Simone Farci takes over as General Manager of the JW Marriott Venice Resort & Spa, one of Marriott International's most distinctive properties in Europe. He steps into this strategic role after more than 20 years leading luxury hotels and resorts across Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean.

Christopher Clark joins Shangri-La Hotels Japan K.K. as Opening General Manager to lead the launch of Songtei Kyoto, Shangri-La Signatures, a 77-room property adjacent to Nijo Castle, due to open in late 2026. This new chapter builds on 27 years of experience with The Ritz-Carlton and Marriott, including 16 hotel openings across Asia and the Americas.

Odyssey Hotel Group (OHG) signs management agreements with Covivio covering four major hotels in Germany, including The Westin Grand Berlin and The Westin Leipzig. The deal, which adds more than 1,200 rooms to the Dutch group's portfolio, confirms the rising strength of independent operators serving European institutional investors.

🔎 Today's trend: between unusual thefts, heritage reopenings, tighter scrutiny of foreign investment and new French success stories abroad, global hospitality has no shortage of twists.

Kryalos SGR, an independent asset management company with €14.2 billion under management, has completed the acquisition of two hotel assets in Rome, near Termini station and Piazza di Spagna, on behalf of the Kryalos Room00 Fund. Both properties will be operated by Spanish operator Room00 Group, which thereby grows its Rome footprint to four addresses, backed by €27.5 million in financing from UniCredit.

The Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation announces the arrival of Brune Poirson on its Board of Directors. The former French Secretary of State for Ecological Transition and ex-Chief Sustainability Officer of Accor brings a track record spanning public policy, corporate sustainability and international environmental cooperation.

Accor and Treebo Hospitality Ventures have mutually ended talks on a master licence agreement that would have brought the Ibis and Mercure brands to the Indian mid-market segment through Treebo's network, according to Sidharth Gupta, co-founder and CEO of Treebo, cited by Destination.com. The setback deprives Accor of a key partner in accelerating its goal of 300 hotels in India by 2031.

PM Hotel Group, a hotel management company ranked among the top 15 US operators, announces the appointment of Erica Lipscomb as Executive Vice President, Commercial Strategy. This executive, with more than 30 years of experience including at Crescent Hotels & Resorts, Kimpton Hotels and Marriott International, will oversee sales, revenue management, marketing and distribution across the portfolio.

Hilco Real Estate announces the bankruptcy sale of the former Wyndham City Centre, a landmark 369-room hotel in the heart of Springfield, Illinois. Bids must be submitted by 15 September, as part of the Tower Capital Group, LP bankruptcy proceedings.

Marriott International details its development agreement with Misr Italia Properties and People & Places: nine projects representing more than 1,500 keys across Egypt's most sought-after coastal and urban destinations. Combined investment exceeds EGP 56.7 billion, for a portfolio that now totals more than 1,800 rooms and branded residences.

Five entrepreneurs, four companies, three continents. One special feature exploring why, in an age of artificial intelligence and funding rounds, some still choose to build in hospitality in the name of a simple conviction: the human always comes before the experience.

PRISM, OYO's parent company currently preparing for an initial public offering, is expanding its premium hotel portfolio in the UK with the addition of 40 properties, including 16 Sunday Hotels and 24 Belvilla properties. This development illustrates the Group's strategy to move beyond its historic budget positioning and strengthen its presence in the upscale segment.