Marriott International has reached 300 properties in Mexico with the opening of Courtyard by Marriott Torreón in August. With more than 44,000 rooms across 25 brands, the country is the group's leading market in the Caribbean and Latin America region. Its 76-hotel pipeline is built on luxury, all-inclusive and conversions.

Kempinski Group announced from Dubai on 30 September 2026 the appointment of Andrea Vanni as Chief Financial Officer. A member of the Supervisory Board of Kempinski A.G. for more than three years, the luxury real estate finance specialist takes charge of the group's finances with a clear mission: to improve returns for owners and support the next phase of the group's transformation.

🔎 Trend of the day: upscale as a safe haven. Six upscale openings for Choice Hotels, a Nobu in San Juan, a five-star in Dakhla, a Bordeaux upscale segment buoyed by North American guests: as leisure budgets tighten, moving upmarket remains the driving force behind hotel investment.

Singapore's sovereign wealth fund GIC is reportedly the buyer of the 16 Four Points Flex by Sheraton hotels sold by KKR in Japan at the end of September, for around ¥125bn, or nearly €700m, according to people familiar with the matter. The deal adds to a string of large-scale hotel transactions in the country, where a weak yen and record international arrivals are drawing institutional capital.

On 29 September 2026, Ennismore, together with construction company LIMM and Società Rinascimento Valori, announced the signing of Delano Puglia in Monopoli, on Puglia's Adriatic coast. Scheduled to open in 2028, the 76-key resort will be the brand's first address in Italy and strengthens Delano's expansion across upscale coastal destinations.

Founder of the BASE aparthotel brand, Frédéric Mydske will open The Ski Lodge in December 2026, an independent 36-key boutique hotel in the centre of Verbier. Reservations opened on 28 September. Built around a full spa, a bar open to local residents and a New York brasserie-style restaurant, the project is a bet on a hotel designed for après-ski rather than simply for the day on the slopes.

On 30 September 2026, Hilton published its 2027 Trends Report, "The Great Rebalance", based on a Morning Consult survey of 14,744 travellers across 14 countries. The study identifies five trends expected to shape how people plan, book and experience travel next year, from the rise of "good-ish" travel to micro-trips. For operators, it highlights the growing weight of trust, loyalty and short stays in guests' decision-making.

According to the latest edition of Amadeus's Global Travel Agent Report, based on a survey of more than 750 travel agents, global distribution systems (GDS) are gaining ground and artificial intelligence is taking hold in sales tools. For hoteliers, the study sets out clear expectations: consistent rates across channels, rich property descriptions that address sustainability, and targeted advertising at the moment the agent is booking.

🔎 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.

Compagnie Hôtelière et Immobilière du Congo (CHIC) has broadened the remit of Willy Walter Youbessi, who becomes Cluster General Manager of the Novotel Kinshasa La Gombe, the Ibis Styles Kinshasa and the Novotel Lubumbashi. Having led the opening of the Novotel Lubumbashi in May 2024, he now also takes charge of the two properties in the capital, in a Congolese market where the international hotel supply is growing steadily denser.

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.