All dogs go to Hilton and IHG’s big bet on luxury: Hotel news you might have missed
Every day here at TPG, we do our very best to bring you the most important news you need to be a well-informed traveler, from keeping you up to date on the latest hotel openings and changes in elite status requirements to unexpected fees showing up on hotel bills.
But between all the big news we cover, there are smaller things happening in the hotel world that you should know about. We're one month into a new year and with that comes a ton of exciting announcements from hotel brands big and small.
To keep you in the know, we've rounded up a handful of hotel stories you might've missed this month, from one Hilton brand becoming 100% pet-friendly to a slew of new hotels opening around the world.
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Hilton is going to the dogs
If you love to travel with your pets, it might be time to start booking stays at Hilton's Homewood Suites, which announced that 100% of its hotels in the U.S. and Canada are now pet-friendly. Even better, the hotel chain is also offering free access to Mars Petcare, an online service that guests can use to chat with experts about pet-related concerns on the trip online or over the phone. Guests traveling with pets to Homewood Suites will be charged a $75 maximum for a one- to four-night stay. Stays lasting five nights or longer cost $125.
By April of this year, Tru by Hilton, Hampton by Hilton, Hilton Garden Inn and Embassy Suites by Hilton will also be completely pet-friendly in the U.S. and Canada.
Hyatt plans to open 45 new hotels in the Americas
Hot off the closure of its acquisition of Apple Leisure Group, which added around 100 resorts and hotels to World of Hyatt, the company announced it's also planning to open 45 new hotels and resorts in the Americas through 2023.
Debuting in 11 new markets for Hyatt, the new properties appear everywhere from urban city centers to coastal resorts town from Cancun, Mexico, to Toronto, Canada. The hotels include new locations of the Hyatt Centric and Hyatt Regency brands as well as outposts of Thompson Hotels (like the now-open Thompson Austin and upcoming locations in Houston, Denver and South Beach), as well as all-inclusive Dreams and Secrets resorts across Mexico.
One major project we're keeping an eye on is the Park Hyatt Los Cabos Hotel and Residences, a 135-room resort set to open in 2023.
A full list of future Hyatt openings can be found here.
A few major hotels are getting a rebrand
It's not uncommon for hotels to be rebranded or sold to another company altogether. In January, it was announced that Four Seasons is stepping away at the end of 2022 from the Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas at Las Colinas, which the Canadian brand has managed since 1983. The current owners of the hotel are looking for a new luxury hotel brand to take over operations of the Dallas-area resort.
In New York City, the Andaz Wall Street has transformed into the Hyatt Centric, though I'm not entirely sure why. Also downtown, the Millennium Hilton Downtown, located steps away from the World Trade Center Memorial, is ditching Hilton altogether and rebranding as the Millennium Downtown New York. Besides the name, pretty much everything at the 55-story hotel will stay the same, but it's a blow for Hilton Honors members looking for an upscale stay in the popular Manhattan area.
And in Las Vegas, where things seem to be changing by the minute, Bally's is transforming into the Horseshoe Las Vegas, the iconic brand that helped launch the World Series of Poker.
2022 is IHG's year of luxury expansion
While every major hotel brand is opening up a ton of new hotels and resorts around the world this year, IHG is doubling down on its luxury and lifestyle portfolio this year.
Six Senses, a brand that offers luxury wellness experiences around the world, is opening up new locations in Rome, Switzerland and the Maldives, though the long-awaited New York City property won't open its doors until 2023.
InterContinental, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary, is opening 10 new hotels — and a few have been on our radar, including the InterContinental Rome Ambasciatori Palace, which made our list of 2022's most anticipated hotel openings, and the InterContinental Ras Al Khaimah Mina Al Arab Resort & Spa. Ras Al Khaimah is an emirate near Dubai that made our list of best places to travel in 2022.
Beyond that, IHG is also planning to open seven new Kimpton hotels in destinations like Bali, Atlanta and Roatan, Honduras. Hotel Indigo continues to grow its footprint around the world with locations opening in the U.S., Mexico, Peru, Australia, the Middle East, Asia and beyond.
São Paulo is turning up the hotel heat
All year at TPG we're keeping our eyes open for upcoming hotel trends and destinations we think you need to know about.
One place that's really getting in on the luxury hotel action is São Paulo, Brazil. On Jan. 10, the Rosewood São Paulo opened with great fanfare in a former hospital building that's been reimagined as an ultra-luxe hotel with a vertical garden tower, six restaurants, 450 pieces of art, two swimming pools, a movie theater and even a music studio. If that's not enough, just take a look at the building (pictured above). Have you ever seen a more stunning hotel?
Also announced in January, the JW Marriott Hotel São Paulo will open in the second quarter of 2022, marking Marriott's first luxury hotel in the Brazilian city. Marriott Bonvoy hasn't yet announced what category the hotel will be, but when it opens guests can expect 258 rooms, a restaurant and bar, a spa with five treatment rooms, a swimming pool and a state-of-the-art fitness center.
In other news ...
- Pharrell is opening a new resort in the Bahamas
- The motor lodge is cool again
- Hilton just opened a Conrad in boho-chic Tulum
- Heated toilet seats are the best hotel amenity
- CitizenM hotels are opening up everywhere
And lastly, at the beginning of this year, I shared a list of the hotels we're most excited to see open in the first quarter of 2022. I hope this list of hotels from Austin to Prague and many places in between inspires your next trip.
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How we chose these cards
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Rewards
6X | 6x Marriott Bonvoy Points on each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy® program. |
4X | 4x points for purchases made at restaurants worldwide, at U.S. gas stations, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and on U.S. purchases for shipping. |
2X | 2x points on all other eligible purchases. |
Intro offer
Annual Fee
Recommended Credit
Why We Chose It
The Marriott Bonvoy Business Amex is a stacked card with a rewards rate that will help you earn bonus points on everyday and business-related purchases. You'll earn 15 elite night credits each calendar year, and receive automatic Gold elite status. Finally, the free night award certificate with a redemption level of 35,000 points or less can get you hundreds of dollars in potential value each year.Pros
- 6 points per dollar on eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program
- 4 points per dollar at restaurants worldwide, U.S. gas stations, wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and U.S. shipping
- 2 points per dollar on all other eligible purchases
- Earn a free-night award each card renewal month (up to 35,000 points)
- Receive 15 elite night credits to jump-start status
- Transfer Marriott points to 40+ airlines
Cons
- Airline points transfer ratios are poor
- Must spend $60,000 in a year for second free-night award
- Limited Time Offer: Earn 125,000 Bonus Marriott Bonvoy Points after you use your new Card to make $5,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of Card Membership. Offer ends 5/3/23.
- Receive a 7% discount off standard rates for reservations of standard guest rooms at hotels that participate in the Marriott Bonvoy program when you book directly. Terms and Conditions Apply.
- 6x Marriott Bonvoy Points on each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy® program.
- 4x points for purchases made at restaurants worldwide, at U.S. gas stations, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and on U.S. purchases for shipping.
- 2x points on all other eligible purchases.
- Receive 1 Free Night Award every year after your Card renewal month. Plus, earn an additional Free Night Award after you spend $60K in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Awards can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 35,000 Marriott Bonvoy® points) at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. Certain hotels have resort fees.
- Enjoy Complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite Status with your Card.
- Terms apply.
Rewards Rate
6X | 6x Marriott Bonvoy Points on each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy® program. |
4X | 4x points for purchases made at restaurants worldwide, at U.S. gas stations, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and on U.S. purchases for shipping. |
2X | 2x points on all other eligible purchases. |
Intro Offer
Limited Time Offer: Earn 125,000 Bonus Marriott Bonvoy Points after you use your new Card to make $5,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of Card Membership. Offer ends 5/3/23.Earn 125,000 points75,000 pointsAnnual Fee
$125Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO© Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.670-850Excellent/Good
Why We Chose It
The Marriott Bonvoy Business Amex is a stacked card with a rewards rate that will help you earn bonus points on everyday and business-related purchases. You'll earn 15 elite night credits each calendar year, and receive automatic Gold elite status. Finally, the free night award certificate with a redemption level of 35,000 points or less can get you hundreds of dollars in potential value each year.Pros
- 6 points per dollar on eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program
- 4 points per dollar at restaurants worldwide, U.S. gas stations, wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and U.S. shipping
- 2 points per dollar on all other eligible purchases
- Earn a free-night award each card renewal month (up to 35,000 points)
- Receive 15 elite night credits to jump-start status
- Transfer Marriott points to 40+ airlines
Cons
- Airline points transfer ratios are poor
- Must spend $60,000 in a year for second free-night award
- Limited Time Offer: Earn 125,000 Bonus Marriott Bonvoy Points after you use your new Card to make $5,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of Card Membership. Offer ends 5/3/23.
- Receive a 7% discount off standard rates for reservations of standard guest rooms at hotels that participate in the Marriott Bonvoy program when you book directly. Terms and Conditions Apply.
- 6x Marriott Bonvoy Points on each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy® program.
- 4x points for purchases made at restaurants worldwide, at U.S. gas stations, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and on U.S. purchases for shipping.
- 2x points on all other eligible purchases.
- Receive 1 Free Night Award every year after your Card renewal month. Plus, earn an additional Free Night Award after you spend $60K in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Awards can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 35,000 Marriott Bonvoy® points) at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. Certain hotels have resort fees.
- Enjoy Complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite Status with your Card.
- Terms apply.