New Hilton offering: Shareholders associated with the Blackstone Group will launch a massive secondary offering of at least 90 million shares of Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. stock. The underwriters will have a 30-day option to buy up to an additional 13.5 million shares. The offering would reduce Blackstone’s and its affiliate’s holdings in Hilton common stock to approximately 57% from 66% and result in approximately US$2.3 billion in proceeds.
Holiday Inns for Germany: IHG has signed the 93-room Holiday Inn Dresden – City South, which will open in 2015 in the former FFF City Hotel Leonardo as well as the 178-room Holiday Inn Villingen-Schwenningen, a new-build which will open in 2016.
China business travel: The Global Business Travel Association projects China’s total business travel spend to grow 15.9% in 2014 to US$262 billion and another 18% in 2015.
Onyx in the Maldives: Onyx Hospitality Group has announced a project in Maldives under its core Amari brand. Scheduled to open in 2016, Amari Havodda Maldives will include 48 beach villas, 12 beach pool villas, 58 overwater villas and two overwater pool villas.
New CEO at Welk Resorts: Former Welk Resorts president Jon Fredericks has been promoted to president and CEO. Welk currently has 1,600 employees and 1,077 vacation units across its portfolio in U.S. and Mexico.