Top Hotel & Resort News from January 2023

From Sonesta's new brands to new hotel announcements, January was a good month for big news in the hotel and resort category. Click through this slideshow to see the top news we covered this month, and click on the links provided in each slide to read the full stories. Don't want to miss a beat? Subscribe to our TravelPulse newsletter today!

Sonesta has two new brands to discover: The James and Sonesta Essential. Both offer something new and different and are curated for different traveler styles.

The latest addition to the Inclusive Collection, formerly AMR Collection, is the Dreams Flora Resort & Spa in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, opening this February.

Hilton celebrated the opening of its second Colombian hotel with the debut of Hilton Santa Marta this January. It's located near the Tayrona National Nature Park and offers views of the Caribbean Sea in Santa Marta.

Choice Hotels now has over six thousands hotels across the country participating in the Safe Stays by ReloShare program, which allows social services professionals to find safe and often anonymous lodging for victims of domesic violence, human trafficking or sexual assault. 500 Radisson-branded hotels are now part of the program following the brand's acquisition by Choice Hotels.

Hilton announced the 2023 debut of its new premium economy hotel brand, Spark by Hilton. The brand will feature benefits like free breakfast and multi-purpose areas. It will expand across the United States.

Nobu Hotels is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year and will be debuting five new hotels across the world this year. The properties are located in Rome, Marrakech, Atlantic City, San Sebastián and Toronto.

Accor has split its organizational structure into two different divisions in order to help facilitate greater growth for both. The first is for its premium, midscale and economy brands, the other for its luxury lifestyle brands.

What is believed to be Las Vegas' first cannabis-friendly hotel will be located in its Arts District. Elevations Hotels and Resorts is turning the Artisan Hotel into The Lexi with a property-wide renovation, though it will remain open throughout the renovation. According to hotel officials, it'll be ready for cannabis use with specialized air filtration systems in each room.

Virgin Group and Virgin Limited Brands are no more: now, they have both become the Virgin Hotels Collection brand. This will help to facilitate ease of growth for both brands.

Accor announced in January that it will debut a new independent midscale hotel portfolio, called the Handwritten Collection. This global portfolio will offer a new collection of independent hotels with personalized touches as unique as, you guessed it, someone's handwriting.

Palladium Hotel Group has earned over $1 billion in revenue in 2022, earning 26 more than pre-pandemic levels in 2019. The hotel group expects to exceed the 2022 record this year.

In January, Hyatt announced it had a record number of hotels in its development pipeline. Get a glimpse of Hyatt's future in this article.

Check out Wyndham's latest successes from 2022 and its goals for 2023 in this article. From new brands to hotels in its development pipeline, this hotel brand is growing stronger than ever.

Data from STR and Tourism Economics suggests that while the American recession is still impacting the hospitality industry, the industry is still seeing a positive trend in 2023 that promises a steady yet slow return to pre-pandemic levels in 2025.

Bahia Principe Hotels & Resorts announced an investment of $100 million to continue major developments like refurbishments, sustainability initiatives and digitilization projects.

Luxury villas are on the rise for travelers today: if you're a travel advisor, check out what's behind the trend and how to sell in the market with this helpful new feature.