Avani Hotels & Resorts

Developers in the Philippines are shifting focus to branded residences due to their growing market potential, with luxury villas and larger condos expected to dominate key areas like Bonifacio Global City, Cavite, Bohol, and Palawan.

The Hotel Management Contract Survey 2024 by JLL and Baker McKenzie found that the average term of hotel management agreements in Asia Pacific increased to 17.4 years, with varying durations by market, declining base fees, rising sales and marketing fees, and a growing focus on performance-based incentive fees and termination provisions.

JLL's latest survey forecasts mixed fortunes for the Asia Pacific hotel sector in 2024/2025, with optimism in North, South, and Southeast Asia, caution in Australasia and Greater China, and varied expectations for revenue, occupancy, and Capex investments.

Vietnam's hotel industry is struggling due to slow tourism recovery, oversupply, and poor planning, despite near pre-pandemic room rates and increased interest in lifestyle and focused service hotels.

Soho House dissolved its Independent Special Committee after rejecting an offer for strategic transactions, causing discontent among shareholders due to the stock's low trading price.

Minor Hotels plans to open 50 new hotels in India over the next decade, focusing on luxury and upscale segments, while targeting specific opportunities in wellness, lifestyle, and historic venues, and emphasizing partnership-based management.

The market liked this conclusion: both companies' stock prices rose, with Choice Hotels up 6% and Wyndham Hotels 2%, indicating investor relief – or strategic reassessment.

Langham Hospitality Group has signed management agreements for three hotels on a single plot. The newly built properties are part of Xiamen Seaworld which is China Merchant Group’s mixed-use development that is perched on the western shore of Xiamen’s main island.

DJIA and Nasdaq dropped significantly, 10-year yield surged, and lodging stocks declined. U.S. hotel industry saw lower occupancy but improved year-over-year comparisons. Peachtree Group announced multiple hotel acquisitions and new development projects, while other hotels are under renovation and expansion.

Both Thailand and South Korea are implementing strategies to entice Chinese tourists, including visa exemptions, tax refunds, and rewards. Thailand's response comes after a drop in Chinese tourist arrivals, while South Korea offers incentives like visa fee waivers and cultural experiences. The Philippines establishes a Korea Visa Application Center to handle increased visa requests between the two nations. Travel between Korea and the Philippines has surged, showing potential to surpass pre-pandemic levels. Avani Hotel construction begins in Australia, Accor expands its properties with Novotel Living in Vietnam, and Marriott introduces new properties in Bali and Thailand. Deepak Ohri departs from lebua Hotels and Resorts, while Vaibhav Verma becomes Chief Revenue Officer at juSTa Hotels & Resorts. Ms. Thapanee Kiatphaiboon assumes leadership at Thailand's Tourism Authority.