Hotel companies show no sign of slowing down their expansion plans, with a slew of new and upcoming properties debuting around the world from Hilton’s portfolio of brands, as well as JW Marriott. New buyout opportunities from Preferred Hotels & Resorts round out the recent hotel updates travel advisors and their clients will want to know about.
Hilton Expands Its Global Footprint
Hilton Hotels & Resorts achieved an impressive 7% net unit growth in the second quarter of 2021, hitting brand milestones including the opening of the 200th Tru by Hilton property; the debut of the 500th Home2Suites by Hilton; and the first Signia by Hilton brand property, Signia by Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek (a rebranded hotel). Motto by Hilton also opened its second location, Motto by Hilton Philadelphia Square.
The company is also investing heavily in its Nevada portfolio, particularly in Las Vegas, where Resorts World Las Vegas recently made its debut with 3,500 guestrooms and suites spanning the world’s largest Conrad Hotels & Resorts property, one of the first U.S. locations of LXR Hotels & Resorts and a marquee Hilton Hotels & Resorts property.
On the international front, the Conrad Tulum is slated to open its doors in late 2021, while the Waldorf Astoria Cancun is in the works for 2022. Hilton’s all-inclusive offerings are also expanding, with the recent opening of the Hilton Vallarta Riviera All-Inclusive Resort, and the upcoming Hilton Cancun, an All-Inclusive Resort expected later this year.
Resorts World Las Vegas features a day club.
Credit: 2021 HiltonJW Marriott’s New and Future Debuts
JW Marriott is making big moves, with a slew of newly opened properties and much more to come in the near future.
Recent debuts from 2021 include JW Marriott Tampa Water Street, the brand’s 100th hotel, in Tampa, Fla.; the 265-room JW Marriott Shanghai Fengxian in China, located on Hangzhou Bay; the JW Marriott Monterrey Valle in Monterrey, Mexico, in the heart of San Pedro Garza Garcia; and the 381-room JW Marriott Charlotte in North Carolina. Still to come this year is Saudi Arabia’s JW Marriott Burj Rafal Riyadh, with a planned debut in the fourth quarter.
Among the highlights for 2022 is the 115-room JW Marriott Cairo Mena House in Egypt — within walking distance of the Pyramids in Giza — and the JW Marriott Jeju — located in a UNESCO Natural World Heritage site in South Korea — both of which are slated for the first quarter of the year. A bit further out, the brand plans to open the JW Marriott Madrid — its first hotel in Spain — in the third quarter.
JW Marriott Monterrey Valle recently opened in Mexico.
Credit: 2021 JW MarriottHotel Buyouts on Offer From Preferred
With demand growing for private and remote getaways, Preferred Hotels & Resorts has launched its new “Where Next? Buyouts,” offering options for booking entire floors, wings or even full property takeovers at more than 135 global accommodations.
Participating properties include the 86-cottage Cambridge Beaches Resort & Spa in Bermuda for a private beach retreat; The Sebastian Vail in Colorado, which offers an alpine experience; the Grand Hotel Tremezzo in Lake Como, Italy, where guests can take over an entire floor of the lakeside hotel; and Borneo Eagle Resort in Malaysia, which is ideal for an intimate group takeover of the property’s 13 villas. At Nobu Maldives, meanwhile, clients can book the whole island, complete with 50 private villas, for the ultimate escape. The buyout offer is available for stays through Dec. 31, 2022.
Small Luxury Hotels of the World Introduces the Considerate Collection
Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH) has launched a group of “actively sustainable” luxury hotels, called the Considerate Collection. The properties under the Considerate umbrella are meant to go the extra mile when it comes to sustainability, and the collection is debuting with 26 hotels in 16 countries.
Domaine de Manville in France is part of the Considerate Collection.
Credit: 2021 Small Luxury Hotels of the WorldTo launch the collection, SLH collaborated with sustainability institutions such as the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), as well as Greenview, a sustainable tourism management tool. SLH also established several pillars for the brand, requiring that each hotel is community-minded, a cultural custodian and environmentally conscious.
“We’ve carefully curated the Considerate Collection to spotlight luxury boutique hotels exemplary in their sustainability efforts, making it easier for customers and the travel trade to make better-considered choices,” said Daniel Luddington, vice president of development for Small Luxury Hotels of the World. “Staying in small, independent hotels goes hand in hand with traveling sustainably, and all SLH hotels are already steeped in the many facets of sustainable hospitality, so we haven’t had to look far outside of our portfolio for the launch collection.”
Blue Diamond Resorts Properties Join Autograph Collection
It’s official: 20 properties from Blue Diamond Resorts have been integrated into Marriott International’s Autograph Collection. The move boosts Marriott’s offerings in the all-inclusive space, as well as provides Marriott Bonvoy members with new properties where they can earn and redeem points. Spanning Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, St. Lucia, Costa Rica, Antigua and Grenada, the newly incorporated resorts will continue to be owned and operated by Blue Diamond Resorts under the Autograph Collection name.
Royalton Antigua is now an Autograph Collection hotel.
Credit: 2021 Blue Diamond Resorts
“The arrival of the first all-inclusive resorts marks an exciting chapter in the brand’s story,” said Jennifer Connell, vice president and global brand leader for Autograph Collection. “From focal design moments and immersive dining hideaways to signature rituals and personal guide adventures, Autograph Collection All-Inclusive Resorts transport you to a world of your own, where experiences are tailored, imagination is piqued, and joy is unleashed.”
A small sampling of the integrated properties includes Planet Hollywood Cancun, an Autograph Collection All-Inclusive Resort in Mexico; the Dominican Republic’s Royalton Bavaro, an Autograph Collection All-Inclusive Resort & Casino; Royalton Antigua, an Autograph Collection All-Inclusive Resort & Casino; Planet Hollywood Costa Rica, an Autograph Collection All-Inclusive Resort; Royalton Negril, an Autograph Collection All-Inclusive Resort in Jamaica; and more.
