Australia

The commentary from President Xi at the National Congress in Beijing certainly did not sound like the Zero-Covid policy that has hampered tourism and business travel in and outside of China is going to change anytime soon. Anantara Chiang Mai Resort recently hosted an event to celebrate the renovations at the property. Chatrium Hospitality is set to unveil Chatrium Grand Bangkok on November 28, 2022. The hotel is located in the city’s Siam area and is an enhanced version of Chatrium’s luxury collection.

Fitch Ratings revised the Maldives’ outlook to Negative from Stable while affirming its Long Term Currency Issuer Default Rating at B-. Hilton announced plans to expand the presence of Conrad Hotels & Resorts through Conrad Singapore Orchard . Singapore’s Far East Organization is planning to develop a new hotel in Sydney’s Rocks district , with a proposal to redevelop the Clocktower Square with a luxury new property.

STR  reported China hotel data for the week ending 10/8. China hotel RevPAR was down -16.5% year over year (Golden Week). When compared with the same week in 2019, RevPAR was down -12.7%. People’s Daily , considered the Communist Party’s way of getting the message out to the Chinese, said China should stick with its zero-Covid strategy . Hyatt Place Huangshan Train Station , the first Hyatt-branded hotel in Huangshan, is officially open.

While  Golden Week was a bit tarnished for hoteliers in China , it created a breeding ground for Covid cases and that was not a disappointment. The number of Adelaide hotel rooms filled in one night  hit a new high last month. For Macau , a Covid boom means new quarantine and other measures, bringing down the mood after there were 163,000 mainland visitors entering the city during the seven days of Golden Week.

A new report from international travel industry analysts, the  Centre for Aviation , predicts the  Asia Pacific region  will no longer be the world’s largest travel region by the end of 2022. Hyatt Hotels  announced the opening of the  Fuji Speedway Hotel  in  Shizuoka, Japan , the first property within  The Unbound Collection by Hyatt  brand in Japan. Business Line reported  Accor   plans to divest its stake in Indian ventures , opting to go asset-light through management contract deals.

STR reported China hotel RevPAR the week ended September 17   fell -11.5% year over year. When compared with the same week in 2019, China hotel RevPAR was down -40.1% Despite STR reporting week after week for the past several months that China hotel RevPAR has plunged again, Trip.com said hotel reservations in China surpassed pre-pandemic levels since late June . Hyatt Hotels Corporation announced the opening of Hyatt Place Bharuch . This is the second Hyatt Place hotel in Gujarat and the sixth Hyatt Place hotel in in India.

Marriott International  announced it expects to open  14 additional luxury properties   in Asia Pacific by the end of 2023 . Marriott currently operates 156 luxury properties in the region. Construction of the long-awaited resort at  Kalgoorlie Golf Course  in the city of  Kalgoorlie-Boulder  in  Australia  has finally begun. PT Platnet Properindo Jaya Tbk will initiate the operation of Citi Hub Hotel, Kelapa Gading in Indonesia in 2023.

Accor said they are experiencing a sustained recovery in their Western Australia hotel, apartment, and resorts network . Accor also said they are bullish on India , with plans to open mid-level hotels across metros and budget brands in tier-2 and tier-3 cities but also adds to its luxury portfolio with another Raffles property in Jaipur soon. The Park Hotels will run a 65-room hotel at the Digha Convention Centre. An agreement was signed with the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority.  

STR  reported  China hotel RevPAR  for the week ended September 3 rd . Year over year, hotel RevPAR was up 19.3%, still up against easier year-over-year comps. The DuGhassan Aboud Group has acquired Sydney, Australia’s Rydges Sydney Harbour Hotel for approximately $100 million. Radisson Hotel Group announced the continued expansion of their brand footprint with Radisson Resort & Suites Phuket .

Hyatt Hotels Corp announced plans for its continued growth in the Asia Pacific market. They unveiled a robust pipeline of landmark luxury and lifestyle hotels and resorts. CEL Australia has listed The Sebel Hotel Mandurah for sale as Western Australia reopens to the world post-pandemic. Andrew Tan’s flagship property firm Megaworld is opening a new Belmont Hotel within the 30-hectare Mactan Newtown in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu.