🔎 Trend of the day: the Gulf, a land of conquest for operators. The opening of Tivoli LA VIE in Muscat, Aleph Hospitality's takeover of the Mövenpick Grand Al Bustan and new cluster leadership for Accor between Dubai and Sharjah: the region remains one of the most active markets in the hotel world.

Meliá Hotels International and Gruppo Stay have signed an agreement to open The Meliá Collection Rome in 2027, a 67-room hotel on Via XX Settembre in the historic centre of the Italian capital. This third collaboration between the two groups marks the arrival of Meliá's upscale brand in Rome. It also strengthens Italy's position among the Spanish group's strategic markets.

On 29 September 2026, CityHub announced the opening of a 139-Hub hotel on Leipziger Platz in Berlin-Mitte, scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2027. Delivered in partnership with Columbia Threadneedle Investments, the project converts around 2,100 sqm of vacant retail space and, following Hamburg, confirms the Dutch brand's entry into the German market.

On 30 September 2026, IHG Hotels & Resorts announced the signing of a Kimpton in Rome, the luxury and lifestyle brand's first address in the Italian capital. Owned by Castello SGR's Rome Hotel Development Fund, the 114-room property is due to open in 2029 in the Via Veneto district. Italy is now a priority market for IHG, and the deal confirms the group's growing momentum there.

French scale-up Naboo, which specialises in corporate event procurement and management, is launching operations in Singapore and Australia. Following the United States, these two first markets are set to serve as anchor points for its expansion in Asia-Pacific, where MICE spending reaches €1.6bn in Singapore and almost €10bn in Australia.

Hilton and Heiwa Real Estate have announced the signing of Motto by Hilton Kyoto Shijo Karasuma, the lifestyle brand's first address in Japan, scheduled to open in 2029. The 108-room hotel, managed by Hilton, will take the group's Kyoto portfolio to seven properties and underlines Japan's strategic weight in Hilton's lifestyle development across Asia Pacific.

Fusion Hotel Group signed a hotel management agreement with Han Spaces in late September 2026 for Fusion Resort Tuyen Lam Lake Da Lat. The group's first resort in Vietnam's Highlands, the project marks a step away from its traditional coastal and urban destinations towards a mountain town now positioned in the wellness segment.

Grandi Stazioni Retail and Pacini Group announced on 28 September 2026 that the hotel under development inside Milan Central Station will join Curio Collection by Hilton as The Duke Milan. Backed by an €11 million investment, the 44-room project, due in 2027, forms part of the station's transformation into an urban destination and of Hilton's growth strategy in Italy.

IHG Hotels & Resorts has signed San Bernardo, Vignette Collection, a 67-room hotel due to open in March 2028 in a heritage building in central Madrid. The signing brings the group's open and pipeline luxury and lifestyle properties in Spain to 21, and confirms the country's place among IHG's priority European markets.

IHG Hotels & Resorts has signed two Garner-branded hotels in the United Arab Emirates with Nooa Holdings: Garner Hotel Dubai Al Jaddaf and Garner Hotel Ras Al Khaimah Downtown, both expected to open in 2026. Together, the two properties total 285 keys. They mark the Middle East debut of the group's midscale conversion brand, billed as its fastest-growing brand worldwide.

Geonet Developments International has outlined the shape of ELLE Resort & Beach Club Bali, a five-star beachfront project of 168 suites on the Seminyak coastline. Operated by SONO Hotels & Resorts Asia, the asset is built on a branded real-estate model, with units sold individually to private and institutional investors over a 50-year horizon. The developer has also assembled the team responsible for managing construction, architecture and F&B strategy.

Minor Hotels has announced the signing of ExCelle Hotel San Gimignano, Colbert Collection, scheduled to open in 2027 in the San Domenico Complex, at the heart of San Gimignano's UNESCO World Heritage-listed historic centre. The group's second Italian property under its premium soft brand forms part of a wide-ranging cultural regeneration project led by Opera Laboratori, and confirms the rise of a brand Minor Hotels regards as one of its main growth drivers.