Five-Star Hotels in Macau Lead Occupancy Rates at 88.6%
Skift Take
The average hotel room occupancy in Macau in 2024 was 86.4%, up 4.9 percentage points, according to the Statistics and Census Service. Five-star hotels led with an occupancy rate of 88.6%, up 6.1 percentage points year over year. Four-star and three-star hotels checked in with 82.3% and 83.8%, up by 3.1 percentage points and 3 percentage points, respectively. The number of hotel establishments in Macau rose by 4 to 146 in 2024, but the number of available guest rooms declined by 7.8% to 43,000. The number of guests rose by 6.4% to 14.433 million. December hotel occupancy was 89.9%, up 4.2 percentage points year over year, even as the total number of guests fell by -9.6% to 1,194,000.
The Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO) said the number of visitors coming to Macau for Chinese New Year is increasing. The average daily visitor arrivals in the past week were more than 100,000. The MGTO is expecting the average number of visitors to be up to 185,000 per day in the CNY, a very aggressive target from a usually conservative group. The MGTO said the booking rate of Macau hotels for the CNY holiday is nearly 90%, and they expect that to get to 95% with hotels fully occupied on some days of the Golden Week.
SiteMinder said the average daily rate charged by hotels in Thailand reached a record high of 6,460 baht in December, driven by a surge in demand from international travelers. Thailand’s average ADR throughout 2024 increased to 5,377 baht from 4,648 baht in 2023. International tourists accounted for 77% of the total Thai hotel check-ins, the highest in Asia and well above the global average of 48%.
A survey by Thailand’s National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA) may shed some light on why the government is pushing to pass the casino entertainment complex laws on their own, without referendums. Even though the Government and tourism industry are gung-ho for casino gambling to be legalized, the NIDA said 59.19% of respondents to a survey opposed both the complexes and casino elements. Only 28.93% supported both, while 8.63% supported the complex but not the casino. On the topic of online casino gambling, 58.32% strongly disagreed with the idea, and only 19.92% strongly agreed. 51.07% opposed holding referendums for both, while 37.86% supported holding referendums on both issues.
Asset World Corp (AWC) is embarking on a $474 million mixed-use project in Bangkok’s Chinatown. Covering an area of 2.24 hectares and expected to be ready by 2029, it is a venture that will combine high-end hospitality, retail, and cultural elements. It will include two hotels – a 300-room InterContinental featuring Chinatown’s grandest ballroom for events and a 200-room Kimpton hotel. An eight-story modern Chinese pavilion will provide panoramic views, accounting for 50,000 square meters of premium retail space. Over two levels below the surface will house one of Thailand’s most extensive subterranean retail centers. This project is part of AWC’s expansive River Journey initiative.
Accor announced the return of Pullman Hotels & Resorts to the coastal city of Zhoushan on the East China Sea. Pullman Zhoushan Seaside was previously the Pullman Zhoushan Seaview. It is set to open in March of this year, a three-hour drive from Shanghai and eight minutes from Putuoshan International Airport. The hotel will feature 253 modern and designed rooms, all with views of the East China Sea. Included in that total are 20 spacious family rooms and six parent-child rooms. There will be an all-day restaurant, a signature Chinese restaurant, a lobby bar, and an executive lounge. The hotel also has an 880-square-meter column-free grand ballroom, several meeting rooms with sea views, and an outdoor venue. Recreational facilities include Zhoushan’s first rooftop pool, a fitness center, a spa, and a games room.
Accor’s ibis Styles brand announced the opening of ibis Styles Kuala Lumpur Bukit Bintang, a new addition to Malaysia’s capital, located in the Bukit Bintang district. The hotel features 168 rooms with diverse dining options at the hotel’s restaurant. There is a fully equipped fitness center for those who want to stay active.
Minor Hotels is the first major international hotel company to partner with Fliggy’s new booking platform called Global Discovery. The agreement with Alibaba Group’s online travel platform allows Minor Hotels to feature over 80,000 rooms across its eight brands on the new Global Discovery platform at the same prices as Minor Hotels’ websites. The agreement also taps into Fliggy’s digital ecosystem in the Chinese market by leveraging its vast digital marketing capabilities, innovative products, and member base to enhance the reach of Minor Hotels’ brands in China. Minor currently operates four hotels in China in partnership with Funyard Hotels & Resorts, with another 12 in the pipeline.
Brookfield Asset Management Ltd said it plans to ramp up real estate investments in Japan after buying a stake in a landmark Tokyo hotel and a large plot of land for logistics development in deals worth a combined $1.6 billion. The Canadian investment firm took a stake in Gajoen, a mixed-use complex in Tokyo owned by China Investment Corp and LaSalle Investment Management. They also acquired 1 million square feet of land near Japan’s manufacturing heartland of Nagoya to develop a large warehouse. Brookfield will take over as asset manager of Gajoen and plans to invest in renovating public spaces in the hotel and offices. The Gajoen complex contains a 60-suite-room luxury hotel with banquet halls and restaurants, and two office towers.
Personnel Move
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts announced the appointment of Rahool Macarius as Market Managing Director for Eurasia. He will be responsible for regional operations and driving the growth of Wyndham’s brands across India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and the Maldives. Macarius returns to Wyndham, where he had previously been Director of Commercial for the region.