Doubletree by Hilton Reaches 100 Hotels in Asia Pacific
Skift Take
Hilton’s Doubletree by Hilton brand has exceeded 100 properties across the Asia Pacific region. The expansion includes DoubleTree by Hilton Jakarta Kemayoran and DoubleTree by Hilton Jakarta Bintaro Jaya in Indonesia, as well as DoubleTree by Hilton Kyoto Station and DoubleTree by Hilton Osaka Castle in Japan. DoubleTree by Hilton Bengaluru Whitefield in India and China’sDoubleTree by Hilton Yantai Golden Coast also added to the milestone. Hilton said their recent adoption of a franchise model for the DoubleTree brand is expected to further accelerate growth, particularly in Greater China. Hilton has nearly 80 more DoubleTree properties planned for the Asia Pacific region with the brand’s aim to help Hilton exceed 1,000 operational hotels across all their brands in APAC in the next year.
Hotel Properties Limited has opened its latest resort on Tioman Island in Malaysia. The Boathouse Pulau Tioman opened on July 1st and comprises 31 bungalows over 30,000 square meters. It is located on the south-west coast of Tioman in Kampung Nipah. The resort is targeting tourists from Singapore, Malaysia, Europe, North Asia and India. This is the third high-end hotel to open so far on the island off the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia. The resort is the fifth hotel under HPL’s boutique hotel collection with the others in Malacca, Cameron Highlands and Langkawi in Malaysia with a fourth in Phuket.
DoubleDragon Corp has ended the offer period for its bond sale five days ahead of schedule due to stronger-than-expected demand from investors. The bond offering was fully subscribed on July 5th. They had planned to issue P3 billion worth of fixed-rate bonds with an oversubscription option for another P3 billion but they have yet to say how much they actually raised. The bonds carry an interest rate of 8.008 percent per annum. It was also announced that Megawide Construction Corp. began construction of the 702-room hotel for DoubleDragon in Quezon City in the Philippines, the sixth collaboration between the two firms. The project is situated within Robinsons Land Corp’sBridgetown Estate, slated for completion by the fourth quarter of 2026. Hotel 101 is the flagship property of DoubleDragon’s hospitality arm Hotels of Asia Inc.
Philippine hotel operator Waterfront Philippines said it expects to complete phase one of the reconstruction of its Manila Pavilion Hotel in the fourth quarter of 2024, almost three years later than originally planned. The reconstruction of the venue comes after a fire in 2018. The plans they previously revealed calls for a three phased reopening starting with the lobby, some food and drink outlets, the casino and four hotel floors to form part of Phase 1. Phase 2 and Phase 3 would include remaining hotel rooms, general amenities and other guest facilities. Phase 1 was supposed to open in 1Q22 but obviously it did not. The new timeline for completion includes Phase 1 due to open in 4Q24, Phase 2 in 2Q25, and Phase 3 in 4Q25.
Indian Hotels Company said in Q1 of FY25 they had 16 signings and 6 openings, taking its total portfolio to 326 hotels with an industry-leading pipeline of 102 hotels. They entered into new agreements for new markets like a Taj in Kanpur and Panchkula and a Gateway in Sarnath and Barnala while growing their presence with multiple brands in existing markets with the signing of Tree of Life resort in Gangtok and Srinagar, a Taj in Anguna, Goa and a Gateway in Sawai Madhopur. Taj and Ginger remain their biggest brand with Taj having 81 hotels operating and 33 in the pipeline and Ginger with 66 hotels operating and 26 in the pipeline.
Radisson Hotel Group announced its further strengthened its presence in Maharashtra with the opening of the 103-key Radisson Resort Hatgad Saputara. This is Radisson Hotel Group’s 12th operational hotel in the state. They have over 180 hotels in operation and development in India with more than 50% of the portfolio in tier II and III markets. The new resort overlooks the majestic Hatgad Fort and is Saputara’s first internationally branded hotel. The 103 rooms are made up of deluxe rooms, executive suites, expansive villas and a Presidential Suite. Banquet and lawn space totals more than 43,000 square feet, there is a dedicated kids’ play area and gaming zone, modern gym, pool and a spa. The hotel is owned by Neelkanth Group.
Raffles Hotels & Resorts announced the opening of Raffles Jaipur, a modern-day re-creation of a palace. The hotel features 50 guestrooms and suites, all with an expansive balcony offering an outdoor soaking tub or plunge pool. Raffles Jaipur features the brand’s legendary Butler Service and is set to become a culinary destination with various dining experiences. The hotel’s Writers Bar features the Jaipur Sling, the local take on Raffles’ famous Singapore Sling. There is also a 620 square meter space in addition to a state-of-the-art fitness studio. A rooftop pool rounds out the many amenities at the property.
The Singapore Tourism Board has launched a concept and price revenue tender for interested parties to develop and operate a wellness attraction on a selected plot of land near Marina Bay Sands. The project forms a key part of STB’s strategy to grow wellness tourism, offering holistic and immersive wellness experiences as part of their tourism offerings for visitors. The four hectare site is located along the waterfront with the wellness attraction to become one of the key attractions in the precinct when completed.
Frasers Hospitality said they will add 20 new properties to their portfolio over the next four years. That includes the nine properties they already plan to open in the next two years across China and Vietnam. Frasers said they are looking to fortify its international expansion by working with capital partners and third-party hotel operators within its extended stay segment. This year they have already opened four new properties in Bahrain, Chengdu, Shanghai and Guangzhou. The latest is the 150-studio Fraser Nansha Guangzhou which was launched on July 1.
The Sheraton Samoa Aggie Grey’s Hotel & Bungalows has reopened following a multi-million dollar refurbishment. The property will reopen in a phased manner starting with 56 of its 175 rooms, suites and bungalows now available for bookings. The grand opening of the renovated hotel is expected to be in October 2024. The renovations have encompassed every part of the hotel. It first opened in 1933, with its namesake, Aggie Grey, being considered a pioneer in Samoa’s tourism industry. The hotel opened with a new poolside restaurant, Feast, as well as the Tea House and Lobby Bar. Once the revamp is complete, the hotel’s 25 signature fales will be redesigned and the hotel will launch three new luxury sites. All conference and event spaces and Aggie Grey’s restaurant will be fully renovated as well as upgrades to the swimming pool and Pool Bar, the spa facilities and other structural improvement.