Hilton Plans Asia Pacific Expansion
Skift Take
The Paper reported that there were 765 million trips officially reported nationwide in China over the Golden Week holiday, up 5.9% year on year and up 10.2% from 2019. Total spending reached US$99.2 billion, up 6.3% more than in 2023. Beijing, Chongqing and Chengdu were the most popular destinations, with each welcoming more than 20 million visitors. Hangzhou and Changsha received 17.6 million and 9.5 million visitors, respectively, with Changsha up 72.4% year over year, with Yuelu Mountain and Juzi Island serving as two of its biggest attractions.
Hilton revealed plans to double its focused service presence in Asia Pacific in the coming years to surpass 1,000 hotels in the mid-market segment. With 483 focused service properties trading in the region under the Hilton Garden Inn and Hampton by Hilton brands, the company has a further 594 such properties under development. There are around 100 Hilton Garden Inn and about 400 Hampton properties in operation in Asia Pacific, with the recent openings being Hilton Garden Inn Bangkok Riverside, Hilton Garden Inn Rayong and Hilton Garden Inn Guilin Yangshuo. The most recent signings include Hilton Garden Inns in Vietnam, Bali and Malaysia. The newest Hamptons include Hampton by Hilton Beijing Zhongguancun Industrial Park, Hampton by Hilton Tianjin Binhai Sanda Avenue and Hampton by Hilton Guangzhou Tianhe Smart City.
Accor said they renewed agreements with 40+ Australian hotels, securing major investments in renovations and rebranding. The renewal of agreements covers 5,500 rooms across its portfolio, reinforcing its position in the market. Accor said their Pacific partners have invested over $450 million in renovations and refurbishments since early 2022. Accor’s 40th renewal included an expansion of its partnership with Silversea Investments through a long-term franchise deal. The agreement includes significant refurbishment plans for Novotel Sydney Parramattaand the rebranding of Mercure Sydney Parramatta to Novotel Sydney Rosehill, both set for substantial upgrades. The five-star Sofitel Noosa Pacific Resort on the Sunshine Coast also extended its collaboration with Accor and is set to unveil renovation plans soon.
Marriott International said they are going to continue growing in Asia Pacific, both organically and through acquisitions. In ASEAN they have 236 operating hotels and another 170 hotels under construction. South Asia, led by India, is another strategic market. It has 155 hotels open there and 85 other hotels under construction. Marriott said they have about 45 hotels in the pipeline in Japan and a similar number in the Pacific. In Malaysia, they expect to open 20 hotels in the next five to ten years.
Centara Hotels & Resorts officially launched Centara Life, its new brand identity. They said it will “Elevate the Essentials” with innovative, guest-friendly concepts at hotels and resorts across Thailand and beyond. Centara Life is an evolution of Centra by Centara. Every Centara Life hotel will offer check-in anytime, and guests can use that room until the same time on their day of departure. Flexible breakfasts will be available until 4 PM, and for late-night cravings, there will be Night-time Noodles. They expect Centara Life to breathe new energy and life into the upper-midscale hotel sector. Centara Life hotels can be booked in Bangkok, Krabi, Koh Samui, Cha-am, Pattaya and Mae Sot in Thailand, and Muscat in Oman. More destinations are set to follow as the brand launch forms part of Centara’s five-year goal of doubling its global portfolio and becoming a top 100 global hotel operator by 2027.
Centara also announced they will open the Centara Mirage Lagoon Maldives on November 1. This will be the third Centara property to open in the Maldives and fourth in the group’s portfolio under the family-focused Mirage brand. The underwater world-themed resort will be situated within The Atollia by Centara Hotels & Resorts, a multi-island wonderland. The Atollia will contain two resorts, with the second one being the Centara Grand Lagoon Maldives, which will open in early 2025. The combined resort space will have an expansive outdoor water complex, complete with a lazy river, swimming pool, kids’ pool, and water playground as well as a kids’ club and child-focused Candy Spa. The Spa Cenvaree at Centara Mirage Lagoon Maldives will be available for adult guests.
Banyan Tree is set to launch its ultra-luxury development, Banyan Tree Manila Bay, in the Philippines. Nest Seekers International, a real estate firm, has been introducing the project to new markets, with a recent focus on Cebu City. This is part of Banyan Tree’s growth in the country, with a well-guarded pipeline that will go beyond hotels and resorts.
John Keels Group is set to officially open Cinnamon Life at City of Dreams Sri Lanka. While they say this will mark the completion of the country’s largest investment project, at over US$1.2 billion, the project will not be opening in full. Cinnamon Life will feature 687 luxury rooms and Colombo‘s largest event venue, capable of accommodating over 5,000 guests. The complex will include state-of-the-art ballrooms, event spaces and conference facilities, positioning Colombo as a key MICE destination. The primary resort opens this week but other elements of the project, like the luxury shopping mall, entertainment spaces, a gaming facility and the 113-room ultra-luxury Nuwa hotel, will be completed by mid-2025, marking the real final phase of the landmark development.
Udman Hotels and Resorts announced the grand opening of Udman Luxe Villa in Chattarpur, New Delhi, marking the brand’s entry into the premium villa category. The lavish retreat is located in the heart of south Delhi in Chattarpur and is an uber-luxurious four-bedroom villa including a drawing room, expansive dining room, four grand bedrooms, all creating a resort-like ambiance. Udman Hotels and Resorts aims to grow its collection to 50 boutique and luxury properties over the next five years.
Personnel Moves
OYO announced five additions to its leadership team, with Sonal Sinha being appointed as COO International and Rachit Srivastava as COO of OYO Vacation Homes in Europe. Shashank Jain will take over as Head of Technology & Online Revenue; Pankhuri Sakhuja will lead the German home listing business Traum & flex-space business Innov8, and Ashish Bajpai has been promoted to Head Revenue & Global OTA. OYO’s Global COO and Chief Product Officer Abhinav Sinhan will be moving into an advisory role from January 2025 and OYO Europe President Ayush Mathur will move on to build his own startup.