German real estate developer Centralis Immobilien has announced the acquisition of two vacant hotels in the heart of Cologne, bought from the Crescendo portfolio. Both buildings will be converted into 233 serviced apartments, with operations entrusted to Finnish operator Bob W. The deal reflects the group's development strategy, which aims to capitalise on the current buyer's market to secure prime locations in major German cities.

The project will transform a 1964 office tower into a €202 million hotel-residences-office complex, featuring the world's first W Residences offered for rent rather than for sale.

Australian hotel group TFE Hotels is committing €62m (AUD 100m) to the renovation of its first-generation Adina properties in Australia, Europe and the UK. Announced on 6 September 2026, the programme accompanies the repositioning of the apartment-hotel brand in response to growing demand for residential-style accommodation, alongside new openings and the rollout of a dedicated digital guest experience platform.

RIU Hotels & Resorts inaugurated the Riu Palace Phuket on 4 September 2026, a 5-star, 504-room property on Mai Khao Beach, immediately adjacent to Sirinat National Park. The opening marks the Spanish hotel chain's entry into the Thai market, featuring a 24-hour All-Inclusive concept and the premium Elite Club by RIU offering. For the family-owned group, which now operates 101 hotels across 22 countries, the new property forms part of a strategy to strengthen its presence in Southeast Asia.

Starboard Hotels, in joint venture with LaSalle Investment Management, has acquired seven Accor hotels in the UK from Ares Real Estate Funds and EQ Group, for an undisclosed sum. The deal takes Starboard's UK portfolio to 28 properties and marks the group's first private equity transaction. The seven hotels will continue to operate under Accor franchise, in key regional markets including Birmingham, Sheffield, Southampton and London.

Greek property company PREMIA Properties announced on 22 June 2026 its entry into the capital of AKTI Hotels & Resorts Group and the financing of the modernisation of three properties in Rhodes and Kos. The deal, estimated at more than €250 million including renovation works, is expected to be finalised by the end of 2026 and forms part of PREMIA's hotel portfolio growth strategy.

France's leading hotel private equity firm strengthens its presence in eastern Paris alongside KER Hospitality, with a recently renovated 3-star, 31-room asset.

According to a statement issued on 3 September 2026, Ayesa Engineering is strengthening its position in the hospitality sector by taking on the management of several Holiday Inn Express projects in Spain on behalf of Tikehau Capital and Quest Capital. Construction of the first of these properties, a 244-room hotel, has now begun in Madrid. Opening is scheduled for the first quarter of 2028.

Dusit International will open the Dusit Princess Ipoh on 1 October 2026, a 268-room property in the heart of the historic city of Ipoh, in the state of Perak. The Thai group's third Malaysian property is backed by a partnership with local developer Plenitude Berhad and aims to support the growing momentum of domestic tourism in the region.

Between cultural patronage, news stories and pricing controversies, the hotel industry is once again in the spotlight, both in Paris and internationally. Hotel industry news today, 5 September 2026: here's what you needed to know in the sector today. 🔎 Trend of the day: Parisian catering and hospitality return to the spotlight amid patronage, an eagerly awaited reopening and a pricing controversy, while internationally there's a wave of appointments, awards and darker news.

Hilton has opened Xi Zhe Wuxi, Curio Collection by Hilton, the brand's first property in Jiangsu Province. Developed by Hang Lung Properties and operated by Hilton, the 105-room hotel brings together a century-old residence and a contemporary building in the heart of Wuxi's heritage district. The opening confirms the continued strengthening of Hilton's lifestyle portfolio in China, where the group now has five brands in this segment.

In an op-ed published on the company's blog, Aleph Hospitality's COO sets out the criteria now redefining hotel development across the Middle East and Africa.