Hyatt Hotels set to open a Caption by Hyatt in Memphis next year.

Hyatt Hotels Corporation has said it has started a joint venture deal with Carlisle LLC for a Caption by Hyatt hotel in Memphis, which is expected to open in 2022.

The Caption by Hyatt brand is grounded in a commitment to caring for people and place and creating connections between them. Located at One Beale Street and adjacent Hyatt Centric Memphis Beale Street, which is set to open on April 15, Caption by Hyatt Memphis is expected to debut in 2022 and will be integrated into the historic main building of Wm. C Ellis & Sons Ironworks and Machine Shop, one of the earliest and longest-running businesses in Memphis. The historic building will house the hotel’s ground and second floors, and a new 136-guestroom tower will rise above offering guests spectacular views of the Mississippi River and city skyline.

The Caption by Hyatt brand’s signature marquee will adorn the hotel’s dual entrances, leading avid travellers and locals into the all-day, multi-functional lounge space, Talk Shop. The double-height lounge will be enveloped by the historic building’s original heavy timber framing, decorative brick walls, archways, and clerestory windows. At Caption by Hyatt Memphis, Talk Shop will include an expansive patio and double-height beer garden that will be incorporated into the building’s historic, decorative façade on Front Street – with locally driven tap beer offerings that will showcase the best beverages of the region, open fire-pits, exposed brick, and existing metalwork, Caption by Hyatt Memphis will have an unmistakable neighbourhood feel. Caption by Hyatt Memphis will work with Memphis-area purveyors and suppliers, making every effort to support local and minority-owned businesses whenever possible.

Hyatt Hotels Corporation announced this week the opening of Andaz Bali

Hyatt Hotels Corporation 

announced this week the opening of Andaz Bali, marking the entry of the vibrant Andaz brand into Indonesia. Offering a contemporary take on the traditional Balinese village and its way of life, Andaz Bali is located in the heart of Sanur, a quaint seaside village known for its old-world charm, picturesque beaches and spectacular sunrises.

“As we continue to offer our guests new and immersive ways to rediscover Bali, we are honoured to introduce the Andaz brand to Sanur, where Indonesia’s first Hyatt-branded hotel opened more than 40 years ago,” said David Udell, group president, Asia-Pacific, Hyatt. “Andaz Bali is our first Andaz resort in Asia, adding to the brand’s growing urban portfolio in the region which includes Seoul, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Singapore, Tokyo and Xiamen.”

A short 22-minute drive from Ngurah Rai International Airport, Sanur is located along Bali’s south-eastern coastline. Andaz Bali pays homage to Balinese art and craftsmanship, weaving together the island’s rich heritage and the contemporary influence from artists who have been visiting Sanur over the decades.

Wyndham Adds New Private Island Beach Resort in the Caribbean With Second Conversion to its Trademark Collection in Belize

Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, the world’s largest hotel franchising company with over 8,900 hotels across nearly 95 countries, today announces the opening of Turtle Island Beach Resort, Trademark Collection by Wyndham in Belize. The hotel operated by Wyndham Hotels & Resort’s management division is set on a private island on the west side of pristine Ambergris Caye, just five minutes by boat from San Pedro Town. Owned by Castle Capital Investment LTD, the resort marks the third Wyndham-branded hotel in Belize and the second hotel on the island to convert to the Trademark Collection by Wyndham.

Launched in 2017, Trademark Collection by Wyndham is designed for travellers seeking distinctive, attainable accommodations in sought-after destinations, with each Trademark hotel maintaining its own unique attributes. The addition in Belize is the latest in the brand’s fast growth trajectory around the world over the past four years, with approximately 115 hotels in the U.S., Canada, Belize, Mexico, Sint Maarten, Curacao, Australia, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Belgium.

InterContinental to Hotel Continental: IHG Hotels & Resorts announces major Mornington Peninsula signing

IHG Hotels & Resorts is thrilled to announce that its luxury InterContinental brand will come to Sorrento in Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula as part of the redevelopment of the Hotel Continental. It follows the signing of a management agreement with the Consortium behind the iconic Hotel Continental redevelopment on the state’s famed coastal strip.

Hotel Continental, or the ‘Conti’ as it is endearingly called by locals, will have a new, luxurious lease on life when the InterContinental Sorrento opens in November 2021, as the property poises itself to once again become a beacon of glamour and sophistication on the Mornington Peninsula.   

Following a sensitive, state-of-the-art restoration by the Trenerry Consortium, which is owned by Victor Smorgon Group, the Kanat Group and Trenerry Property, InterContinental Sorrento will occupy the accommodation component of the 145-year-old heritage-listed limestone building and will feature 106 beautifully appointed, spacious guestrooms, many of them with water views.   

A high-profile chef partnership will soon be announced for the hotel’s signature restaurant, with the property also home to five other dining and bar outlets. In addition, the hotel will feature a sprawling wellness centre incorporating a luxury bathhouse, an outdoor pool, gym and three function and event spaces, including the Conti’s original iconic grand ballroom and will be lovingly restored catering for corporate and social events. 

A Decade of Innovation in Just One Year: Seven Surprising Ways the Pandemic Has Changed Hotels Forever

For more than a century, Hilton has pioneered many of the elements that define the hospitality industry today. In the last year, the pandemic has accelerated our innovation engine – we’ve thought of it as a decade of change in just 12 months. And though the experience in our hotels will be different as people begin to travel more freely, our Team Members around the world are eager to welcome our guests, sharing the light and warmth of our hospitality once again.“ – Chris Nassetta, president & CEO, Hilton

After more than a year of canceling family vacations, postponing bucket-list trips or attending virtual conferences, travelers are looking forward to packing their suitcases and making new memories with family and friends. In fact, Hilton’s recent To New Memories campaign revealed that 94% of Americans surveyed plan on doing just that once travel restrictions lift, and that 91% of those who travel say that their hotel experiences are a memorable part of their trip. 

But how has the pandemic changed that hotel experience? And what can travelers expect as they hit the road now and in years to come?

Marriott International Teams With Shinhan Card and Visa For Korea’s First-Ever Co-Branded Hotel Credit Card

‘Marriott Bonvoy The BEST Shinhan Card’ combines the competitive advantages of a major card company with the reach and choice of the highly awarded travel program

Marriott International today announced the launch of Marriott Bonvoy® The BEST Shinhan Card, offered exclusively by Visa, enabling cardholders to accelerate the number of Marriott Bonvoy points they earn, which can be redeemed for free nights at more than 7,600 hotels across 30 extraordinary brands around the world. This launch is set to be the first hotel industry credit card in South Korea where Cardholders can earn Marriott Bonvoy points and enjoy member benefits that come with elite status.

Super 8 Teams Up with Actor Oliver Hudson to Inspire Travellers to #JourneySafe

Award-winning, PSA-style campaign gets reimagined to promote safe travel as increasing numbers of travellers prepare for a return to the open road ......<

Super 8® by Wyndham, one of the world’s largest economy hotel brands, today unveiled the latest instalment of its award-winning #JourneySafe campaign. Featuring the voice of actor, family man and avid road-tripper Oliver Hudson, the reimagined, multi-channel campaign—best known for its use of iconic dashboard bobbleheads—takes a light-hearted, PSA-style approach to promote the continued importance of safe and responsible travel.

#JourneySafe returns as millions of travellers—many showing increasing levels of consumer confidence—look to balance a new willingness to travel with the continued desire to do so safely.

According to a recent third-party travel study shared by the United States Travel Association with its members, close to 9 out of 10 American travellers now have travel plans in the next six months1.

Wyndham Hotels & Resorts continues its growth programme.....

Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, the world’s largest hotel franchising company by number of properties with over 8,900 hotels across nearly 95 countries, continues to cement its presence across Europe, Middle East, Eurasia and Africa (EMEA) with a series of recent hotel launches and a strong line-up of openings for 2021.

In a year of historic challenges for the travel industry, in 2020 Wyndham achieved 38 new hotel signings in the region, a host of important openings, in addition to launching multi-faceted initiatives to support and empower hotel partners across EMEA to help re-build demand in response to changes and on-going travel restrictions.

Some of Wyndham’s key 2020 openings included the European expansion of Ramada by Wyndham in Madrid, Valencia, Leeds and Budapest and continued momentum in India and Pakistan. Other highlights included the expansion of La Quinta by Wyndham in Turkey, and the debut of the Super 8 by Wyndham brand in the UAE alongside more openings in Germany.

Hollywood Beach redevelopment gets top ranking.

A top 10 ranking in Conde Nast Traveler, AAA Four Diamond status and resilience through the pandemic have proven the Margaritaville Hollywood Beach Resort to be one of the best public/private redevelopment projects in the nation.

Margaritaville looking east from the Intracoastal. (Photo: Lojeta Group of Fla. Inc.)

Best Practice Cities (www.bestpracticecities.com) Founding principal Cathy Swanson-Rivenbark, while serving as City Manager for Hollywood Florida, steered the project through uncharted and difficult waters. Her leadership created not only the #7 resort among all Florida resorts ranked by Conde Nast readers but also an anchor for redevelopment and reinvestment that has kept hundreds of small businesses on Hollywood Beach alive even in unmatched challenges during COVID-19. The Margaritaville development created hundreds of jobs, a revenue stream for the city that will be worth hundreds of millions and an activity generator that has boosted tourism in the historic beach district between the Atlantic Ocean and Intracoastal Waterway.

Air Canada and AirTransat merger now off

Air Canada and Transat A.T. Inc. announced today that they have mutually agreed to terminate the Arrangement Agreement for the proposed acquisition of Transat by Air Canada.

Air Canada and Transat had originally agreed in June 2019 on the acquisition, the terms of which were subsequently amended in August 2019 and then revised in October 2020 as a result of the severe economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As previously disclosed, the acquisition was conditional on the approval of various regulatory authorities, including the European Commission ("EC"). In order to meet that key condition, Air Canada offered and enhanced a significant package of remedies, which went beyond the commercially reasonable efforts required of Air Canada under the Arrangement Agreement and what has been traditionally accepted by the EC in previous airline merger cases. Following recent discussions with the EC, it has become evident, however, that the EC will not approve the acquisition based on the currently offered remedy package.

Hyatt continues to expand brand presence of independent hotels in Canada with new hotel joining JdV by Hyatt brand this week and another slated to join later this year

Loft king at The Anndore House (Photo: Business Wire)

Hyatt Hotels announced the continued expansion of the JdV by Hyatt brand with The Anndore House joining the brand this week and plans for The Walper Hotel to join the brand later this year. This milestone signifies the JdV by Hyatt brand’s intentional growth in a new market while offering experiences in places that matter most to guests, members, customers and owners. While the brand has 14 properties across the United States and China, The Anndore House marks its debut in Toronto today, and The Walper Hotel is currently slated to join the JdV by Hyatt brand this May.

Hyatt Hotels expanding in India

Hyatt expects to grow its Indian brand portfolio by more than 70% through 2023, with six new hotels set to open in 2021 across the Hyatt Regency and Hyatt Place brands

Hyatt Hotels Corporation today announced plans to grow its brand footprint in India – one of Hyatt’s top three growth markets globally – by more than 70% by 2023. With over 20 executed managed and franchised agreements, Hyatt will add more than 3,600 keys to its existing portfolio of 32 Hyatt-branded hotels across eight distinct brands in the country, including the Andaz, Alila, Park Hyatt, Grand Hyatt, Hyatt Regency, Hyatt, Hyatt Centric, and Hyatt Place brands.

This ambitious growth in India is fueled by an ever-increasing demand from guests, World of Hyatt members, customers, and owners to offer unique and differentiated hotel experiences. This announcement signals significant intentional growth plans for Hyatt, bringing the number of Hyatt-branded hotels in India to more than 50 by the end of 2023, resulting in a more diverse portfolio of hotel offerings in new and existing markets.