Accor Welcomes 23 Mercure and Grand Mercure Hotels in Japan

Accor has sent an email blast to all its members about 23 Mercure and Grand Mercure hotels in Japan joining the system in 2024. There are the current Daiwa Resorts properties joining the Mercure and Grand Mercure brands in 2024 after renovations, not new hotels. Japan Hotel REIT Advisors is the firm that is Daiwa Resort’s asset manager, working to revitalize the properties. The 23 hotels are located in scenic spots across Japan and will be rebranded as Mercure and Grand Mercure hotels.

Hyatt Place Johor Bahru Paradigm Mall, the first Hyatt Place hotel in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, is officially open, expanding the Hyatt Place brand’s footprint globally. The hotel is owned by WCT Hartanah Jaya Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of WCT Holdings Berhad. The Hyatt Place hotel is attached to Paradigm Mall, a 15-minute drive from Senai International Airport. The hotel includes 202 spacious guestrooms, breakfast, the Market, the Bar, Necessities, 24-hour Fitness Center and 1000+ square feet of high-tech, flexible meeting/function space.

Swiss-Belhotel International announced a significant milestone with the new rebranding of a hotel nestled in the heart of Surabaya, Indonesia. The upper upscale property officially transitioned to its new identity as the Grand Swiss-Belhotel Darmo, Surabaya, starting November 1st. The hotel is strategically located at JL Bintoro and expands Swiss-Belhotel’s footprint in Indonesia. The hotel has 227 rooms, categorized into Deluxe, Executive, Business Suite, and Royal Suite with room sizes spanning from 33 square meters to 98 square meters. The upper upscale hotel offers six multipurpose meeting rooms and a spacious ballroom, various food and beverage options, a sky pool overlooking Surabaya skyscrapers, and a fitness center on the 17th floor, and the Sangawan Spa and Massage on the 11th floor.

The freehold going concern interest in one of Mackay, Australia’s leading accommodation offerings, Coral Cay Mackay, has been sold to a private Queensland-based hotel group. The hotel was purchased from Pacific Hotels, a Perth-based hotel owner-operator. CBRE Hotels negotiated the sale after an expression of interest campaign which field a strong inquiry from owner-operators, hotel investment funds, and high net-worth individuals. The recently refurbished Coral Cay Mackay is situated on an expansive 9,148 square meter freehold land parcel on Nebo Road. The 4-star resort features 82 guest rooms and apartments with amenities including the Coral Bay Bar & Grill, meeting and conference amenities, swimming pool, gymnasium, sauna, and outdoor guest parking. The Mackay Hotel market has been very active in terms of hotel transactions over the past 12 months with several motel sales in the region as well as the sale of The Grove Hotel to Star Group. Pacific Hotels is also selling the Pacific Hotel Brisbane, being marketed via an Expressions of Interest campaign through CBRE Hotels.

Indian Hotels Company announced the signing of two new Taj-branded hotels in Phobjikha and Paro, in Bhutan. The Brownfield projects are being developed by CG Group. The 45-key Taj resort in Paro is spread over 7.6 acres surrounded by protected forests. The retreat will offer an all-day diner, specialty restaurant and bar, complemented by recreational amenities including an indoor swimming pool, gym, spa, and meeting facilities. The 34 key Taj resort in the Phobjikha valley is spread over 3.5 acres and will feature an all-day diner, alfresco specialty restaurant, bar along with spa and fitness facilities. CG Group and IHCL’s partnership has spanned 25 years and 12 assets across 6 countries.

IHCL’s Taj Group also has proposed converting the Nuwara Eliya Colonial-era Post Office into a hotel. The building was constructed in 1894 in Sri Lanka. While not for sure that this will become a hotel, the Urban Development Authority is exploring ways to convert this and other underutilized properties into investment opportunities.

Leisure Hotels Group announced its expansion into the state of Himachal Pradesh in India. The group signed an agreement to introduce a boutique resort in the vibrant hill town of McLeodganj, located in Dharamshala, scheduled to open its doors early next year. The resort is known as the Belvedere Boutique Himalayan Retreat and will include 34 elegantly designed rooms and suites. The resort will feature an all-day diner, resort bar, rooftop café, and other amenities.

Leela Group of Companies’ Efcee Hotels unit has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Government of Uttarakhand for the development of what is being called environmentally responsible hotels at four strategic locations. Groundbreaking is expected in 2024.

The operator of the failed The 13 Hotel in Macau has failed to secure backing from Macau’s top court to proceed with its bid to shrug off a bank loan of about US$370 million. The Court of Final Instance said two directors of the operator, South Shore Holdings, managed to secure the loan by granting some rights to the local bank with an authorization letter. When the pair filed for bankruptcy for South Shore in June 2021, the attempt was being denied by the bank. The two tried to revoke the authorization letter in spite of the bank’s strong opposition. In April 2022 the disagreement was taken to the Court of First Instance which ruled in favor of the bank. The Court of Second Instance later upheld the judgment. The latest development is that the Court of Final Appeal ruled the two appellants failed to obtain consent from the bank in the case, saying the interests of the authorized bank should have been protected. The 199 villa property was a disaster from the beginning when flamboyant Hong Kong billionaire Stephen Hung first came up with the project.

In the Japanese prefecture Tottori, the Sanin region’s first five-star hotel is expected to open in 2026, offering views of the Sea of Japan behind the Tottori Sand Dunes from all guest rooms. Marriott International reached an agreement with a group of developers to set up the luxury hotel. Marriott and dhp Urban Development in Osaka, which heads the developer group, said the four-story building will have 100 to 110 guest rooms. The first floor will be at a semi-basement level, while the top floor will feature a spa and a swimming pool. Construction costs are estimated at around 15 billion yen. The hotel is not yet named but will operate under Marriott’s Luxury Collection brand. Construction will start next spring.