Accor Opens Its 700th Hotel in China

Accor has opened its 700th hotel in China, the Sofitel Shanghai North Bund. The opening coincides with the 60th anniversary of the Sofitel brand and the China-France Year of Culture and Tourism. Sofitel Shanghai North Bund is located in the vibrant North Bund area, offering 315 rooms that fuse Shanghai's trendy vibe with French elegance. The hotel's design features Chinese colors and Art Deco elements and amenities include three restaurants – L'Orchestre, Hui, and Lechanteur. Accor said their development pipeline is expected to exceed last year which saw nearly 150 new projects signed. Upcoming openings include Fairmont Xiamen and multiple destinations under the MGallery, Pullman, Grand Mercure, and Novotel brands. In 2025, Accor intends to introduce the Adagio and TRIBE brands to Greater China with properties in Chengdu and Guiyang. The MGallery Hotel Collection property in Sanya, Hainan is expected to open by the end of the year, a recent signing with Sanya Jinghai Cheng Real Estate.

Marriott International announced the first three projects under its strategic cooperation with Delonix Group are now underway. The first signed Tribute Portfolio hotels in China are expected to open in Spring 2025. They will include the 210-room Grand New Century Hotel, Hangzhou Boao, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel; the 203-room Wonderland Resort, Hangzhou Jiande, a Tribute Portfolio Resort; and the 299-room Grand New Century Hotel, Chongqing, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel. The signings are part of a strategic cooperation agreement announced by the two companies in January 2024.

The InterContinental Seoul COEX hotel in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, is closing operations on July 1 and will reopen as a Marriott property. This was announced by the owner Parnas. The Westin Seoul Parnas is slated to reopen in the second half of 2025. Parnas will continue to own the property while Marriott International will take over from IHG to run the hotel operations. Parnas also owns the Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas, Parnas Hotel Jeju and operates five Nine Tree hotels in Seoul and Gyeonggi.

Hyatt Hotels and Kiraku, Inc. announced ATONA, the modern hot spring ryokan brand, will open properties in Yufu, Yakushima and Hakone in Japan. The ATONA brand was first announced in 2022 under a joint venture between a Hyatt affiliate and Kiraku. The first of the brand is expected to open in 2026 across some of Japan's top hot spring destinations and areas of natural beauty. Hyatt and Kiraku also announced the first close of the Atona Impact Fund, a real estate fund that will actively invest in ATONA ryokan development projects, securing an initial funding of 10 billion yen (US$64 million). Besides Hyatt and Kiraku, first-round investors included Takenaka Corporation. The fund is aiming for a final target of 20 billion yen.

Hyatt also announced the opening of EPISODE Daan Taipei under the JdV by Hyatt brand. This marks their second collaboration with Riant Hotels Co. Ltdfollowing the successful launch of EPISODE Hsinchu in Taiwan in 2022. EPISODE Daan Taipei is situated in the East District of Taipei. The hotel includes a fifth floor hybrid space, the SOCIAL by Lay Low, self-service check in technology all in a nine story hotel with 136 rooms with views of Xinyi District or premium rooms with private balconies and bathtubs.

Minor Hotels announced the signing of an agreement to manage a new-build resort and branded residences on the Indonesian island of Bali. Opening in 2027, the Anantara Dragon Seseh Bali Resort will be the first luxury beachfront resort on Seseh Beach and the third Anantara Hotels & Resorts property in Bali. The resort is located on the black volcanic shores of Seseh Beach, an hour from Ngurah Rai International Airport. The resort has 216 keys, a mix of lead-in rooms and suites ranging from 52 square meters to 120 square meters. The Anantara Dragon Seseh Bali Resort is developed and owned by the Taryan Group. The Anantara Dragon Seseh Bali Residences will be available for purchase through Taryan Group, with Anantara providing overall resort management. Amenities include the Anantara Spa, fitness center, on-site surf school, three swimming pools and three dining outlets.

IHG Hotels & Resorts signed a management agreement with GPKP to develop Holiday Inn Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh in India. The hotel is scheduled to open in 2025 with 95 rooms, an all-day dining restaurant, a functional meeting room and fitness center. Once opened Holiday Inn Prayagraj will join IHG's portfolio of 57 Holiday Inn hotels across South West Asia, Middle East and Africa region. IHG also announced the signing of a management agreement with SLRV Hotels Pvt Ltd. to debut its Crowne Plaza brand in the state of Punjab. Crowne Plaza Amritsar Airportwill add 136 keys when it opens in Q4 of 2028. This will be IHG's first Crowne Plaza hotel in the city and IHG's fourth brand in the state.

Cygnett Hotels & Resorts announced plans to add 15 new hotels and 1,200 keys in India next year, with 10 already in the pipeline. The properties set to open soon include the 60-key Cozzet Mahad in Mahad, Maharashtra, and the 45-key Cygnett Inn Airport in Jaipur, Rajasthan. Cygnett plans to operate over 40 hotels by this year.

Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said he wants the nation to become a globally renowned hub for tourism and entertainment, with high-end integrated resort developments to play a central role. The Philippines welcomed 4.5 million inbound tourists in 2023. Marcos said he wants to let the entire world know they are open for tourism, for business. Marcos made these comments at the opening of Bloomberry Resorts' second Manila integrated resort, the Solaire Resort North. Located in Quezon City, about an hour's drive from the original Solaire Resort Entertainment City, the new Solaire Resort North covers 1.3 hectares of land, has 526 rooms and suites, a casino with 2,669 electronic gaming machines and 163 gaming tables as well as various non-gaming attractions.

Emperor Entertainment Hotel Ltd., operator of Macau's Grand Emperor Hotel and its casino, said it reached an agreement with its parent company to acquire a serviced apartments building in Hong Kong for HK$700 million. Emperor E will acquire the building's owner Star Omen Limited, a subsidiary of Emperor International Holdings Ltd., by way of a HK$150 million deposit followed by a secondary HK$350 million payment upon settlement. The remaining balance will be paid in seven equal quarterly installments. Emperor International owns a 71.63% stake in Emperor E.