Central & South America - Latest

IHG Accelerates Growth in Mexico, Reinforcing Long Term Commitment to Key Americas Market

IHG plans to nearly double its Mexico growth pace with 62 hotels in development, building on its current 187 properties and 5th largest global market position.

IHG

Mexico

A Mindset Shift for Resilience and Prosperity in Hospitality

Maribel Esparcia Pérez argues that hospitality asset management must move beyond extractive, short-term models toward regenerative, resilient systems that account for climate risk, ecosystem health, and community wellbeing. Using examples like Casa Leonardo and Coron Natural Farms, she shows how regenerative practices can protect asset value, strengthen local resilience, and align with emerging financial and regulatory frameworks.

By Maribel Esparcia Pérez, COO, Honest Operations

What Regeneration Asks of Hospitality

O’Shannon Burns argues that regeneration in hospitality is not a new label for sustainability or a framework to “roll out,” but an emergent, place-based practice grounded in relationships between people, land, culture, and more-than-human life. Drawing on global regenerative futures research, the article outlines four key orientations and challenges hospitality leaders to move from aspirational impact language toward honest accountability and structural change.

By O'Shannon Burns, Founder, Aurora Collective and Program Director, Cornell University, Aurora Collective

Green sprouts of hope in the regeneration question

Starting from her own skepticism, Dr Natasha Montesalvo explores where regenerative tourism is already moving from rhetoric to reality, highlighting destinations and hotels that build regeneration into governance, design, and operations from day one. Through examples like Red Sea Global, Capella Ubud, Maroma and TTNQ’s Reforest partnership, she shows that measurable positive impact on ecosystems and communities is possible – but only when strong policy, thoughtful design, and long-term performance tracking replace vague “do good” intentions.

By Natasha Montesalvo, Director of Research and Policy and Principal Consultant – Destinations, Strategy and Insights, EarthCheck

Where Will You Place Your First Needle?

Using Camiguin Island in the Philippines as a living laboratory, Mahe Besson explores regenerative tourism through the metaphor of acupuncture: small, precise interventions that unlock a destination’s own capacity to heal. Rather than rebuilding systems from scratch, she argues for carefully chosen “acupuncture points” such as teaching resorts, youth ocean programs, and co-created (un)Summits that let local ecosystems and communities regain their flow.

By Mahé Besson, Project manager, 7Generations

Tivoli Hotels & Resorts Debuts in Northern Brazil with the Opening of Tivoli Maiorana Belém

Following the global spotlight of COP30, Tivoli Hotels & Resorts continues its Brazilian expansion with the opening of Tivoli Maiorana Belém. This landmark property marks the brand’s first venture into Northern Brazil and its third in the country, joining established icons in São Paulo and Bahia.

Tivoli

Belém, Brazil

Values over value: adding to place rather than extracting from it

David Leventhal challenges tourism’s “growth is always good” mindset, arguing that low-density, values-driven, regenerative hospitality can deliver both better guest experiences and stronger profitability. He explains how Playa Viva optimises resources, rebuilds degraded landscapes, involves local communities, and experiments with inclusive pricing models, while also tackling tough questions on aviation emissions, greenwashing, and how to scale without becoming extractive.

By Willy Legrand and David Leventhal

When Hospitality shapes places, not just stays

Regenerative hospitality reframes hotels from standalone assets into locally embedded infrastructures that strengthen ecosystems, communities, and destination resilience. Diane Binder argues that the real shift is from “doing less harm” to actively serving place – with independent and franchised hotels acting as catalysts for land restoration, cultural vitality, and shared prosperity, supported by new governance, measurement, and blended finance models.

By Diane Binder, Founder & CEO, Regenopolis

What Hospitality Might Become

Yves Carnazzola argues that the real shift facing hospitality is not from sustainability to regeneration as competing trends, but from seeing hospitality as an industry managing impacts to seeing it as a participant in living systems. Regeneration is framed as a reorientation of purpose: from efficiency and control to coherence, shared responsibility, and place vitality, supported by new governance, financing, and accountability structures.

By Yves Carnazzola, CEO, AxessImpact

What Is This Place Asking of Us?

Amanda Ho argues that sustainability, while valuable, is no longer enough for a hospitality industry facing climate instability, biodiversity loss, and social inequity. Regeneration is proposed as a deeper, place-based paradigm that asks a fundamental question: “What is this place asking of us?” Instead of treating hotels as isolated assets, it frames them as actors within living systems of community, culture, and ecology, illustrated through examples like Fogo Island Inn, Basata Eco-Lodge, and African Bush Camps. 

By Amanda Ho, Co-Founder & CEO, Regenerative Travel

Hilton Accelerates Multi‑Brand Growth in Brazil with Plans to Double Portfolio by 2030

Hilton plans to double its Brazil portfolio to nearly 60 hotels by 2030, with major expansion into new markets including Manaus, Natal, and airport locations.

Hilton

Brazil

Sofitel Rio de Janeiro Ipanema: an iconic transformation redefining Sofitel in Brazil

Sofitel, a pioneer of French luxury hospitality since 1964, announces the transformation of Sofitel Rio de Janeiro Ipanema into the brand's first flagship hotel in Brazil. With its inauguration scheduled for end of 2026, the hotel will emerge as a renewed icon on Ipanema Beach, offering 172 rooms and suites and a bold expression of Sofitel's contemporary vision of luxury hospitality.

Sofitel

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Reimagining Hospitality Through Regeneration and Place Vitality

Professor Michail Toanoglou argues that hospitality must move beyond “low-impact” sustainability toward regenerative hospitality that actively strengthens the vitality of places: their ecosystems, cultures, communities, and economies. He lays out a new value architecture and six executive priorities for hotel leaders to embed systems thinking and place-based reciprocity into strategy.

By Michail Toanoglou, PMP Professor & Academic Director MSc Hospitality Management, ESSEC Business School, ESSEC IMHI

From Harm Reduction to Healing: Why True Hospitality Must Become Regenerative

Glenn Mandziuk argues that hospitality must evolve from “doing less harm” to actively regenerating the ecosystems and communities it depends on. Building on the World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance’s Pathway to Net Positive Hospitality and shared data platforms like Vera-FY, he calls for accountable, place-based leadership and cross-industry collaboration that leaves destinations measurably better than we found them. 

By Glenn Mandziuk, President & CEO, Sustainable Hospitality Alliance

Leapfrogging Regeneration

Dominic Paul Dubois argues that truly regenerative hospitality is a journey, not a label you can jump to because the word is fashionable. Using a luxury alpine resort as an example, it outlines three non-negotiable “inner development” stages, showing how each step must be in place before a property can credibly claim to benefit its community and environment more than it harms them.

By Dominic Paul Dubois, Director of Sustainability, Six Senses Crans-Montana, IHG

The Forgotten Poison: Detoxing the Guest Room is Hospitality's #1 Regenerative Act

By Martim Gois, CEO and Co-Founder, Valpas

Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal Completes Final Phase of Multi-Year Property-Wide Transformation

The final phase of Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal's multi-year property-wide transformation is officially complete. The extensive renovation showcases the hotel’s commitment to delivering redefined accommodations and on-property experiences to both new guests and those who have called Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal “home” since its inception.

Waldorf Astoria

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

Food and Beverage, a drain on resources or a regenerative lever?

Adam and Bumjoo Maclennan argue that food & beverage is not a low-margin nuisance but the beating heart – and biggest lever – of regenerative hospitality. By shifting sourcing toward regenerative agriculture, empowering chefs as tastemakers, and designing menus that prioritise soil health, biodiversity, and zero waste, hotels can turn every meal into a catalyst for healthier ecosystems, communities, and guests.

By Adam Maclennan and Bumjoo Maclennan