Aman to Debut the Janu Brand in Japan in March 

Four Seasons, together with Fungseng Prosperity Holdings Limited, announced plans for a new hotel in Shanghai. Four Seasons Hotel Shanghai will be 44 storeys high with 160 rooms and suites, expected to open in 2027 along the Huaihai Zhong Road within the Huangpu district of Puxi. There will be five new original culinary concepts, 670 square meters of meeting and event space alongside 690 square meters of comprehensive wellness facilities.

Four Seasons and Sun Hung Kai Properties announced the grand opening of Four Seasons Hotel Suzhou, a new landmark in Suzhou and the Yangtze River Delta region. The hotel is situated on a private 9-hectare island in Jinji Lake. It offers 119 guest rooms and suites along with 11 independent villas featuring private courtyards. Amenities include recreational and fitness facilities, a spa, Kids For All Seasons and a Teen Centre. There is more than 1,000 square meters of banquet space and a selection of culinary offerings.

Marriott International’s Moxy brand announced its second hotel in Sydney, Australia with Moxy Sydney Pitt Street set to open in August 2025. The hotel will have 314 rooms and the highest open-air rooftop bar in the city. The hotel will play host to high-street retail offerings, a restaurant and bar, gym, meeting rooms and the rooftop bar.

The Moxy Bangkok Ratchaprasong, owned by The Platinum Group, is set to open in early 2024 in Bangkok. The hotel experience will start with check in at the Bar on 9th floor. Social public spaces include the Lounge and Library.

Centara Hotels & Resorts and Kornsiri Hospitality Management Limited Partnership signed a Hotel Management Agreement for Tiva Ao Makham Resort Phuket. The project marks Centara’s 11th hotel in Phuket and the first HMA to be signed with Kornsiri. The opening date is expected to be September 1, 2025, located along Phuket’s southeastern coast. The resort will offer 68 contemporary rooms and villas, outdoor swimming pool and pool bar, restaurant with a sky bar, spa with sea view treatment rooms and Kids’ Club plus E-Zone with table tennis.

IHG Hotels & Resorts has expanded its footprint in Thailand with the opening of two new Holiday Inn resorts in Phuket. Holiday Inn Resort Phuket Karon Beach opened on December 22, 2023 and follows the recent launch of Holiday Inn Resort Phuket Surin Beach. Both resorts are under the management of Destination Group. Holiday Inn Resort Phuket Karon Beach has 224 rooms and suites with private balconies. Holiday Inn Resort Phuket Surin Beach offers 225 rooms and suites.

IHG’s Staybridge Suites brand announced they are expanding their international presence with its second hotel opening in Asia Pacific. In partnership with One Origin, Staybridge Suites Bangkok Sukhumvit follows the launch of Staybridge Suites Bangkok Thonglor. The Staybridge Suites Bangkok Sukhumvit has 411 suites sized between 28 and 70 square meters. The hotel offers a golf simulator, fitness center and is adjacent to Neighbor 24, a connected commercial facility that includes Fuji Super and the first KALDI to open in Southeast Asia. The Staybridge Suites Bangkok Thonglor is a 303-suite hotel.

The first Marriott hotel in Kyushu in Japan will open on January 16th. It will offer a resort-style experience despite overlooking a train station in the city center. The Nagasaki Marriott Hotel is by the JR Nagasaki Station and has a total of 207 rooms, 142 of which have a balcony. Included in that are 28 suites. The hotel is operated by JR Kyushu Hotel Management Co. The Kamome Suite overlooks the train station and Nagasaki cityscape. The 182-square-meter Imperial Suite is one of the largest hotel rooms in the Kyushu region. This is the ninth Marriott brand hotel in the country.

If you were hoping to visit the planned Nagasaki integrated casino resort, think again. The Japanese government rejected the Casinos Austria-led consortium’s plans for the Nagasaki IR due to doubts about their financing. While Japan said they will start the process to try to get bidders for the remaining casino licenses, right now it looks like MGM/Orix will have a monopoly if they ever get their Osaka IR developed.

Accor’s Mercure brand announced its new property in Japan, Mercure Tokyo Hibiya, located in the heart of Tokyo’s theater district. The hotel includes 178 guest rooms and suites, lobby, restaurant and bar, executive lounge, fitness center and meeting room.

The very first Janu Hotel, the sibling of the Aman Group, is set to open in Tokyo in March 2024. The hotel is the first in a 12 strong global pipeline of projects across city, country and coastal destinations. Janu Tokyo is connected to the vibrant heart of Azabudai Hills, created and managed by Japan’s Mori Building Co. Ltd. Azabudai Hills features Japan’s tallest skyscraper, offices, residences, educational institutions, luxury retail and dining outlets and more. The Janu will be the only hotel in the development, located in the Residence A Tower. Janu Tokyo will have 122 rooms and suites, eight dining venues, two boutiques and a 4,000 sqm state-of-the-art Wellness Centre.

Banyan Tree is set to debut its first resort in the Philippines together with Hann Resorts. The property will be located within the 450 acre Hann Reserve project in New Clark City, Tarlac. Banyan Tree and Hann recently broke ground for the property. The Hann Reserve project is slated to debut in 2026. The estate project will include exclusive PGA-affiliated player development facilities alongside three 18-hole championship golf courses, clubhouses, a mixed-use commercial center, premium villas and resorts, a 10-hectare public park and a collection of luxury resorts. The Banyan Tree resort will feature 50 high end pool villas in one and two-bedroom configurations, designed in Banyan Tree’s signature nature-integrated style. The 106 sqm villas will combine alfresco relaxation areas with plunge pools, sun decks and inviting indoor living spaces. Leisure facilities will include a swimming pool, health club and tropical garden spa.

CapitaLand Investment Limited’s The Ascott Limited unit announced the signing of a management agreement with Sensation Hospitality Avenues LLP regarding the development of its new hospitality property in Erode, Tamil Nadu under the Oakwood brand. Oakwood Erode Resort will further Ascott’s expansion strategy across India. Oakwood Erode is expected to be operational by December 2026, strategically located in Periyasemure, Sathy Road in Erode city. The hotel will feature 90 rooms, food and beverage offerings, meetings and banquet spaces and more.

Real estate giant China Vanke Co is selling its stake in Banyan Tree Holdings Ltd’s China units. They are expecting to receive 480 million yuan (US$67 million) from selling its equity in the hotel management joint ventures. That includes Banyan Tree Services (China) and Banyan Tree Hotel Management (China). The company has three notes coming due in March, May, and June and is one of the few remaining investment-grade Chinese developers.

The initial public offering subscription of Best Holdings Limited, the operation of Le Meridien in Dhaka’s Nikunja 2 area, has been changed. Initially set for January 8, 2024, the subscription window will now begin on January 14 and continue until January 18.

Personnel News

Shangri-La Hotels (Malaysia) said Chan Kong Leong is resigning as Managing Director.