Fairfield by Marriott Celebrates the Opening of its 100th Hotel in Greater China
The milestone doubles Fairfield's Greater China presence since 2024, with expansion planned into new destinations like Zhangjiajie by 2026.
Asia Pacific - Latest
IHG Hotels & Resorts and OzHarvest surpass one million meals milestone
The hotel group has partnered with the food rescue organization since 2018, combining food rescue with hospitality training programs.
In Focus: Singapore
Singapore's tourism sector grew 2.3% in 2025 with hotel investment exceeding SGD1.2 billion despite RevPAR declining 0.7%.
By Hok Yean Chee, Regional President of HVS Asia Pacific, HVS
The Shilla Hotels & Resorts Opens Shilla Stay Yancheng, First Overseas Expansion of the Shilla Stay Brand in a Key Korea–China Industrial Hub
The Shilla Hotels & Resorts, Korea’s leading luxury hospitality brand and the hospitality arm of Hotel Shilla, a Samsung Group affiliate, has opened Shilla Stay Yancheng in Yancheng, Jiangsu Province, China. Shilla Stay Yancheng is the first Shilla Stay property to open in China and marks the brand’s first overseas expansion. The Shilla Hotels & Resorts has been building its international presence with Shilla Monogram Danang in Vietnam and Shilla Monogram Xi’an in China, and this opening marks its third overseas footprint. The addition of Shilla Stay further diversifies its brand portfolio while accelerating the expansion of its global presence. Shilla Stay is a business hotel brand built on its core value of “Smarter Stay,” combining understated aesthetics with practical comfort, and operates 16 properties across key cities and travel destinations in Korea, including Seoul, Busan, and Jeju. By eliminating unnecessary elements and focusing on essential services, the brand offers The Shilla’s signature service quality at a reasonable price point, earning strong trust from business travelers who value efficiency and quality. Shilla Stay Yancheng spans approximately 27,000 square meters and features 223 guest rooms, along with restaurants, a banquet hall, and meeting facilities. Guest rooms are available in a range of configurations, including Deluxe Double, Deluxe Twin, Premier Deluxe, Grand Room, and the Yancheng Suite. All rooms are equipped with premium bedding and carefully selected amenities, while certain room types offer separate living and dining areas to better serve long-stay guests and business travelers. The overall layout is designed with efficient spatial flow to support both work and relaxation, accommodating a wide range of guest needs. For dining, the hotel operates a Korean restaurant, Taoyuan (桃源), and an all-day dining restaurant. In particular, Taoyuan is led by an experienced Korean head chef and presents traditional Korean flavors through a modern culinary approach, offering guests in China an authentic Korean dining experience. The restaurant specializes in Korean-style grilled menus, prepared with professional craftsmanship and high standards to deliver an authentic and refined Korean dining experience. The hotel features a 430-square-meter banquet hall that can accommodate up to 240 guests and is equipped with a high-definition LED screen. The space can be flexibly divided into two separate spaces, making it suitable for a wide range of business meetings, banquets, and social events. In addition, four meeting rooms, each accommodating 20 to 24 guests, are equipped with 98-inch displays, supporting a range of meeting formats, from small meetings to mid-sized conferences. Jiangsu Province, where Yancheng is located, is one of China’s leading economic centers. According to the National Bureau of Statistics of China(国家统计局), the province recorded a GDP of RMB 14.2 trillion in 2025, ranking second nationwide with year-on-year growth of 5.3%. Yancheng, in particular, is rapidly emerging as a hub for renewable energy and next-generation mobility, and is home to a Korea–China Industrial Cooperation Complex, making it a strategic base for Korean companies. Tourism in Yancheng is also on the rise. According to the Yancheng Culture, Radio, Film and Tourism Bureau (盐城市文化广电和旅游局), the city recorded 65.18 million visitors between January and November 2025, representing an 8.29% increase year-on-year. As the inflow of global talent and capital accelerates, demand for upscale business hotels offering refined design and standardized services is also growing. Shilla Stay Yancheng is well positioned to meet this evolving demand. “Located at the forefront of Korea–China industrial cooperation, Shilla Stay Yancheng will offer business travelers the opportunity to experience The Shilla’s signature service standards at a reasonable price,” said a representative from Shilla Stay. “We aim to respond to the growing demand for corporate travel and MICE driven by the expansion of renewable energy and next-generation mobility industries, and to set a new benchmark for Korean hotel brands in Yancheng.” Meanwhile, The Shilla Hotels & Resorts made its debut in the Chinese market with the opening of Shilla Monogram Xi’an in February 2026. Positioned as a lifestyle hotel that combines the cultural characteristics of the region with The Shilla’s service expertise, Shilla Monogram Xi’an serves as the company’s first foothold in China, located in the Xi’an High-tech Zone and targeting a diverse mix of global business, cultural, and leisure demand. The opening of Shilla Stay Yancheng marks the company’s second expansion in China, following Shilla Monogram Xi’an, broadening its portfolio beyond lifestyle hotels to include a business hotel brand and further strengthening its operational presence in the market. Building on this momentum, The Shilla Hotels & Resorts plans to continue expanding its global brand network, with an additional Shilla Monogram property scheduled to open in Hanoi, Vietnam. Through continued expansion across key Asian markets, the company aims to further strengthen its position as a leading Korean luxury hotel brand and a global hospitality operator.
IHG Hotels & Resorts strengthens its resort offering in India with signing of Holiday Inn Resort Alwar
IHG® Hotels & Resorts, one of the world’s leading hotel companies, has signed a management agreement with Yash Hotels & Resorts LLP for the development of Holiday Inn Resort Alwar. Scheduled to open in Q1 2030, the hotel will mark IHG’s entry into the city of Alwar and further strengthen its resort offering in India, in line with the company’s strategy to grow across high-potential leisure and emerging destinations.
Accor & InterGlobe to bring Ennismore’s The Hoxton to India
Ennismore, the fastest-growing lifestyle hospitality company, in partnership with Accor India and InterGlobe Hotels, is pleased to announce the signing of The Hoxton, Bengaluru City, marking the brand’s first hotel in India. Set to open in November 2026, the hotel will be located on Richmond Road, bringing The Hoxton’s open-house lobby vibes and neighbourhood feel to one of India’s most dynamic cities.
Minor Hotels Signs First Colbert Collection in Asia and New Avani Resort in Koh Phangan
Minor Hotels signs two Thai resort properties in partnership with Rasa Group, marking Colbert Collection's Asian debut on Koh Samui and adding Avani Koh Phangan.
By Max Starkov
Expert Views (21)
Mark Fancourt, Co-Founder & Principal Consultant, TRAVHOTECH
Specific to the thrust of Max's question, in this context we are referring to search/find from the booking/transaction perspective. In that light...For me it is the next generation of search.Depending upon the user, we can now be far more specific with the input to get more targeted output.We will be able to speak and converse, which is more natural and a next gen over multiple queries or filters.I do believe that when the buying time comes after the research phase the customer will still 'come' to the point of booking.
Erik Muñoz, Business Development Director EMEA, TrustYou
The Internet enabled you to find things yourself. Agentic AI will do everything for you. That’s why it’s: Much bigger than blockchain or the metaverse. And closer to how big the Internet was.
IHG Signs Second Holiday Inn Express in Japan
IHG Hotels & Resorts (IHG), one of the world’s leading hotel companies, today announced the signing of Holiday Inn Express Sapporo Susukino, marking the brand’s second Holiday Inn Express in Japan. The hotel will be developed in partnership with Mitsubishi Corporation Urban Development Co., Ltd. (MCUD), Tokyo Tatemono Co., Ltd. (Totate) and The Sankei Building Co., Ltd. (Sankei).
IHG Hotels & Resorts and Vinhomes Green Paradise Can Gio Introduces Four International Hotel Brands to Coastal Megacity
IHG will develop four hotels with 1,000+ rooms at Vietnam's massive Can Gio coastal development, including the first Holiday Inn Express and Garner properties in the country.
Banyan Group Releases 2025 Sustainability Report, Marking 20 Years of Reporting and 100-Property Milestone
Banyan Group's 20th annual report highlights reaching 100 properties while reducing GHG emissions by 1.4% and waste by 13% in 2025.
The Newly Transformed Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Marunouchi is Poised to Welcome Guests in Spring 2026
Intimate luxury returns to the heart of Tokyo with a refreshed vision by André Fu Studio, blending contemporary Japanese aesthetics with the warmth of home.
InterContinental Sydney Coogee Beach Unveils a New Chapter
Reimagined beachfront resort adds to the world of fascination within first and largest hotel brand on Sydney’s shoreline.
Expert Views (10)
Tanya Pratt, Global Vice President of OPERA Cloud Strategy and Product Management, Oracle Hospitality
The Cloudbeds data is striking, but let’s be honest — a 21.8% OTA cancellation rate isn’t just a distribution problem. It’s a relationship problem. OTA bookers aren’t disloyal by nature; they’re simply responding rationally to a system that hotels helped create. When a guest can book a hotel through five channels and find five slightly different prices, they begin to treat their reservation like a placeholder, not a commitment.
Max Starkov, Hospitality & travel technologist and digital strategist, Hospitality Net
What can hotels do to decrease their cancellation rates? Maintain Rate Parity! If travelers find a lower rate for your hotel on the OTAs, they can cancel their direct booking and be tempted to book your hotel on the OTA or be lured away by a competitor with lower rate or better value. Maintain Market Parity!
Michael Yeomans, Senior Vice President, Business Intelligence & Data Solutions, Hospitality, Amadeus Hospitality
High cancellation rates – particularly for OTA bookings – are a growing challenge for hotels. They make planning harder, put pressure on rates, and often lead to last‑minute discounting that hurts overall performance.
Who Drives Hotel Sustainability? Mapping Stakeholder Roles in Environmental Management
Hong Kong PolyU researchers develop framework mapping stakeholder roles in hotel environmental management, finding owners hindered by costs while employees need more training.
City of the future to welcome Cordis and Ying’nFlo
Langham Hospitality Group (LHG) has signed a management agreement with China Xiong’an Group Public Service Management Company to bring two of its brands – Cordis Hotels & Resorts and Ying’nFlo – to Xiong’an New Area, a state-level development in northern China built to support the next phase of growth in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region. Often dubbed China’s “City of the Future”, the destination will soon be home to a growing mix of administrative, commercial, and cultural institutions to be relocated from Beijing, alongside a broad network of civic amenities and public spaces. Xiong’an is also emerging as a center for sporting and large-scale events, supported by the development of dedicated venues and community-focused facilities, underpinned by strong transport links with neighboring cities.
Shangri-La Kunming Debuts as a New Gateway for Cultural Discovery
Shangri-La Group (“Shangri-La” or “the Group”) announces the grand opening of Shangri-La Kunming, a new gateway to Yunnan’s cultural discovery where design-led storytelling, tea traditions, and immersive moments are inspired by the region’s landscapes and artistry. Rooted in the concept of a “Tea Merchant’s Mansion,” the hotel blends Shangri-La’s signature Asian hospitality with Yunnan’s rich local culture, bringing to life the art and joy of Asian hosting for guests exploring “The Best of Yunnan.”
IHG signs Holiday Inn Sriperumbudur in the State of Tamil Nadu
IHG® Hotels & Resorts, one of the world’s leading hotel companies, has announced the signing of a management agreement with Thanishq Grande Hotels & Resorts for the development of Holiday Inn Sriperumbudur. Scheduled to open in Q1 2029, the hotel will further strengthen IHG’s presence in Tamil Nadu and reinforce its focus on high-growth industrial and commercial markets across India.
LiveStay Launches as Veriu Group’s New Identity Across Australia’s Living Sector
The rebrand unifies Veriu Hotels Suites, Punthill and UKO under one platform operating 90 sites with 5,950 keys across short, medium and long-term living.
LiveStay Unveils First Integrated Veriu and UKO Development
Scheduled to open in 2028, the development will feature 120 Veriu apartment hotel keys and 120 UKO co-living residences, representing the first fully integrated expression of the LiveStay model. Located at 124 Wakefield Street in the Adelaide CBD, the project has been designed to cater to a broad mix of demand, from overnight corporate travellers through to extended-stay guests and long-term residents.