5-Star Weekly Briefing

This week’s 5 Star Weekly Briefing brings you the biggest moves shaping hospitality right now:

✨ Global Openings & Refurbs – From Hyatt’s stunning return to Kuala Lumpur and Marriott debuting Ritz-Carlton Fiji, to Sofitel Noosa’s luxury refresh — discover how leading brands are elevating the guest experience.

🏨 Strategic Acquisitions – Goldfields secures Sorrento Beach Resort and EVT expands with Pro-invest Hotels — hear how these deals are reshaping portfolios and market positioning.

📊 Industry Trends – Accor’s record WA occupancy surge, lifestyle hotels quadrupling in APAC, and Savills forecasting a 180% branded residences boom. What does this mean for investors and hoteliers?

👤 Leadership Moves – Key appointments across Accor, Marriott, and EVT — meet the people driving the next wave of growth.

Don’t miss this roundup of the week’s most important developments in the Asia Pacific Region

This week’s Five-Star Weekly Briefing highlights current trends, investments, and developments in the hotel sector. We cover major moves across the hotel industry. EVT has launched EVT Connect Hospitality after acquiring Pro-invest Group’s management arm, while Hyatt is introducing The Unbound Collection to Thailand. Marriott continues its New Zealand expansion with JW Marriott Auckland, Moxy Hotels, and the upcoming Sheraton Christchurch. IHG grows its fast-rising voco Hotels brand with new projects in Bangkok and Phuket, and Mama Shelter makes its Asia debut in Singapore. Back home, RACV dominated the Victorian Accommodation Awards, and we wrap up with senior leadership appointments across Marriott, IHG, Minor Hotels, Mandarin Oriental, and more.

This week’s Five-Star Weekly Briefing highlights current trends, investments, and developments in the hotel sector. This episode covers the latest in hotel openings, acquisitions, and industry trends. Alivio Hotel Cairns debuts after a major refurbishment, while IHG Hotels & Resorts surpasses 1 million rooms globally, with new projects in Melbourne and Ho Chi Minh City. Accor and Ennismore launch TRIBE and JO&JOE in Auckland, and RACV expands Inverloch Resort. EVT, Capstone Hotel Management, and Sheraton/Marriott are making waves with new management agreements across Australia and New Zealand.

In acquisitions, KS Hotels & Resorts takes Park Hyatt Melbourne, Ichigo Hotel REIT adds Okinawa and Toyama properties, and Urban Rest expands in Melbourne CBD. Luxury developments include NOCTIS by Kamana in Queenstown.

Industry trends highlight strong APAC hotel growth, tech adoption for guest experiences, and evolving RevPAR performance. Key executives are joining new roles.

Listen for insights on brand growth, loyalty programs, and how AI and automation are shaping the future of hospitality.

This week’s Five-Star Weekly Briefing highlights current trends, investments, and developments in the hotel sector.

Big names are making big moves in hospitality, Ayala Land Hotels and Resorts Corp. teams up with Marriott International to launch Moxy Hotels in the Philippines. Accor expands with new Novotel and Peppers properties, plus a $4M luxury upgrade ahead of Brisbane 2032. Club Med partners with Paradise Indonesia for a new North Sulawesi resort, while IHG Hotels & Resorts, Comiskey Group, and Minor Hotels unveil major developments across APAC. Strong results from Accor, Marriott International, and Choice Hotels International point to continued travel growth.

This week’s Five-Star Weekly Briefing highlights current trends, investments, and developments in the hotel sector. In this episode, we unpack the latest in hotel developments, deals, and leadership moves across the region. EVT debuts compact room types at Atura Adelaide Airport, while Peppers Docklands Melbourne gets a bold makeover under Panache Hotel Group. Major acquisitions include new assets for Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, Mandala Hotels, and Redhill Hospitality, alongside a REIT milestone from Japan’s Kasumigaseki Capital. We cover strong performance updates from Wyndham, inclusive tourism wins from Pan Pacific Hotels Group, and winter success for Langham Hospitality Group. Plus, key leadership appointments at IHG, Accor, St. Regis, Langham, and more round out a packed episode.

This week’s Five-Star Weekly Briefing highlights current trends, investments, and developments in the hotel sector. Marriott International acquires tech-forward brand citizenM 🏨, while TFE Hotels gears up for its UK debut with new Adina properties 🇬🇧. Travel + Leisure Co. expands with the launch of Accor Vacation Club Asia Pacific 🌏 and unveils a luxe revamp of Club Wyndham Mission Beach 🌴. Dusit International debuts its ninth brand, Dusit Hotels, and Salter Brothers reimagine Milton Park as Ardour Milton Park Bowral 🛁. We also highlight 1834 Hotels taking over resorts on K’gari 🏝️, BIG4 reaching 300 parks 🛶, and Seibu Prince Hotels entering Vietnam 🇻🇳. The “coolcation” trend is heating up ❄️ with MGallery leading the charge, Traveloka lands in Australia 🇦🇺, and Langham Hotels completes its global Pink Run 🎀. On the tech front, Travel Outlook’s AI agent Annette 🤖 is redefining guest service.

In this week's 5 Star Weekly Briefing, there are several key trends, including new developments, strategic investments, and a notable shift towards upscale conversions. Frasers Hospitality, in collaboration with UK-based YOTEL, has launched YOTEL Tokyo Ginza, marking its first ground-up development and investment in Japan. In Australia, Cabra-Vale Diggers is unveiling plans for Novotel Sydney Cabramatta as a central feature of the Cabravale Club Resort, with Sam Fakih leading as Pre-Opening General Manager. Salter Brothers is investing over AU$10 million to transform the Milton Park Country House Hotel and Spa into the flagship property for its new luxury brand, Ardour Hotels and Estates, reopening as Ardour Milton Park Bowral. IHG Hotels & Resorts is expanding its luxury and lifestyle portfolio with the upcoming Kimpton Bali Ubud in Indonesia and rebranding two existing properties in Japan to ANA Holiday Inn hotels through an agreement with FET SYSTEM INC. Meanwhile, Las Vegas Sands has broken ground on an $8 billion resort in Singapore. The trend of upscale conversions is prominent, with IHG Hotels & Resorts and Salter Brothers planning to relaunch several Crowne Plaza and InterContinental properties as Regent/InterContinental brands, a strategy also observed by Marriott, where conversions represented approximately 40% of its new signings in APAC in 2024.Leadership shifts and recognitions are also a key trend across the industry. Michael Johnson, former CEO of Accommodation Australia, was inducted into the Hall of Fame for his leadership. Jennifer Brown of InterContinental Sydney was named Executive of the Year, and Anthony Flowers from Novotel Sydney Darling Harbour received Chef of the Year at the Accommodation Australia NSW Awards. Significant leadership appointments include Emilie Couton as Chief Executive Officer of Accor Plus, and at Marriott International, Jen Mason will succeed Leeny Oberg as Chief Financial Officer, with Shawn Hill becoming Chief Development Officer upon Oberg's retirement. Other new General Manager roles include Dony Andrian at Crowne Plaza Sydney Burwood (IHG Hotels & Resorts), Dagmara Konieczna at Rydges Gold Coast Airport, Luke Roberts-Lalli at QT Newcastle, Michael Stamboulidis at QT Auckland, Jerry Feng at Imperium Group for its Luxury Collection, and Sunil Rawat at Hilton Adelaide. These movements underscore the dynamic nature of the industry's recovery and strategic growth.

🎙️This week’s Five-Star Weekly Briefing highlights current trends, investments, and developments in the hotel sector.In this episode, we cover big moves from industry giants like Marriott International, Hilton, IHG Hotels & Resorts, Minor Hotels, Radisson Hotel Group, and Fairmont Hotels & Resorts.

Hear about exciting new openings—Courtyard by Marriott in Darwin, Fairmont Tokyo, and Radisson Don Mueang Bangkok—plus major rebrands and investments including Waldorf Astoria Bali, Six Senses Bangkok, and AC Hotels Gold Coast. We also explore strategic expansions in Japan by World Brands Collection, and the transformation of Brisbane’s Clear Mountain by Mandala Hotels.

We discuss standout research from CBRE and JLL on luxury lodges and market dynamics across Fiji, Southeast Asia, and Australasia. And we unpack the latest on AI in hospitality, workplace wellbeing, and purpose-driven travel trends.

Also featuring leadership changes across Accor, TFE Hotels, The Langham, La Vie Hotels and Resorts, and more.

This week’s Five-Star Weekly Briefing highlights current trends, investments, and developments in the hotel sector. We cover a wave of new openings across Australia, including InterContinental Brisbane, Hyatt House South Melbourne, and a dual-branded IHG project in Melbourne’s Bourke Street Mall. Meriton makes its first move into Queensland’s management rights market, while Minor Hotels expands its Oaks portfolio with a resort in Thredbo. We also explore industry insights from Accor’s Pacific Leaders Conference and a new Marriott report showing a shift toward wellness-driven luxury travel. Plus, we celebrate Choice Hotels’ Tripadvisor wins and the boost Sydney hotels received from Vivid 2025.

This week's 5 Star Weekly Briefing highlights significant developments in the sector, including new hotel openings like the sustainability-focused 1 Hotel Melbourne and Paradox Sydney's Australian debut, alongside major refurbishments at properties such as QT Queenstown and W Brisbane. It details substantial acquisitions and investments, notably Star Entertainment Group's rescue package led by Bally's and Amora Group's purchase of Hilton Adelaide. The briefing also explores current industry trends, focusing on AI integration, cybersecurity, ethical AI, data management, and personalised loyalty programs, as discussed at HITEC Indianapolis. Finally, it notes the strong performance of luxury lodges in Australia and New Zealand, driven by high demand and investment, and announces key leadership appointments within various hotel groups.