Luxury hotels tips

Schloss Bangalore, the luxury hospitality group behind India’s The Leela Palaces, has filed for a massive $599 million (INR 50 billion) IPO, the largest ever in India’s hotel industry. The company seeks to capitalize on the growing demand for high-end accommodations in India while also paying down debt.

Good morning from Skift. It’s Tuesday, September 17, and here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.

Michelin announced a second wave of top picks for U.S. hotels Thursday. It also revealed its first picks for a small group of luxury and boutique hotels in Canada and Mexico.

Hilton raised its forecast for 2024 profit on Wednesday but signaled that the post-pandemic travel surge is leveling off, particularly with American tourism.

Hyatt is reportedly near to closing a transaction with Standard International, owner of the luxury lifestyle brand The Standard and other brands.

Banyan Group is set to open a record number of luxury hotels and resorts this year. The Singapore-based luxury hotel operator also plans to expand into the Bahamas and introduce a residential rental offering, according to an update this month.

Luxury hotels in the U.S. have recently experienced robust growth in demand and room rates, while economy hotels have declined year-over-year. The numbers for the first five months of the year suggest a break with broad historical patterns.

Oyo has announced the launch of its first luxury hotel, the Palette Royal Reflections Hotel and Spa, in Dubai. The opening marks a significant step in Oyo’s strategy to expand its premium offerings, driven by the increasing demand from Indian tourists for high-end accommodations in the region.

Rosewood Hotel Group, the ultra-luxury brand, has quietly launched a program that sets a higher bar for meeting environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals.

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has a long-term plan to shift its mix of properties to reflect more premium, lifestyle, and luxury brands. But for now, many hotel investors are balking — preferring mid-market and extended stay brands.

Good morning from Skift. It’s Friday, June 7, 2024. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.

Kempinski Hotels said Tuesday it had appointed Barbara Muckermann as its new CEO. Muckermann becomes the first woman to lead Europe’s oldest luxury hotel group.

Thailand-based hotel company, Minor Hotels, has set ambitious targets for its India expansion, aiming to open 50 properties over the next decade.

Luxury hospitality has always been image-based. But recent trends have created jarring distortions that make it hard for guests to understand reality. 

The first Nobu, a new-wave Japanese restaurant, opened in New York 30 years ago this year. The brand keeps expanding, with about 50 restaurants worldwide.

Michelin announced its top picks for U.S. hotels Wednesday, using its new hotel “key” system. Only a small number of hotels across seven cities made the cut.

Hilton said Wednesday it had acquired a majority controlling interest in Sydell Group, the owner of NoMad Hotels.

Vikram Oberoi, CEO and managing director of the Oberoi Group, knows luxury inside and out. Oberoi-branded hotels — recently ranked as “world’s best” by Travel and Leisure readers — are quite familiar to Oberoi himself: He spent the first decade of his life in the Oberoi Grand, Kolkata, before a stint in the Oberoi, New Delhi.

LXR is a Hilton brand with 14 luxury hotels and resorts. Last week, Hilton announced a deal for an LXR resort in Saudi Arabia, and it has seven other properties in its pipeline worldwide.

Gilda Perez-Alvarado surprised some hotel industry vets when she joined Accor last October, becoming its chief strategy officer. She switched from being the Global CEO of hotel broker JLL.

The surprise exit of Jumeirah Group CEO Katerina Giannouka 15 months into her role is the latest resignation for the government-owned hotel brand of Dubai.