Hyatt Signed 21 Deals in India and Southeast Asia in 2024

STR reported China hotel data for the week ending March 29th. China hotel RevPAR was down -8.7% year over year, up against a +0.3% comp in the year-ago week. ADR was down -6.2% for the 2025 week, year over year, while occupancy was down -2.7%.

Get rolling coverage of the market meltdowns at Skift.com, such as this story: Tracking the Fallout: Which Travel Stocks are Sinking Most on Monday?

The Philippines Department of Tourism said that international visitor arrivals to the Philippines decreased by 2.42% in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the same period last year. In the first three months of the year, the total number of visitors to the country reached 1,654,079 with South Korea the primary source of inbound tourists with 395,059. That was down -13.86% from the first three months of 2024. The US remained in second place with 285,597, up 7.9%, while Japan rose to third with a rise of 18.73% to 125,083 arrivals. Chinese visitors declined -33.68% in 1Q25 year over year to 72,665 arrivals, dropping to sixth place.

Hilton announced the signing of two new hotels in the Philippines, reflecting the company's ambition to continue to expand its focused service presence in Southeast Asia. Hilton Garden Inn Manila Quezon City and Hilton Garden Inn Cebu Mactan mark the debut of the Hilton Garden Inn brand in the Philippines, Hilton's third brand in the country, expanding the portfolio from three to five properties. The Hilton Garden Inn Manila Quezon City will be part of a mixed-use complex and will have 210 rooms and suites, an all-day dining restaurant, over 450 square meters of flexible meeting and event spaces, and other modern facilities, including an outdoor pool and fitness center. Hilton Garden Inn Cebu Mactan will have 151 rooms, part of a mixed-use complex, an all-day dining restaurant and bar, up to 350 square meters of meeting and event spaces, a fitness center and an outdoor swimming pool. Hilton currently has 102 properties in South East Asia and expects to expand its portfolio by more than 50% in the coming years. They recently signed the Hilton Garden Inn Hoi'An Tra Que Village, Hilton Garden Inn Kota Kinabalu and Hilton Garden Inn Bali Nusa Dua. Hilton also plans to more than triple its focused service footprint in South East Asia in the coming years, with plans to increase the number of Hilton Garden Inn properties and other mid-market branded hotels from 12 to 40.

Hyatt announced its strategic growth plans for India and Southwest Asia. Hyatt said they signed 21 deals in 2024, with seven hotel openings expected for 2025. The seven properties will be in prominent destinations like Ghaziabad, Kasauli, Kochi, Bhopal, Vithalapur, Jaipur, and Butwal (Nepal). Hyatt is looking to strategically expand its brand footprint in key business hubs, sought-after holiday retreats, and revered pilgrimage sites. Hyatt has a goal of having 100 hotels in India within the next five years. They currently have 52 hotels across Southwest Asia, with 50 of them in India and two in Nepal, spanning nine brands. Hyatt recently crossed the milestone of 10,000 keys in the region.

IHG Hotels & Resorts announced their boutique lifestyle brand, Hotel Indigo, has made its New Zealand debut with the official opening of Hotel Indigo Auckland in Midtown on Albert Street. The 225-room hotel is located on the site of a 1912 motor house that imported Cadillacs into New Zealand. The hotel has 25 accommodation floors, with each level telling a distinct story of Auckland through a visual lens. The hotel spans 27 floors of a 41-story tower which also houses 30 residential apartments. The hotel has three culinary offerings launching with Bistro Saine with Café Etiquette and The Henry on the way.

IHG also announced the opening of Hotel Indigo Saigon The City, marking the launch of the brand in Vietnam. The 150-room hotel is located in downtown HCMC and includes The Shipyard, the hotel's restaurant and bar, which pays homage to the Ba Son Shipyard. Additional amenities include a fitness center overlooking the Ba Son Bridge and Saigon River, a 100 square meter rooftop pool and meeting spaces accommodating up to 50 guests.

Star Entertainment appears to have used up another life, holding off administration by agreeing to a deal from Bally's Corporation and largest shareholder Bruce Mathieson. The end result will be A$300 million being injected into the company. The coverage so far on this is sketchy, with some saying it is A$250 million from BALY and $50 million from Mathieson, with Bally getting a 50.1% stake with another report saying Bally may only put up $200 million and Mathieson $100 million. Either way, Star lives to see another day.

Nanuku Resort Fiji has completed a $12 million renovation, introducing a comprehensive redesign of its accommodations and public areas. The project integrates contemporary design with traditional Fijian elements. The redesign includes updates across all 37 suites, villas and residences, ranging from one to six bedrooms. The renovations extend to the resort's communal areas, including the clubhouse, pool and dining venues. New additions to the property include an adults-only dining area, Dancing Vonu, and expanded recreational facilities.

From May 2025, travelers can book stays at The Laurus, Singapore's first The Luxury Collection-branded resort from Marriott International, located at Resorts World Sentosa. The Laurus will open in the third quarter of 2025 and will replace The Hard Rock Hotel. The five-story hotel offers 183 suites. Facilities include courtyard spaces, a function room for intimate events and ceremonies, an outdoor swimming pool and spa, bar and an all-day dining concept restaurant. Suite options include the Deluxe Suite, Premier Suite, Grand Deluxe Suite and Presidential Suite.

Dusit International said it plans to expand its presence in India by launching 10 additional hotels under its luxury and upper midscale brands in key emerging cities. Dusit recently forayed into the Indian market with the opening of the upscale, 80-key dusitD2 Fagu in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh in December 2024. The company signed three properties in Karnataka, which include the wellness-focused Devarana Sakleshpur, set to open in 2028, and two upcoming Dusit Princess Hotels & Resorts. Dusit is also preparing to launch six additional hotels across the country, including Dusit Princess brand hotels in Raipur, Bhiwadi, Kolkata and Lonavala and two boutique luxury properties under the recently introduced Dusit Collection brand in Kasol and Manali in Himachal Pradesh. Dusit's broader expansion strategy targets high-growth markets such as Vietnam, Indonesia, Japan, China and India, with plans to sign more than 100 hotels globally over the next five years.