2026/07/13 – 2026/07/26
Korea
- WorldHotels Enters South Korea with Ecoland Jeju: WorldHotels, the upscale and luxury soft brand under BWH Hotels, made its first entry into South Korea with the 216-key, five-star Ecoland Hotel in Jocheon-eup, Jeju. The soft-brand affiliation lets the existing hotel retain its name and operation while joining the global reservation network and loyalty program. WorldHotels has more than 40 properties in its pipeline and is targeting 250 properties by the end of 2026.
- Dongil Sweet to Develop Hotel on Busan’s Former Hankuk Glass Site: Dongil Sweet will develop an approximately 270-key global upper-tier branded hotel within its mixed-use development on the former Hankuk Glass site in Ilgwang-eup, Gijang-gun, Busan. The site was originally planned for two for-sale residential lodging buildings, but Busan’s negotiation coordination council recommended using one building as an office facility and having Dongil Sweet own and operate the other as a hotel. Dongil Sweet accepted the recommendation and is in talks with Hilton, Marriott, and others on a management contract.
APAC
- Japan Hotel REIT Reshuffles Portfolio: Japan Hotel REIT (JHR), Japan’s largest hotel REIT, moved to reshape its asset mix. It agreed to sell the 280-key Beach Tower Okinawa to Mihama Terroir TMK for ¥30.9 billion—roughly three times appraised value and about five times book value—with a gain of ¥24.1 billion expected. The proceeds will fund the acquisition of the 496-key Candeo Hotels Osaka Namba and bolster cash reserves, swapping into a newer urban asset while slightly lowering the trust’s LTV.
- Worldwide Hotels Acquires Johor Bahru Hotel: Singapore-based Worldwide Hotels acquired the 243-key Fives Hotel Johor Bahru City Centre from Malaysia’s SKS Group. The transaction price was not disclosed, and the property will be rebranded under Accor’s ibis Styles flag following the acquisition. The Johor Bahru–Singapore Rapid Transit System link, slated to open in 2027, is expected to enhance connectivity between the two sides and strengthen lodging demand—cited as the backdrop to the investment.
Americas
- Travel + Leisure Acquires Two Timeshare Businesses: Travel + Leisure completed its acquisition of Yes& Vacations and signed an agreement to acquire Spinnaker Resorts to expand its timeshare business. The combined upfront consideration of $343 million adds 23 resorts and more than 100,000 existing owners. The strategy secures inventory in hard-to-build markets such as Maui and Hilton Head, with roughly $50 million in annual adjusted EBITDA expected after synergies.
- Ashford Continues to Cut Leverage: U.S. hotel REIT Ashford Hospitality Trust sold the 357-key Fremont Marriott Silicon Valley in Fremont, California, to an affiliate of Chicago-based Singerman Real Estate for $53 million. The company used approximately $43.5 million of the proceeds to pay down a mortgage secured by 14 hotels, reducing leverage. It continues to improve its balance sheet with opportunistic asset sales as a core component of its 2026 strategy.
Europe
- Accor Sells Remaining Essendi Stake: Accor signed an agreement on July 23 to sell its entire stake of approximately 30.7% in Essendi to a consortium comprising Blackstone and Colony IM. The consideration reaches roughly €975 million, including €675 million payable at closing and an earn-out of up to €300 million. Essendi’s portfolio of more than 535 hotels across some 20 countries, spanning ibis, Novotel, and Mercure, will be gradually converted to franchise contracts, reinforcing Accor’s asset-light strategy.
- MHL Acquires Two IHG Hotels at Dublin Airport: Irish hotel owner-operator MHL Hotel Collection acquired two IHG-branded hotels near Dublin Airport from Tifco Hotel Group for approximately €95 million. The properties are the 209-key, four-star Crowne Plaza Dublin Airport and the 214-key, three-star Holiday Inn Express Dublin Airport. Tifco has been selling off hotels sequentially since U.S. private equity firm Apollo acquired it from Goldman Sachs in 2018.
