Latest News: Hyatt Completes Standard Acquisition; IHG's first vignette in Egypt; Auberge adds Puerto Rico

Hyatt Completes Standard Acquisition. Hyatt Hotels Corp. has completed the acquisition of the brands and most subsidiaries of New York City-based lifestyle hotel company Standard International, the parent company of The Standard and Bunkhouse Hotels brands. The 100% asset-light portfolio includes management, franchise and licensing agreements for 22 open hotels with around 2,000 rooms. New properties slated to open later this year include The Standard, Singapore, Bunkhouse's Hotel Saint Augustine in Houston, as well as The StandardX and Bangkok Phra Arthit. The acquisition includes a robust residential real estate business with Standard Residences under development in Miami, Lisbon, Phuket, Hua Hin, Mexico City and Tulum, as well as completed Bunkhouse Residences at Hotel Saint Cecilia in Austin, Texas. It also includes more than 30 future projects with a signed agreement or letter of intent, as well as new projects triggered by the announcement of the proposed acquisition in August.

IHG introduces the first vignette in Egypt. IHG Hotels & Resorts has signed a management agreement with Maxim Hotels and Resorts Management to bring the Vignette Collection brand to Egypt with a signing in Port Said. The newly built 140-room Vignette Collection Hotel Royal Maxim Port Said is scheduled to open in December 2027. IHG currently has seven hotels across four brands in Egypt, with a pipeline of 21 hotels planned over the next three to five years.

Auberge adds PR. Auberge Resorts Collection plans to open a property in Puerto Rico as part of Moncayo, a 1,100-acre private gated community in Fajardo. The luxury oceanfront resort will feature 68 hotel rooms, open in three phases, be completed in 2027 and include 400 private residences. Juniper Capital is developing the multi-phase community.

Tivoli is expanding in Portugal. Lisbon, Portugal-based Tivoli Hotels & Resorts, owned by Bangkok-based Minor Hotels, is expanding in Portugal with the upcoming opening of the 150-room Tivoli Kopke Porto Gaia Hotel in Gaia. The hotel is currently under development and is scheduled to open in early 2025. Tivoli currently operates 17 properties in Portugal, Brazil, Qatar, China and the Netherlands.

Sofitel's first branded residence in Dubai. Accor's Sofitel opens its first branded residences in Dubai in collaboration with Azha Development and Dubai Sotheby's International Realty. Scheduled for completion in the fourth quarter of 2026, the 70 Sofitel Residences Downtown Dubai is part of Sofitel's broader strategy to expand its luxury presence in the region.

New CEO for Seibu's international portfolio. Tokyo-based Seibu Prince Hotels and Resorts has named Lee Richards as the new CEO of its hotels division outside Japan, taking over from Simon Wan, who is retiring after 17 years. Richards brings over 30 years of experience from previous positions at Swiss-Belhotel International and Millennium Hotels and Resorts.

EasyHotel is expanding in Europe. London-based budget hotel brand EasyHotel is opening a new property near Geneva Airport as the company continues its European expansion. The newly built 141-room hotel will be located just over the border in the French town of Ferney-Voltaire and is scheduled to open in early 2027. It will be the brand's fourth location in France. EasyHotel is planning a major expansion in Europe. Six new hotels are already in development and further potential deals are being explored. The company said it had secured an €8.6 million loan from BRED Banque Populaire to finance its latest new property in France.

Inverotel adds Mexico. The Association of International Hotel Investors (Inverotel), which includes 17 Spanish chains, announced the construction of three more hotels in Quintana Roo, Mexico, to be completed by the end of 2025.

Extension for Rotana. Abu Dhabi-based Rotana has announced expansion plans for the Middle East, Africa, Eastern Europe and Turkey (MENAT), as well as a number of ambitious expansion plans for the region. Rotana said it plans to develop 43 new properties in 26 cities across the Middle East, Africa, Europe and Turkey by 2026.

Admiral co-founder invests in serums. UK-based Admiral co-founder Henry Engelhardt and his wife Diane have taken a minority stake in restaurant and hotel group Seren. Run by husband and wife team Neil and Zoe Kedward, Seren has hotels in the Grove of Narberth in Pembrokeshire and in Penmaenuchaf, near Dolgellau. The investment will allow Seren to accelerate the full renovation of Penmaenuchaf Hotel and pursue opportunities in new locations.