Hotel Openings

🏨 HEI Hotels & Resorts has expanded its portfolio by adding the historic Westin Poinsett in Greenville, South Carolina. Originally opened in 1925, the 200-room hotel is located on South Main Street, one block from the Peace Center. HEI's first South Carolina property, it features two historic ballrooms. Added to the Historic Hotels of America in 2002, this is the second hotel managed for Highline Hospitality Partners, enhancing their growing Southeast presence.

🏨 HEI Hotels & Resorts added the Embassy Suites Palm Beach Gardens PGA Boulevard in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, to its portfolio. This marks HEI's 21st property in Florida. The 160-room hotel, located off I-95, recently completed guestroom renovations with future lobby updates planned. CEO Anthony Rutledge emphasized maximizing asset value. Principal Joseph Lubeck, a Palm Beach Gardens resident, highlighted local partnerships. HEI's expansion continues in Florida and the Southeast, managing premium-branded hotels nationwide.

🏨 Urban Street Development completed the Stadium Tower expansion of Hotel Indigo Tallahassee CollegeTown, increasing the hotel to 237 rooms, including 94 new guestrooms and six two-bedroom suites. They added 5,500 sq. ft. of retail space. Located at 826 W. Gaines Street, the expansion opens before graduation season for Florida State and Florida A&M universities. The grand opening is set for May 21, 2026. The hotel features on-site dining, meeting space, and a fitness center.

🏨 Sonesta International Hotels Corporation announced a franchise agreement for a new 168-room hotel in La Romana, Dominican Republic, with openings in fall 2027 and fall 2028. This adds to two other properties under construction: The James Larimar City and Sonesta ES Suites Jarabacoa. The MOD Collection brand, launched in 2023, aims to blend local influences in hotel design. Guests can earn points through the Sonesta Travel Pass loyalty program.

📈 Hilton reported a 3.6% increase in global RevPAR for Q1, with net income at $383 million. By 2026, system-wide RevPAR is projected to rise 2-3%. Despite Middle East conflicts, impacts are minor, as the region forms 3% of Hilton’s business. In Q1, Hilton opened 131 hotels, adding 16,000 rooms. The luxury/lifestyle sector saw 20% of openings. Hilton plans 6-7% net-unit growth, with 36% from conversions. AI innovations enhance customer engagement, driving 80% of Hilton’s direct business.

🏨 Ennismore, Accor India, and InterGlobe Hotels are set to open The Hoxton, Bengaluru City, their first Indian hotel, in November 2026. Located on Richmond Road, the 149-room hotel will feature Roomy, Biggy, and four 55-square-meter HOMEY suites. Dining options include a ground-floor restaurant and Fi’lia, an Italian rooftop pool restaurant. The Apartment, a meetings space, will hold up to 240 guests. Accor and InterGlobe aim for 300 hotels in India by 2030.

🏨 The decline of dynamic city life is linked to the evolution of hotel lobbies, which once facilitated diverse interactions among people of various backgrounds. This vibrant mix is vanishing due to the rise of ultra-luxury hotels in the past decade. These establishments cater to a homogenous clientele, leading to a loss of the unique and spontaneous energy that characterized earlier 20th-century hotel scenes.

🏨 Urban Street Development completed the Stadium Tower expansion at Hotel Indigo Tallahassee – CollegeTown, Florida, before graduation season. The expansion adds 94 guestrooms, including six two-bedroom suites, to the existing 143-room hotel, totaling 237 rooms. The property, located near FSU and Doak Campbell Stadium, now includes 5,500 square feet of retail space and features on-site dining, meeting space, and a fitness center. The hotel is operated by Park Place Hospitality Group under the IHG brand.

🏨 Hotel Equities announced management of three properties: TownePlace Suites by Marriott in Woodstock, Ontario, opened March 26, 2026, near the Toyota plant; Reflections Hotel, Ascend Collection in Kissimmee, Florida, set to open fall 2026 near Walt Disney World; and Courtyard by Marriott Dallas DFW Airport North/Irving in Texas, recently renovated, expanding their Dallas-Fort Worth presence to seven properties. Each location targets corporate and leisure markets.