Hyatt announces Master Franchise Agreement to debut Hyatt Select in the Chinese Mainland, Middle East conflict has tested the Maldives and more...

Hyatt announces Master Franchise Agreement to debut Hyatt Select in the Chinese Mainland
Friday, 15th May 2026

Hyatt Hotels Corporation announced that a strategic master franchise agreement with Huanyue International, a subsidiary of Dossen Group, a leading hotel operator in China, to exclusively develop and operate hotels for the Hyatt Select brand in the Chinese Mainland.

This collaboration combines Hyatt’s global brand recognition with Dossen Group’s extensive local footprint and operational strength, marking a significant expansion of Hyatt’s portfolio in the region >>

The Middle East conflict has tested the Maldives market
15 May 2026 : The conflict is driving diesel and jet fuel costs to record highs and pulling arrivals down 24% YoY since the crisis >>

APEC hotel pipeline climbs to 2,387 projects in Q1
15 May 2026 : The Asia Pacific, excluding China (APEC), hotel construction pipeline reached a record-high project count at the close of Q1 2026, the pipeline grew to 2,387 projects and 442,973 rooms, up 15% by projects and 9% by rooms year-over-year (YOY) >>

Navigating transport in unfamiliar places is Southeast Asia’s biggest business travel stressor
14 May 2026 : Nine in 10 business travellers (93%) desire a single, unified platform to manage ground transportation and meal-related expenses across Southeast Asia >>

Kempinski acquires the Augustine Hotel Prague
14 May 2026 : First Acquisition in over 50 years marks a key milestone in the company’s asset heavier business evolution >>

HIGHLIGHT ARTICLE

Is Uber Expanding Into Hotel Bookings Good or Bad for the Industry?
Friday, 15th May 2026

Uber users in the US will have access to a wide selection of hotels, an offering which will grow overtime to the full to 700k+ properties on the Expedia platform >>

The Illusion of Acquisition: The Luxury Hotel Industry’s Biggest Lie
Every luxury hotel in the world has a marketing budget, most have a director of marketing, a digital agency, a CRM platform, a loyalty program, and a content strategy >>

In case you've missed it: Global eNewsletter of May 13, 2025
Travel accelerates after effective recovery, sector’s proven resilience after a crisis, Singapore launches AI-Powered Robodog guides and more >>