Travel News Page 197
IHG signs Holiday Inn Express Cockburn, strengthening Western Australia pipeline
IHG Hotels & Resorts (IHG), one of the world’s leading hotel companies, has accelerated its growth in Western Australia by signing Holiday Inn Express Cockburn, in partnership with SKS Group. Scheduled to open later this year, the 170-key franchised property will form part of a new mixed-use development currently under construction, featuring a purpose-built hotel tower and separate residential tower.
IHG Hotels & Resorts unveils new premium collection brand, Noted Collection™
InterContinental Hotels Group PLC (IHG) today announces the launch of its new premium collection brand, Noted Collection, with initial discussions already underway with multiple owners, including several with portfolios of hotels, for potential addition into IHG’s system.
Hilton Ends 2025 with Robust Luxury and Lifestyle Growth
Hilton ended 2025 with record growth across the Caribbean and Latin America (CALA), topping 300 operating hotels in 35 countries and territories and advancing a pipeline of more than 150 properties representing over 21,000 rooms. Fueled by strong demand for luxury and lifestyle resorts and residences as well as continued momentum in focused service brands, Hilton opened more than 30 hotels and signed a record number of deals in 2025. It added more than 70 new hotels and 7,800 rooms to its pipeline, which represents a 55 percent increase in the number of hotels and a more than 25 percent increase in added rooms versus 2024¹.
Tee Off in the “Golfiest” State: Maine Celebrates Its Storied Fairways in 2026
In 2026, Maine is celebrating its history and culture as an avid golf destination. With a distinction as the “golfiest” state in the Northeast and a new historical exhibition, Maine’s world-class golf courses and resorts are honored for their dedication to the sport from the mountains to the sea. In its recently published 2025 Golf Scorecard, the United States Golf Association (USGA) awarded Maine the title of “Golfiest” State in the Northeast. This recognition is testament to the passion of Maine golfers and the visitors who travel to Maine each year to experience some of the best courses in the country.
Hilton Signs Conrad Meia Praia Algarve, a New Luxury Beachfront Resort in Portugal’s Algarve
Hilton today announced the signing of Conrad Meia Praia Algarve, a new luxury beachfront resort showcasing Conrad Hotels & Resorts’ globally recognised design and experiential ethos in the Algarve when it opens in spring 2027. The project will be developed by the joint-venture between PGIM’s real estate business, Sonae Sierra and Iberian Hospitality Solutions (IHSP) under a franchise agreement – marking its second collaboration with Hilton. The new resort will also include 21 Conrad branded residences.
DRINK LAS VEGAS TO UNITE WORLD-CLASS MIXOLOGISTS AND CELEBRATED CHEFS
Bellagio, ARIA, The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, and Park MGM will become the ultimate playground to indulge and imbibe this fall with the debut of Drink Las Vegas September 24 – 27. Hosted by MGM Resorts International, in collaboration with acclaimed experiential event agency a21 and sports management agency PRP, the inaugural beverage and spirits festival will span four center-Strip luxury resorts with programming designed to entertain, educate, and engage
United Gives MileagePlus Credit Cardholders More Miles, Exclusive Flight Discounts
United Airlines is giving travelers three new reasons to hold and use a United MileagePlus® credit or debit card: the ability to earn up to twice as many miles as non-cardholders, at least 10% off United award tickets and access to special inventory of its lowest-priced award seats.
Los Cabos Marks Nearly 130% Growth in Visitor Arrivals Over the Past Decade
The Los Cabos Tourism Board today announced the destination closed 2025 with strong travel performance, reflecting nearly 130% increase in visitor arrivals over the past decade and welcoming nearly 3.8 million visitors in 2025. Over the past ten years, Los Cabos has undergone one of the most intentional transformations in global tourism. Rather than pursuing rapid volume growth, the destination has focused on building a high-value model centered on quality, connectivity and long-term community impact.
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC-LINDBLAD EXPEDITIONS’ HELP BRING GIANT TORTOISES BACK TO FLOREANA ISLAND
More than a century after tortoises became locally extinct on Floreana Island, the Floreana Ecological Restoration Project today released 158 giant tortoises back to the island, marking one of the project’s most anticipated milestones and a powerful sign of ecosystem recovery.
Minor Hotels Elevates Italy’s UNESCO Designated Culinary Heritage
Italian cuisine, officially recognised by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, is far more than a collection of recipes: it is a language shaped by memory and territory. A living knowledge that reveals itself through travel—by crossing places, traditions and regional identities—and which, across Minor Hotels’ properties in Italy, becomes a gastronomic experience capable of narrating the Bel Paese through its flavours.
Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok Unveils the First Chapter of ‘Unfolding Legacies’, Its 150th Anniversary
Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok enters a landmark year as it opens the first chapter of its 150th anniversary with Unfolding Legacies, a multi-year programme honouring the people, place and pioneering spirit that have shaped the hotel since its beginnings on the banks of the Chao Phraya River.
The Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association Charts Path at Global Tourism Resilience Day Forum
The Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association (CHTA), alongside its public sector partner, the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), took center stage at the Global Tourism Resilience Day Forum, in Nairobi, Kenya, presenting a forward-looking framework that positions the Caribbean not merely as a region that survives crises but one that is systematically and collaboratively building the infrastructure to emerge stronger.