Marriott Pipeline Includes 260 Luxury Properties

The Philippines welcomed 4.92 million foreign tourists in the first 10 months of 2024, up 9.6% from a year ago. Foreign tourists accounted for 91.6% of the arrivals, including people classified as overseas Filipinos. South Korea remains the top source market, with nearly 1.44 million arrivals in January through November period. That was up 10.5% year over year. While the percentage rise overall is decent, the Dept. of Tourism was way over-optimistic and it is not likely the Philippines hits the target of 7.7 million international arrivals for 2024. With the country receiving 433,130 international visitors in November, there is a chance that unless December accelerates, they will be close to flat with last year's 5.45 million International visitors.
 
According to the local media, the Hengqin Guangdong-Macau Deep Cooperation Zone held a ceremony yesterday where the authorities approved five applications to convert office or commercial buildings into hotels and the developers signed cooperation agreements with hotel operators. The number of hotel rooms expected to be added to the market was not given and there were no details on whether the conversions will involve entire buildings or just parts of existing vacant commercial properties. The application criteria included that the applicant must be a single property owner; the hotel must have at least 50 rooms with a minimum room size of 13 square meters; the building must be equipped with essential facilities such as a lobby, restaurant, and necessary service rooms and the conversion must be for a period of at least eight years. Last year Hengqin had over 8,000 hotel rooms, with reports that the powers that be would like to increase that eventually to 100,000.
 
IHG Hotels & Resorts is celebrating the Vignette Collection having reached 50+ open and pipeline properties. Just three years after the brand's introduction, the collection brand has surpassed the halfway point in its initial aim to reach 100 open and pipeline hotels in 10 years. Today, there are 19 Vignette Collection hotels open around the world, with a further 34 in the pipeline that will make brand debuts in markets such as Japan, Vietnam and The Maldives. 6 hotels are currently open but are marked as unbranded as they complete their transition to the Vignette Collection brand. Some of the Vignette Collection properties that have recently opened or will start welcoming guests in the coming months include: Ciel Tower, Dubai set to be completed in 2025; Shanghai Snow World Hotel; RIHGA Royal Hotel Osaka launching in 2025; Noku Maldives; and Hotel Franciscana in Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula and The Gwendolyn, located in the heart of Oregon's famed Willamette Valley wine region.
 
IHG announced the introduction of voco hotels in Malaysia, with the opening of the 321-room voco Kuching expected in 2026. The hotel is part of a 12-story mixed-use development in collaboration with Elica Equity Sdn Bhd. The building once housed Century Kuching Hotel and prior to that Four Points by Sheraton Kuching. This will be IHG's first hotel in Sarawak and marks its return to Kuching after 16 years. The voco Kuching amenities will include a swimming pool, all-day dining and café, lounge, fitness center, over 2,400 square meters of meeting spaces and an array of function room options.
 
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts added three Taiwanese hotel operators to its planned expansion in the country. Wyndham signed a memorandum of understanding with each of the three new local partners – Check Hotels Group, Hub Hotel Group and Sun Hao International Hotel. This past June, Wyndham worked with Lealea Group and opened Wyndham Sun Moon Lake in Nantou County, their third property in the country. Wyndham said they will open their fourth in 2025 with the goal being to push the top property numbers into double digits.
 
In Southport QLD in Australia, the TRYP by Wyndham Southport Gold Coast has opened. The 4.5-star apartment hotel is part of the $3.8 billion Imperial Square development in the heart of Southport. The development is set to include the tallest towers on the Gold Coast and marks the debut of the TRYP by Wyndham brand in Queensland. The hotel features 225 one, two and three-bedroom apartments. Amenities include a rooftop infinity pool, steam room and sauna, fitness center and a day spa that is expected to open soon. Amore Ristorante is anchored by one of the Gold Coast's largest authentic pizza ovens, imported from Italy.
 
Club Mahindra, the flagship brand of Mahindra Holidays & Resorts India Limited, announced a significant expansion of its Kandaghat resort. They will add more than 100 room keys with plans to introduce an additional 40 rooms by Q1 FY26. The resort is located in the Himalayan region and offers a diverse range of accommodations, including 1 bedroom units, studios and hotel units. The property targets travelers from North India, particularly those in the NCR and Punjab regions.
 
Lemon Tree Hotels announced the opening of Keys Select in Kufri, featuring 49 rooms with views of the Himalayas. The new property will be managed by Lemon Tree subsidiary Carnation Hotels Private Limited and is scheduled to open in FY2026. There will be a restaurant, terrace bar lounge, meeting facilities, a fitness center, banquet halls and various public spaces. The property will be located 140 kilometers from Shahid Bhagat Singh International Airport in Chandigarh.
 
Sayaji Hotels announced a planned expansion in India, adding 12,000 luxury rooms to meet the demand for high-end accommodations across the country. The group's expansion vision includes adding 12,000 new guest rooms across 113 cities. The growth strategy focused on opening properties with 8,700 rooms in key regions, including Tier II and Tier III cities. The upcoming projects will include luxury resort destinations in locales like Udaipur as well as regions that are popular for wildlife and pilgrimage tourism.
 
Marriott International, Inc. announced a new chapter in global growth and strategic expansion at the International Luxury Travel Market in Cannes. The Luxury Group's new brand extensions, tented camps, remote lodges, and bespoke experiences are poised to further elevate the company as a leader in high-end hospitality. Spanning iconic names like The Ritz-Carlton, St. Regis Hotels & Resorts, W Hotels, The Luxury Collection, EDITION, JW Marriott and Bvlgari Hotels & Resorts, this dynamic portfolio is pioneering a new vision of experiential travel. Luxury Group by Marriott International's portfolio of more than 529 properties now spans 73 countries and territories with three new hotels slated to open in the final weeks of 2024 in coveted and emerging destinations around the globe. Over 260 luxury hotels and resorts across Marriott's luxury portfolio are in the global development pipeline, including over 30 properties expected to open in 2025.