Hyatt all in on wellbeing. Hyatt Hotels Corp. has named Mia Kyricos as senior vice president, global head of wellbeing to further define Hyatt’s wellbeing efforts across all 14 brands. She will also be instrumental in the continued immersion of World of Hyatt members to the Miraval and exhale brands, as well as the integration of elements of both these brands throughout the organization.
IHG reports Q2. IHG released its half-year results on Tuesday with global RevPAR up 3.7% (Americas +3.2%). Total gross revenue was up 9% to US$13.3 billion. Net system size growth is up 4.1% YoY, bringing total system size to 810,000 rooms (5,431 hotels). In the Americas region, it opened 91 hotels (9K rooms) – with more than two-thirds driven by the Holiday Inn brand family. It also signed 195 hotels (20K rooms) in the Americas, adding that its new Avid brand signed 130 deals (82 in the first half of 2018) since the launch across United States, Canada and Mexico.
UK investment trends. Over £442 million was invested into hotels in the southwest region of the UK, according to the latest figures from Savills. The region has accounted for 13% of the total investment into UK hotels, which reached £3.2 billion in the first half of 2018. UK investors accounted for the lion’s share of investment volumes, accounting for £289 million (65.38%). This was followed by Israeli investors, which accounted for £84.62 million (19.12%) and U.S. investors accounting for £52.5 million (11.86%). Portfolio deals were the main component of the region’s investment volumes, accounting for £295.8 million (66.8%).
Damac takes a Radisson. Radisson Hospitality AB, in partnership with Dubai-based real estate developer Damac Properties, announced the signing of its first Radisson hotel in the Middle East at Dubai’s Damac Hills in the United Arab Emirates. Under construction already and due to open in Q4 2019, the hotel will feature 481 rooms, including one and two-bedroom suites.
Airbnb inroads. Airbnb has reported that Airbnb for Work, which launched in 2014, has seen bookings tripling the past two years with almost 700,000 companies having signed up for and booked with the business travel feature. Employees from large companies (5,000+ employees) and those from startups and smaller groups (one to 250 employees) account for a 40-40 split of the bookings, with the final 20% coming from mid-size companies.