Hotel News: Top Stories From October

October is a great month, filled with spooky activities, lively fall colors and a distinct, crisp chill in the air for many of us. It's also been a busy news month for us, with a lot of key news about the hotels and resorts we love.

Sandals has unveiled a new podcast, anniversary merchandise as well as new community programs and the establishment of the Gordon "Butch" Stewart International School of Hospitality and Tourism at The University of the West Indies to celebrate its 40th anniversary.

The Wyndham Alltra brand is Wyndham's 22nd brand and the first partnership with Playa Hotels & Resorts. The brand's first two resorts will be the Wyndham Alltra Cancun and the Wyndham Alltra Playa del Carmen.

Palladium Hotel Group is one of the first sign the UN World Tourism Organization's Global Code of Ethics for Tourism, which sets a standard for sustainability, community, economic and cultural ethics for companies within the tourism industry.

InterContinental Hotels celebrated its 75th anniversary as the world's first luxury hotel brand with limited-time offers and packages, as well as a $75,000 donation to Water.org to support initiatives to bring water to 15,000 people worldwide.

Learn more about the Hotel Xcarte Arte, which debuted earlier this year. The resort offers workshops like weaving and dancing, and its 16-and-older rule allows for a more adults-only, intimate feel.

Marriott's four brands, Residence Inn by Marriott, SpringHill Suites by Marriott, Fairfield by Marriott and TownePlace Suites by Marriott will now offer free hot breakfast buffets at 3,000 select locations beginning in October.

Harrah's Cherokee Casino Resort has unveiled a fourth hotel tower and a 83,000 square-foot convention center as part of its $330-million-dollar expansion, adding 725 rooms and 70 suites, building upon the eventual return to business travel and large events.

Grupo Xcaret's boutique hotel, La Casa de la Playa, announced its grand opening date, set for December 13. The modern luxury hotel will offer a spa, spacious suites with private pools and much more.

Marriott Bonvoy members can earn even more points in Mexico and the Caribbean when they stay at one of these 20 new all-inclusives, including many Royalton and Planet Hollywood resorts in Antigua, Grenada, Costa Rica, Mexico, St. Lucia and more.

The New York Hilton Midtown has officially reopened on October 5 after about 18 months of being closed due to the pandemic. It's expected to recover quickly as it offers a perfect vantage point to watch the famous Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

The newest Virgin Hotels addition, Virgin Hotels New Orleans, celebrated its grand opening October 8 with much fanfare.

Club Med released new photos of the rooms of its first Canadian property on October 19, the Club Med Quebec-Charlevoix. Its modern-rustic rooms offer both family style and connecting options, allowing for families and larger group to remain close while also allowing for privacy.

Amadeus' Demand360 data indicates that hotel occupancy is stronger this year than it was last year, showing signs of a recovery. While occupancy levels don't yet reach that of 2019's pre-pandemic occupancy levels, it is a sure sign that recovery is happening.

ALG announced plans for the new Dreams Cozumel Cape Resort & Spa on October 21, set to open in early 2022. The brand's first on the island, the all-inclusive resort will feature Junior Suites, Family Suites and Preferred Club Suites.

Another set of data, this time from STR, found that this year's highest occupancy rates were during the week of October 10-16, when they reached an average of 65 percent, only -10 percent lower than 2019's rates. Room prices were still lower than in 2019, but overall the data suggests that in some regions of the U.S., travel is getting closer to what we know as normal.

The Sandals Royal Bahamian recently announced new renovations, including more dining options, updated facilities and more. The all-inclusive is set to reopen January 27, 2022.

Bahia Principe Hotels & Resorts announced October 14 that it will be reopening five of its Dominican Republic resorts and one in Mexico starting November 1. The properties will reopen in a staggered fashion, ending December 15.

Sonesta announced that it is developing fifteen new franchise agreements, with new hotels including eleven Americas Best Value Inns, two Knights Inns, one Canadas Best Value Inn and one Red Lion Inn & Suites.

St. Regis Hotels & Resorts will be debuting eleven new resorts by 2025, with two slated to open first in Mexico, one in Qatar, one in Morocco, and two more in Aruba and the Dominican Republic and in other locations worldwide.

The Warner Bros. Hotel Abu Dhabi is set to become the first-ever Warner Bros. hotel in the world, located near the Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi attraction park. The hotel is expected to open November 11.

Turks & Caicos will be debuting several new hotels beginning in 2022, including the South Bank Turks & Caicos, The Rock House, the Bight Hotel and more.

Contactless amenities have become increasingly popular over the pandemic, and some hotels and hotel brands have especially stepped up their contactless amenities as a way to draw more guests, including contactless spa treatments and even apps that track room capacity.

Residence Inn by Marriott has opened its third property in Mexico in Playa del Carmen. Offering pet-friendly suites with full kitchens, it's a great place for families or remote workers to enjoy a longer or more secluded vacation in one of the best areas of Mexico's Caribbean coast.

A new feature shows that with new brands and plenty of all-inclusives in the works, the all-inclusive resort category is thriving and is even growing past its previous popularity due to the pandemic.

A new report released by the House Committee on Oversight and Reform earlier this month found that during the four years of Donald Trump's presidency, his controversial Trump International Hotel Washington, D.C. lost about $70 million despite having earned $3.7 million from foreign governments.