tables and 300 electronic gaming machines.
The Anam Mui Ne, a resort with 127 rooms and suites, will celebrate its grand opening in January next year. The resort is situated in southern Vietnam’s beach town of Mui Ne. The independently owned and operated five-star resort is the second Anam property to open and follows the 2017 debut of the Anam Cam Ranh. Mui Ne resort offers a selection of restaurants and bars, an infinity pool, beach along with six accommodation categories including the 122 square meter presidential suite that even offers quarters for bodyguards.
The Hyatt Regency in Kerala was inaugurated. The 600 crore five star hotel project in the capital city was launched by the LuLu Group and Hyatt Hotels last Thursday. The 132 room, eight floor property is situated on 2.2 acres of land in the heart of Thiruvananthapuram. It includes one of the largest convention centers in the city with the 10,500 square feet Great Hall. One of the main attractions of the property is the 1,650 square foot presidential suites which provides a panoramic view of the city. This is the third facility in the state from LuLu Group following the Grand Hyatt Kochi and the Hyatt Regency Thrissur.
MinterEllison advised Salter Brothers on two major transactions. They are acting for the hotel group in its $150 million acquisition of the 340-room NEXT Hotel on Queen Street Mall in the Brisbane CBD. It is also advising the group on two capital raisings that total up to $240 million. Salter Brothers plans to continue looking for acquisitions and may look at undertaking an IPO if market conditions are right.
