Top Hotel & Resort News From 2022

It's nearly the end of the year, and that means it's time to reflect upon the most memorable things that happened in 2022. From new brands to exciting new travel advisor incentive programs, hotels and resorts around the world really stepped it up this year for both travel advisors and travelers, leading with trends like pet-friendly travel, independent hotel brand expansions and expanding their ever-popular loyalty programs. Curious to see the biggest hotel and resort news of 2022? Read on to catch up and reflect on the year that was.

The new year welcomed new innovations into the hospitality industry for Marriott guests, who are now able to seamlessly purchase their travel insurance when they book a hotel with the industry leader.

Accor announced it would welcome over 300 new hotels to its brands in 2022. The hospitality group welcomed properties in destinations like Tbilisi, Georgia, London, Doha, AlUla and more.

Hyatt announced early in the year that it would be expanding its brands in the Americas with 11 new markets, including beloved destinations in Mexico and the Caribbean, as well as city escapes like Denver and Memphis.

Have you noticed how many new hotel and resort collections are going independent? In a feature on the topic, we dive deep with representatives from Preferred Hotels & Resorts, Marriott and Curator Hotel & Resort Collection to discover why that might be.

The U.S. News & World Report published its list of the year's best hotels in February of this year. The ones who made it to the top of the list? The Peninsula Chicago, Montage Los Cabos, Rosewood Bermuda, Le Bristol Paris and more.

In March, UNESCO and Expedia Group's UNESCO Sustainable Travel Pledge welcomed several new signatories including Melia Hotels International, THB Hotels, Universal Hotels, Helios Hotels and Accor Hotels' Mantra brands. As of the time of publication, the Sustainable Travel Pledge has 6,000 properties worldwide.

Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, members of the American Hotels and Lodging Association donated or pledged to donate money, room nights and more to aid those who fled Ukraine following the invasion.

Walt Disney World Resort's hotels opened and character greetings began this April for the first time in two years; a big step for the world-famous attraction as it continued its return to normal following the pandemic.

AMR Collection brands, which include Secrets Resorts & Spas, Dreams Resorts & Spas, Breathless Resorts & Spas, Zoetry Wellness & Spa Resorts, Alua Hotels & Resorts, Sunscape Resorts & Spas and Vivid Hotels & Resorts, began being incrementally added into Hyatt's World of Hyatt loyalty program in April.

Hyatt announced it was terminating its contracts with Russian hotels following the invasion of Ukraine; several other hotel corporations have done so, too, in support of the Ukrainian people and new global sanctions against Russia.

Hyatt created a new brand of luxury all-inclusive resorts in May. The All-Inclusive Collection comprises Hyatt Ziva resorts, Hyatt Zilara resorts, Zoëtry Wellness & Spa Resorts, Secrets Resorts & Spas, Breathless Resorts & Spas, Dreams Resorts & Spas, Alua Hotels & Resorts, Sunscape Resorts & Spas, and Vivid Hotels & Resorts.

In June, Choice Hotels announced it would acquire Radisson Hotel Group for $675 million. Radisson has 68,000 rooms across its 624 hotels. The acquisition was formalized later in the year.

Good news for travelers who love bringing their pets along on their travels. Hilton expanded its pet-friendly offerings this year due to popular demand, so now about 85 percent of all Hilton properties in the United States are pet friendly.

Fourteen Palladium Hotel Group hotels and resorts in Mexico joined the new Wyndham Registry Collection this August. They include the TRS Hotels and Grand Palladium Hotels & Resorts.

Krystal Hotels and Resorts is getting more competitive by offering a new commission program for travel advisors, which launched in late August of this year. Commission starts at 10 percent.

Voyager Space's upcoming Starlab, a free-flying commercial space station, has partnered with Hilton as the official hotel partner. What does that mean, exactly? Hilton will have a hand in designing the architecture and design, including personal quarters and communal spaces.

In September, Marriott International announced it would be expanding its luxury offerings in the Asia Pacific, opening 14 new properties through 2023, in key and growing destinations such as Jeju Island, South Korea and Melbourne, Australia.

The American Hotel & Lodging Association published a report in October predicting that U.S. hotel leisure revenue for 2022 would surpass 2019 or pre-pandemic levels: undoubtedly a good sign for the industry.

Taking information from hotel giants Hilton, IHG and Wyndham, this feature, published in October, details just how impactful the third quarter of the year was on the hospitality industry's recovery.

This year, IHG and Iberostar partnered to create IHG's 18th brand in Iberostar Beachfront Resorts. This all-inclusive collection offers up to 70 hotels and 24,000 rooms across key markets in Mexico and the Caribbean.

November was Travvy Awards month. Hand-selected by the TravelPulse editorial team and voted upon by travel advisors, the true travel influencers, some big winners included La Casa de la Playa, Sandals Resorts and Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea, among many others.

In December, Hyatt announced that it was doing away with the AMR Collection, rebranding it as the Inclusive Collection, a World of Hyatt brand that offers the same loyalty benefits as other World of Hyatt brands. It's also expanding the collection to feature several resorts across Europe, including several still in development.