German group Merkur Spielbanken Beteiligungs GmbH has signed a purchase agreement for 95% of Casigrangi, holding company of the Le Stelsia casino group, paving the way for a simplified tender offer for Company Française de Casinos at €6.19 per share.

The Walt Disney Company is preparing to open a new property in the Disney Resorts Collection, positioned between Fort Wilderness and Wilderness Lodge, with an opening scheduled for 1 July 2027 and bookings opening from early October 2026.

Marti Winer will succeed Kurt Paben at the helm of the destination management specialist from 1 September 2026, as he takes up the role of Vice Chair of the Board ahead of his planned retirement at the end of 2026.

After three years as Chief Commercial Officer, Linda Eigelberger takes charge of the American hotel group's brand, which she joined in 2019.

The luxury hotel group strengthens its global commercial organisation with the arrival of Kenny Toy, former Managing Director of Accenture Song in Hong Kong, tasked with overseeing sales, marketing, distribution, revenue management and e-commerce across the group.

Accor has inaugurated its tenth MGallery Collection hotel in China in Chengdu, a 155-key boutique hotel designed by Stack Studio and inspired by Tang-dynasty poetry. The opening underscores the group's growing momentum in western China, where it aims to double the brand's network by 2030.

Ahead of the Future Hospitality Summit (FHS° Living, the new format of the Branded Residences Forum taking place on 1 October 2026 in Dubai as part of FHS World), several industry leaders reflect on what is driving the rise of branded residences in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Susanna Mander (Meliá Hotels International), Makram El Zyr (Rotana), Victor Abou Ghanem (STORY Hospitality) and Mohamad Haj Hassan (Wyndham Hotels & Resorts) analyse a segment fuelled both by growing lifestyle demand and by investors seeking yield and capital protection.

Brice Kemper has been appointed General Manager of La Samanna, A Belmond Hotel, in Saint-Martin, in the French Caribbean. He takes up his role in August 2026, bringing more than 25 years' experience in independent and group luxury hospitality. The appointment continues a career spanning the Côte d'Azur, Southern Europe and the United States.

🔎 Today's trend: Rabat, the new showcase for international luxury hospitality. Between the arrival of the Four Seasons, the Ritz-Carlton, the Conrad and now the Waldorf Astoria, the Moroccan capital is asserting a positioning that complements Marrakech, driven by business, institutional and MICE tourism.

IHG Hotels & Resorts has signed a management agreement with Discover Resorts Neral Pvt. Ltd. to convert a property in Karjat, Maharashtra, under its premium voco brand. The opening is scheduled for early 2028, with more than 200 rooms, in an emerging leisure and MICE destination on the doorstep of Mumbai and Pune.

The Thai group is installing the largest property in its ASAI lifestyle brand within the Gamuda Cove township, around 20 minutes from Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

InterContinental is extending its partnership with Timeshifter, now available free of charge to all guests across its 242 hotels and resorts in nearly 70 countries. Announced in August 2026 in London, the rollout forms part of the restorative travel strategy of IHG Hotels & Resorts' luxury brand, which is marking its 80th anniversary this year.