Banyan Group to Open Kyoto Hotel in Q3 2024

The three-day Dragon Boat Festival in Macau resulted in a higher-than-expected 342,861 tourist arrivals. Friday had 138,431 of those visitors and the total tourism revenue over the three days was said to be RMB40.4 billion (US$5.6 billion), up 8.1% year on year.

Furama Hotels International unveiled Furama Darling Harbour in Sydney, making its Australian debut with 370 contemporary rooms, strategic location benefits and enhanced amenities. The hotel was formerly the Holiday Inn Darling Harbour and is Furama’s inaugural property in Australia. As part of the rebranding process, the hotel will undergo a series of upgrades including the rejuvenation of the lobby and restaurant spaces, introduction of technology improvements with mobile check in/out, mobile TV casting and digital key access.

Banyan Group announced the opening of Banyan Tree Higashiyama Kyoto in the third quarter of 2024. This will mark the debut of the Banyan Tree brand in Japan. The hotel is located in the historic Higashiyama Ward of Kyoto City and will feature 52 guestrooms, the signature Banyan Tree Spa and two distinctive dining experiences. The hotel stands on the former site of the Hotel Ryozen.

Hyatt Hotels Corporation announced the grand opening of Hyatt Centric Hebbal Bengaluru, marking the eighth Hyatt Centric Hotel in India. The hotel is located close to the airport and has 152 rooms, including eight suites, seven long-stay rooms, and one presidential suite with terrace gardens overlooking the azure pool. There are two distinct dining venues, eight customizable event spaces, a gym, a pool, and spa facilities.

Indian Hotels Company announced the reopening of Taj Malabar Resort and Spa, Cochin, Kerala following a year-long extensive renovation and redesign. The hotel has 93 rooms and suites, an all-day diner named Pepper and seafood specialty restaurant, Rice Boat. Rounding out the F&B offerings is Mattancherry Bar. The J Wellness Circle Spa includes a yoga center. There is an infinity pool overlooking the backwaters and the resort offers venues for social gatherings and meetings. IHCL said they have 20 hotels, including 6 under development, across Taj, SeleQtions, Vivanta and Ginger brands in Kerala.

The Anantara Dhigu Maldives Resort unveiled its fully refurbished over water villas featuring a number of improvements. The resort is 30 minutes away from the Male International Airport, set on an island in the South Male Atoll. It includes 110 beach and over-water villas as well as exciting indoor and outdoor activities along with access to facilities at the sister resort Veli. The resort underwent four months of extensive renovations with the resort’s overwater villas receiving a full facelift with an overhaul of interiors and the installation of four new pools. The refurbishment also saw the introduction of four new Deluxe Sunset Over Water Pool Villas. The transformation included the addition of a much larger infinity pool at the pool villas, which offer 129 square meters of luxurious space, with direct access to the crystal blue waters of the lagoon. Other renovations, still to occur, will include the addition of an exclusive bar, The Yellow Fin Club. The new bar will add to the resort’s numerous dining venues.

Browns Hotels and Resorts unveiled the Ayugiri Ayurveda Wellness Resort Sigiriya. The grand opening took place on June 6th, unveiling a new chapter in the Ayurveda wellness tourism landscape in Sri Lanka. Ayugiri is nestled amidst 54 acres of unspoiled natural splendor, featuring 22 exclusive suites, standing out as the only luxury Ayurveda wellness resort in the country offering plunge pools in every room. The resort includes the Ayurveda Treatment Center, offering personalized treatment tailored to meet the individual needs of every guest, with doctor consultation rooms, seven treatment chambers, herbal baths, steam and sauna facilities and an authentic Beheth Oruwa. Browns Hotels and Resorts is the leisure arm of Browns Investments, the investment arm of the LOLC Group.

CBRE Hotels said they negotiated the sale of the freehold interest in the Pacific Hotel Cairns on behalf of Perth-based Pacific Hotels Group. TPG Hotels acquired the freehold interest following an off-market expression of interest process. The 4-star Pacific Hotel Cairns is positioned on a 3,570 square meter CBD site. The 11-story hotel offers 207 rooms and suites complemented by a range of guest facilities including an award-winning restaurant, guest lounge, swimming pool and ample car parking. The asset also includes four retail tenancies. The hotel was operated under the Pacific Hotel brand but vacant possession was available upon completion allowing ultimate future operational flexibility. CBRE Hotels said the next test of the strength of the market will be the sale of the Pullman Cairns International and adjoining Village Lane retail and commercial arcade, offering for sale via an Expression of Interest campaign.

Movenpick Hotel Colombo has been rebranded as NH Collection Colombo. Softlogic City Hotels Ltd entered into a partnership agreement with Minor Hotels to rebrand and operate Softlogic’s hotel situated in the heart of Colombo City as an upper-upscale NH Collection hotel in the country. The city hotel was previously operated as Movenpick. It includes 219 rooms and suites, providing expansive views of the Indian Ocean and Colombo city. The hotel has been branded as the NH Collection Colombo Hotel, joining Minor’s three existing properties in Sri Lanka.

Filinvest Development Corporation is set to top off a new hotel in Camp John Hay in Baguio City in the Philippines this month. The Grafik Pine House Baguio, being built on a 5,700 square meter property in the former U.S. military rest and recreation base, Camp John Hay, will be the first hotel under the new Grafik Hotelbrand. Filinvest said the hotel will have more than 200 rooms, dining outlets, a spa and meeting rooms. The Filinvest Group had won a 25-year lease to develop the property for a hotel in Camp John Hay during the Duterte administration. The hotel project will be managed by Chroma Hospitality Incorporated, a joint venture between Filinvest and Archipelago International of Singapore. The hotel is expected to open in 2025.

DoubleDragon Corp is issuing up to P10 billion in retail bonds ahead of the Nasdaq listing of its global condotel chain. Its board of directors approved the issuance, getting the highest rating from the Philippine Rating Services Corp of PRS Aaa. This comes ahead of their Singapore-based subsidiary, Hotel101 Global Pte’s listing on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange in the US in the second half of this year.

Atour Lifestyle Holdings Limited announced the commencement of a proposed registered underwritten offering by entities affiliated with Legend Capital of American depositary shares. Legend is proposing to offer 10 million ADSs with the underwriters having an option to purchase up to 1.5 million more. The company will not receive any proceeds from the offering. After the offering, Legend will own 7.6% of the issued and outstanding share capital of Atour. Mr. Hongbin Zhou, the director previously appointed by Legend Capital, has tendered his resignation, effective with the completion of the offering. The Chinese hospitality and lifestyle company is traded on the Nasdaq market in the U.S.