The Americas
Hyatt completes $2 billion sale of Playa’s owned real estate portfolio to Tortuga
Hyatt Hotels Corporation announced that it has closed its sale of the real estate portfolio, that was previously owned by Playa Hotels and Resorts, to Tortuga Resorts. The latter company is a premier real estate and asset management platform that focuses on luxury beachfront hospitality across Mexico and the Caribbean. With a total sale price of $2 billion, the portfolio originally involved 15 all-inclusive properties across Mexico, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic. Hyatt previously disclosed that it had sold one of the properties to a different third-party buyer for $22 million in September 2025. Hyatt and Tortuga have also entered into 50-year management agreements for 13 of the 14 properties. “The completion of this transaction marks a defining moment, establishing Tortuga as a scaled, leading platform in luxury beachfront hospitality across Mexico and the Caribbean,” said Leo Schlesinger, CEO of Tortuga.
USA’s Washington DC restaurant industry faced record closures in 2025
The past year for Washington DC’s restaurant industry has been challenging, with the district seeing 92 restaurant closures as government shutdown and tourism decline take toll. The new data exceeds 73 closures in 2024, according to the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington (RAMW). These figures mark a three-year high, as closure of full- and limited-service establishments almost doubled since 2022, in which 48 closures were reported. Mid-priced restaurants received the biggest hit in sales, visits and profits, while premium dining grew share. “Restaurants that middle-class families have long depended on are disappearing,” RAMW chief executive officer and president Shawn Townsend said in a statement. “Policies working against affordability are falling hardest on neighborhood restaurants that serve neighborhood families.”
Asia Pacific
Radisson Hotel Group reinvents iconic Bangkok landmark with new hotel
Radisson Hotel Group has unveiled its Radisson Hotel Chateau de Bangkok, revitalising one of the city’s most iconic landmarks. The 178-room hotel contains three dining locations and event spaces for guests to enjoy in the Ploen Chit district. The iconic property, the Chateau de Bangkok, in Soi Ruamrudee has been thoughtfully redesigned under the Radisson brand to meet customer needs while retaining its timeless, original character. Tim Cordon, Chief Operating Officer, Middle East, Africa, and Southeast Asia Pacific, Radisson Hotel Group, says: “Thailand is one of our key markets in Southeast Asia, and we are delighted to strengthen our portfolio with the opening of Radisson Hotel Chateau de Bangkok. This property has a special legacy in the city, and its reintroduction under the Radisson brand reflects both our growth ambitions and our commitment to creating memorable stays for our guests.”
McDonald’s unveils new restaurant in China
A new McDonald’s restaurant will be opened at Tianzi Square along the Pearl River in Guangzhou in China. In collaboration with Amsterdam-based design company, Spatial Design at FutureBrand (formerly UXUS), the design is said to be inspired by ‘water ripples, the fluid façade employs gradient perforated aluminum panels with integrated lighting, creating a dynamic and shimmering effect that shifts with daylight and night views, echoing reflections along the riverfront’, says McDonald’s China. The architecture aims to reflect the historic Tianzi Wharf across the river, inviting customers to connect with the historical and contemporary landscape. This opening reflects the operator’s continued expansion in China, with the goal to reach 10,000 restaurants by 2028, from over 6,000 in 2024, and opening nearly half of its global new stores there in 2025.
Europe, Middle East, Africa
Saudi Arabia takes top spot as favoured location in Hilton’s 2026 strategy
Hilton is set to open 26 hotels in 2026 across the Middle East, Europe, Asia Pacific and the Americas, with Saudi Arabia emerging as the key focus, highlighting its role in Hilton’s 2026 strategy. Openings will include new and relaunched properties across its lifestyle, luxury and premium economy segments over the next year. In Riyadh, Conrad Riyadh Laysen Valley will mark the brand’s debut in the Saudi capital. The 170-room hotel will be located in a key business district. Hilton currently operates 16 hotels in Saudi Arabia with plans to open over 50 new hotels across 10 of its brands, making the country the company’s largest pipeline market in the EMEA region, says Hilton.
World’s largest restaurant group drops 2026 food trends report
Yum! Brands, the world’s largest restaurant group, has kicked off the new year with its 2026 Food Trends Report, crafted by Collider Lab. Commenting on the report and its impact on European hospitality operations, leading event The European Foodservice Summit highlights solo dining, self-care and food as self-expression among key consumer behaviours around food. The report dives into the facts and figures shaping these trends such as the ‘me-me-me economy’, ‘choice therapy’ and ‘vibe-mathing’, which are set to drive how and what consumers will eat in 2026. The insights, which are based on custom studies, social listening, expert collaboration and cultural analysis, highlight how the rise of emotional economics and the new rituals of control are redefining how consumers seek value, connection and joy through food.
Lauren Hurrell
