IHG Signs $100 Million Deal for Barossa Valley Hotel

Marriott International's Ritz-Carlton brand announced the opening of its hotel in Suzhou in China's Jiangsu province near Shanghai. The Ritz-Carlton, Suzhou, is located within a 2km radius of attractions such as Lingering Garden, Xiyuan Temple, and Shangtang Street. The hotel offers 190 guest rooms, including 57 suites, with the Ritz-Carlton Suite at 306 square meters. The property features three restaurants, a 24-hour fitness center, an indoor swimming pool, and event spaces, including a 508-square-meter grand ballroom, three meeting rooms, and an outdoor venue.

JATI, an exclusive private island retreat by the creators of Shinta Mani Hotels, will open its doors on April 1 just off Cambodia's southern coast, joining the elite portfolio of HMD Asia. The 82-villa laid-back retreat will have a distinctive Cambodian island vibe, located on the island of Koh Russey or "Bamboo Island" in southern Cambodia's scenic Koh Rong archipelago. One- and two-bedroom villas, some with their own private pools, are directly on the beachfront or nestled in lush tropical gardens. Recreational facilities will be introduced in the first two to three months, and the Bamboo Spa & Gym will feature a wide range of Khmer-inspired treatments for recharging, with sauna and ice bath facilities starting in May. Dining capitalizes on destination restaurants within operator HMD Asia's portfolio with options from wine bar Le Manolis and steakhouse Koko to the breezy Arun Beach café, Banyan Lounge and Beach Club. A 300 square meter thatched-roof Events & Conference Centre styled for barefoot weddings and brainstorming gatherings is also scheduled to open later this year.

Anantara Chiang Mai Resort in Thailand unveiled its new Kasara Pool Suite with a spacious terrace, a cabana and a private pool. The resort boasts a privileged setting on the banks of the Mae Ping River and includes 84 rooms and suites. The new Kasara Pool Suite measures 140 square meters with different areas to sleep, work and relax. The outdoor courtyard is screened by lush greenery and includes a heated plunge pool, jacuzzi and a shaded cabana. A butler and chef are on hand.

IHG will open its first luxury hotel property in the Barossa Valley, Australia's most famous wine region. They signed a 25-year agreement with developer Strategic Alliance for the construction of a 150-room InterContinental branded hotel that will be developed at a cost of about $100 million. The InterContinental Barossa Resort & Spa will be built on a 21-hectare site on a hillside outside Lyndoch, looking northwest into the wine region.

Chroma Hospitality, a subsidiary of Filinvest Development Corporation, has signed an agreement with QM AZ Holdings Inc. to introduce Grafik Hotel Collection in Moalboal, Cebu in the Philippines. This marks the second property under the Grafik Hotel Collection, following its first location in Baguio City. Moalboal is considered one of the most biodiverse coastal areas in the Philippines. The Grafik Hotel Collection in Moalboal, Cebu, will include 126 rooms, four food and beverage concepts, including Chroma's homegrown Azure Beach Club and its very own Aum Spa. It will also offer fitness and recreational facilities, versatile meetings and events spaces, and a dive shop with a dedicated dive pool.

Juniper Hotels entered into a share purchase agreement with Jenipro Hotels Private Limited. The acquisition is being done to develop a five-star hotel/resort of international standard on Kaziranga land in India. The land has been taken on lease by Jenipro from Assam Tourism Development Corporation Limited to develop a tourism infrastructure under a Public-Private Partnership model. Juniper Hotels is a strategic partnership between the Saraf Group and Hyatt. The venture began in 1998 with the launch of Juniper Hotels' first and flagship property, Grand Hyatt Mumbai Hotel and Residences, which opened in 2004. The company is publicly traded on the BSE.

Grand Continent Hotels IPO opened for subscription on March 20 and will be open until March 24. The IPO price band has been fixed in the range of crore 107 to 113 per equity share. Grand Continent Hotels Limited is a hotel chain based in India that focuses on the mid-market segment, managing 19 properties in six major Indian cities with a total of over 900 rooms available. The company intends to use the net proceeds of the IPO to fund several objectives, including the repayment or prepayment of certain existing loans taken by the company, the expansion of its hotel properties in India and general corporate purposes.

SJM said they will embark on a comprehensive upgrade program of all "typical rooms" at its Macau peninsula property Grand Lisboa. They are planning to roll out new and enhanced facilities across its Macau operations this year. Rooms at Lisboa Hotel, alongside Grand Lisboa, will also be upgraded. The work will include full renovation of all typical rooms as well as a 10% increase in total room inventory via the conversion of former junket areas into exclusive villas, mansions and suites.

Personnel Moves

Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group announced the appointment of ShaoWei Ong as Chief People & Culture Officer, effective as of March 17. Amanda Hyndman, who has held the dual roles of Chief People & Culture Officer and Chief Operating Officer, will now fully focus on her responsibilities as COO. ShaoWei was previously Group Human Resources Director at both Jardine Shindler and Livi Bank.

Miramar Hotel & Investment Company, Limited announced the retirement of Eddie Lau Yum Chuen, an executive director, who will not seek re-election due to his advanced age. His retirement will take effect after the annual general meeting on June 5, 2025