by Lacey Pfalz
Last updated: 8:00 AM ET, Mon March 30, 2026
Every month brings with it a fair amount of hotel and resort announcements, from exciting new renovations or expansions to new insights into the hospitality industry—and March was just the same.
Check out the biggest headlines from the month, including information on the new Treasure Beach Village expansion opening at Beaches Turks and Caicos, and what hospitality industry professionals think about the state of U.S. hospitality this year, and read the full stories if they’re relevant to you.
New Hotel & Resort Openings and Renovations
The Resort at Kapalua Bay will become a part of the St. Regis Hotels & Resorts brand. (Photo Credit: Marriott International)
As always, new hotels and resorts, and renovations of currently open resorts, remain among the biggest news categories, and in March, TravelPulse covered some really exciting new expansions and openings.
First off: Sandals has two big expansions to share. Beaches Turks and Caicos’s massive Treasure Beach Village expansion officially opened in March, offering several new room and villa categories, new pools and more.
Sandals Dunn’s River in Jamaica also recently opened the Louis Grant Conference Center, named after a 60-year tourism industry veteran and longstanding member of the Sandals team. The venue can accommodate up to 500 individuals or be split into three different business or event venues.
In new hotels and resorts, Hyatt announced Hyatt Ziva Punta Cana, a new resort set to open in 2029. The beachside resort will offer a family-friendly experience with several dining venues, pools, daily programming, watersports, and more.
Marriott International announced in March that it would be converting The Resort at Kapalua Bay into a St. Regis-branded property in 2027. The luxury resort is located in Maui.
Luxury travelers will be excited to hear that there’s a new A&K Sanctuary opening in Africa. A part of Abercrombie & Kent, the Kitirua Plains Lodge will offer luxury travelers a beautiful sanctuary from which to explore Kenya’s Amboseli region, with views of Mount Kilimanjaro.
World of Hyatt members can now also book stays at over twenty Bahia Principe resorts in the Caribbean. The Bahia Principe brand is the ninth all-inclusive that’s been added to Hyatt’s growing Inclusive Collection.
Growth in Latin America
Nekajui, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, Peninsula Papagayo. (Photo Credit: Nekajui, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve Media)
One region is getting some special attention from hotel giants in recent years: Latin America.
Marriott International outlined its 2025 expansion plans for the Caribbean and Latin American regions. It added 40 percent more rooms to its regional portfolio in 2025, acquiring nearly 30 currently open hotels and resorts and opening several others, including Nekajui, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve in Costa Rica.
Meanwhile, IHG Hotels & Resorts shared its plans to expand in its fifth-largest market. It boasts 62 different hotels and resorts in its pipeline in Mexico, with strong growth among midscale brands. The hotel corporation is also planning to open several luxury resorts in the future, including Six Senses Xala in Costalegre in 2027.
The State of the U.S. Hospitality Industry
The latest survey of hoteliers by the American Hotel & Lodging Association found that over half reported staffing shortages, even as rising costs make preparing for large global events like the FIFA World Cup more challenging.
Nearly 20 percent of hotels are reporting below-average booking trends this year, too, which could further exacerbate financial struggles as prices for everything from staffing to goods and energy grow.
For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.
Topics From This Article to Explore
