Macau

Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, the largest U.S.-based hotel company in China, has signed nearly 600 franchise agreements and opened almost 300 hotels in China over five years.

Hilton plans to double its focused service presence in Asia Pacific by expanding its mid-market hotel portfolio to over 1,000 properties, with ongoing regionalized brand initiatives and franchising expansion in key markets.

Las Vegas Sands increased the Marina Bay Sands expansion budget to US$8 billion for a new fourth tower with its own casino, luxury suites, arena, and more, with construction starting in mid-2025 and opening in 2031.

Leechiu Property Consultants reported 158 new hotel projects across the Philippines, adding 40,084 rooms, with full recovery in foreign arrivals expected by 2026, generating PHP250 billion in investments and 57,000 jobs.

CoStar's STR reports uneven growth across Asia-Pacific markets in 2024, with Japan and Vietnam showing the strongest potential for continued growth.

China has introduced a visa-free policy for citizens of 17 European countries, allowing short stays of up to 15 days to boost tourism and business travel until the end of 2025.

China's Golden Week started with 96,671 visitors to Macau on Monday, and despite last year's high numbers, the tourism office predicts a lower daily average of 100,000 arrivals from October 1-7.

The Indian hospitality industry is experiencing strong investment growth in greenfield hotel developments, particularly in tier 2 and 3 cities, with investments rebounding to pre-Covid levels and expected to surge further in 2024.

Asia's largest Hard Rock Hotel will open in 2027 at Genting Highlands' King's Park, featuring 1,001 rooms and various amenities as part of a larger entertainment and business district project.

Schloss Bangalore, owner of The Leela hotel chain, has filed for a US$599 million IPO to fund expansion and debt repayment, with Morgan Stanley, BofA Securities, JPMorgan, and Citi managing the issue.