The Americas
Marriott signs record 94 hotel deals in the Caribbean and Latin America
Marriott International signed 94 hotel deals in the Caribbean and Latin America region during 2025, representing 10,461 rooms. This marks a 40% increase in signed transactions compared to 2024, according to a press release. The company added 39 properties, totalling 4,292 rooms, to its portfolio in 2025. By year-end 2025, Marriott’s regional footprint included 555 open properties with more than 95,000 rooms across 37 countries and territories. Notable openings for 2025 included Nekajui, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve in Costa Rica, and Siari, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve in Mexico.
Hilton opens $185m lifestyle Curio Collection hotel in San Antonio
The 200-room, 17-story Monarch San Antonio hotel in Texas, part of the Curio Collection by Hilton, “marks a new chapter for the city’s hotel landscape,” according to a press release. Construction began in fall 2023 and has been “more than a decade in the making.” The property is in the 40-acre Hemisfair district near attractions such as the River Walk and Alamo. Owned and operated by San Antonio-based Zachry Hospitality, whose family has longtime ties to the city, the hotel occupies the former site of the 1968 World’s Fair and “carries deep significance,” representing an “investment in downtown’s continued evolution,” said Rick Slutter, managing director of Zachry Hospitality.
Europe, Africa and the Middle East
Greggs takes the top spot for the UK’s leading food-to-go brand
Greggs has announced its 2025 Preliminary Results, reporting total sales up 6.8% to £2.15bn and like-for-like sales in company-managed shops up 2.4%. These increases were reported amid challenging market conditions and helped Greggs retain its position as the UK’s leading food-to-go brand, according to YouGov’s Brand Index, December 2025. Throughout the year, Greggs opened a net 121 new shops, expanding its estate to 2,739 locations. The company also trialed the new Bitesize Greggs format, expanded delivery and loyalty via the Greggs App, and extended its Bake-at-Home range through Tesco and Iceland.
EU agrees on ban for plant-based food names
Negotiations among the European Commission, the European Parliament, and the Council of the European Union have changed how plant-based alternatives can be described across the EU. While some familiar plant-based food terms such as ‘burger’, ‘sausage’, and ‘nuggets’ remain protected, the Vegetarian Society is disappointed by the ban on many other terms typically associated with meat. Despite widespread opposition and interventions from groups and campaigners, including Sir Paul McCartney, the agreement will impose significant restrictions on plant-based food labels and is expected to extend to emerging novel foods, including cellular agriculture products not yet widely available in the EU.
Asia Pacific
Deliveroo and Menulog exits signal food delivery consolidation in Singapore
Deliveroo’s exit in Singapore highlights that global food delivery platforms are narrowing their operational footprints. According to a report by Momentum Works, DoorDash has begun winding down its operations in Deliveroo and Wolt in multiple countries, including Qatar, Singapore, Japan, and Uzbekistan. DoorDash completed its acquisition of Deliveroo in 2025, following its 2022 acquisition of Wolt. Deliveroo’s market share in Singapore declined steadily, dropping from 24% in 2020 to 7% in 2025. Regionally, similar challenges affect smaller operators, while in Australia, Menulog is exiting after 20 years. This leaves Uber Eats and DoorDash as dominant players, showing that dense, logistics-heavy markets favor platforms with operational scale and local networks.
Hong Kong to host Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants for the first time
This year’s celebration of the region’s culinary talent will transform Hong Kong as it hosts Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants for the very first time. The lead-up to the ceremony, taking place on 25 March 2026, will transform the city, peppering it with dining experiences, chef collaborations and cross-cultural food events, to welcome and celebrate culinary talent from Asia for the program of exclusive menus, one-off events and more, to showcase Hong Kong’s dynamic food influence. Chefs from Ando in Hong Kong, Logy in Taipei, Florilège in Tokyo, Ta Vie in Hong Kong, and Le Du in Bangkok will come together in exclusive events, offering diners a rare opportunity to experience inventive and meticulously crafted dishes from multiple cities across the region.
Lauren Hurrell
