Minor International Sees White Lotus Tourism Boost

STR reported China hotel data for the week ended March 8. China hotel RevPAR fell -4.3% year over year, up against an easy -5.5% comp. For the week, the average daily rate was up 0.4%, but that was offset by a -4.7% decline in occupancy, year over year.

IHG Hotels & Resorts' Regent Hotels & Resorts brand announced the opening of their first hotel on the island of Bali. This is the first Regent opening in Indonesia since IHG bought the brand in 2018. The beachfront Regent Bali Canggu features 150 suites and villas, most providing sea or garden views and direct access to the lagoon. The entry-level studio suites at the property start at 818 square feet. The two-bedroom penthouse oceanfront room features a private pool, fully equipped kitchen, a private terrace, and a 322-square-foot infinity pool, all overlooking the Indian Ocean with 6,652 square feet of living space. The resort will feature one of the world's first Regent Spa experiences when it opens in late 2025. Other amenities include five dining venues, nine swimming pools, and a Regent Club. Also scheduled to open in late 2025 is Regent Kids for the younger guests.

Amora Hotels & Resorts has acquired Adelaide's Hilton Hotel following an on-market campaign that attracted strong interest from domestic and offshore private and institutional investors. CBRE negotiated the sale on behalf of seller 233 Victoria Square Hotel Pty Ltd. Amora manages several luxury hotels, including the Amora Hotel Jamison Sydney. The Hilton Adelaide features 377 guest rooms, 20 conference and meeting rooms, a business lounge, a tennis court, gym and swimming pool, as well as food and beverage offerings. The property is managed by Hilton Hotels of Australia Pty Ltd.

The Hilton Brisbane will close at the end of the month, with a globally recognized but unnamed luxury hotel operator said to be ready to take over the CBD building. It is being earmarked for a complete restoration next year as part of the wider Wintergarden complex. Hilton issued a statement that the hotel will cease to operate under the Hilton brand following the expiration of the lease agreement with the property's owner. ISPT owns the building but would not comment on which global hotel chain will take over. The hotel is expected to undergo a complete refurbishment in 2026 and reopen under the new operator's brand name.

The Grand Hyatt Seoul is expanding its off-site catering service, bringing its world-class dining experience beyond the hotel's premises. The new service offers customized menus and refined service styles. The hotel said its catering service provides personal consultations to tailor menus that reflect the purpose and preferences of each event.

Paradise Co has secured a KRW500 billion (US$379 million) in financing from Woori Bank to fund the construction of a new hotel in Seoul, South Korea. The investment is aimed at developing a luxury hotel in the Jangchung-dong area. Paradise will contribute KRW1.79 trillion of the equity capital, which represents 32.2% of the total investment. The Woori Bank financing is a five-year facility loan with a lump sum repayment due at maturity, carrying an interest rate of the 91-day CD rate plus 0.97%, which is 3.81% based on the March 11, 2025 CD rate. The hotel development is part of Paradise Co's strategy to diversify its business portfolio and create synergies with its existing casino operations. The 18-story hotel will feature 200 rooms and five basement levels, covering 13,950 square meters. Development will begin shortly, with the opening scheduled for 2028.

Manglam Group is looking at opportunities in the hospitality sector. They are already a leading player in the real estate sector in Rajasthan, especially Jaipur, India. Their first foray will be the Westin Jaipur, which is expected to open in the next few months. They are considering further expansion into the hospitality sector in the city in the coming years. They signed a management agreement with an international hotel company for their second property in Jaipur. That will be a new 200-room hotel that will be part of a mega mixed-use complex the company is developing in the Jagatpura area of Jaipur. Their plan is to develop 1,000 keys, primarily in Jaipur, in the next five years. Their plan is to set up greenfield properties with no acquisitions of operational hotels or taking over brownfield projects. They will lean towards resort development but said the Group would not restrict their future developments to only resorts. The group is open to investment opportunities in other parts of Rajasthan as well in places like Goa but the 1,000 key target by 2030 is primarily for Jaipur city. Manglam Group will partner with global brands to run their assets as their strength is in real estate and setting up world-class infrastructure.

Ladhani Group is planning to invest around Rs 3,000 crore in its hospitality business and triple its room keys to 1,500 over the next three to five years as part of its expansion plans. The group signed agreements with the Taj Group for its two upcoming properties at Haridwar and Ayodhya and is also said to be in discussions with other international chains. Their overall investment for the additional 1,000 keys will be around Rs 3,000 crore. East India Hotels Limited, operator of the Oberoi Group of Hotels, announced recently that they were partnering with Ladhani Group on two resorts. Ladhani said besides Taj and Oberoi, they have been in touch with a few large international chains, specifically Ritz-Carlton and Four Seasons for Agra. The group has also signed up for two more hotel properties in Lucknow, with two Taj properties opening there.

Minor International Plc plans to expand in the United States to cash in on the global fame from The White Lotus, which has sent its room bookings in Thailand skyrocketing since the show began airing last month. Minor will aim to open one Anantara hotel in the US by early next year. They only have one hotel in the U.S. through NH Hotel Group, which they acquired in 2018, but the strong following of The White Lotus has changed their view on the competitive American market. The White Lotus primary filming locations were at three Anantara properties in Phuket and Koh Samui from Minor and their Four Seasons hotel on the same island. Minor said since the show launched in mid-February, direct online bookings for the three Anantara resorts were up 41% year over year while web traffic more than doubled. Overall, Minor is aiming to expand to 850 hotels in 2027 and 1,000 by 2030. They currently have 562 hotels they operate or own in 57 countries.

Personnel Moves

LET Group announced two new directors, Lam Hung Tuan, who is Chief Technology Officer of subsidiary Suntrust Resort, and Ms Chan Suet Ngan, an accountant and Executive Director of 8088 Investment Holdings Limited