A quick roundup of global hospitality news:
VOCO TO LAUNCH IN SHARJAH: IHG Hotels & Resorts and Sharjah Asset Management, the investment unit of the Government of Sharjah, have signed a management agreement to open a new voco hotel in Sharjah, U.A.E. Slated to be the first IHG hotel in the Emirate, the 191-room voco hotel will open in 2027. The hotel will be located near the Sharjah Golf and Shooting Club. The hotel will feature an all-day dining restaurant, a gym, pool, spa and about 5,000 square feet of meeting areas. The hotel adds to some recent voco signings in the region, including Cairo, Riyadh and Beirut.
DOUBLETREE BY HILTON TO KYOTO: Hilton has opened DoubleTree by Hilton Kyoto Higashiyama in Kyoto, Japan. This is Hilton’s third brand to open in Kyoto, following the opening of LXR Hotels & Resorts and Hilton Garden Inn branded hotels in the city. Located close to the Kyoto Station, the seven-story DoubleTree by Hilton Kyoto Higashiyama offers 158 rooms, an all-day dining restaurant, lounge bar, 24-hour fitness center and a public bath. The hotel features five room types, with 46 rooms modelled on authentic Japanese living spaces. The hotel includes two 61-square-meter suites with private saunas and rain showers.
FAIRMONT RESIDENCES IN RIYADH: Fairmont Hotels and Resorts has opened its first serviced residences in Saudi Arabia, Fairmont Ramla Serviced Residences Riyadh. Located in Riyadh, the 35-story property was unveiled by Fairmont in partnership with Naif AL Rajhi Investment. The property offers 249 luxury residences, two rooftop infinity pools, two gyms, a kid’s club, several dining venues, four meeting rooms and a private cinema room.
HYATT CENTRIC SIGNS IN CHINA: Hyatt Hotels Corp. and Hongkong Land have announced that an affiliate of Hyatt has signed a management agreement with Hongkong Land for a new Hyatt Centric hotel, Hyatt Centric East CBD Chengdu. The hotel will be located in Chengdu and will launch the Hyatt Centric brand in southwest China when it  opens in 2025. The hotel will be part of The Ring, the new, upscale mixed-use project developed by Hongkong Land. The development will include premium office towers, a lifestyle hotel and an upscale shopping mall.
NEW WORLD HOTELS ADDS TO ASIA PAC PORTFOLIO: New World Hotels & Resorts has grown its Asia Pacific portfolio with the upcoming opening of New World Guangzhou Hotel. The hotel is scheduled to open by the end of the year. The property marks the brand’s 13th property in China and 18th in Asia. Located in Baiyun New Town in China, the new hotel features 283 rooms and suites, three dining venues, 2,700 square meters of event space, an indoor gym and an outdoor pool.