IHG’s Garner Hotels makes Greater China debut
IHG’s Garner Hotels makes Greater China debut
https://hotelsmag.com/news/ihgs-garner-hotels-makes-greater-china-debut/?
IHG Hotels & Resorts has announced the debut of Garner Hotels in Greater China. The midscale to upper-midscale brand operates on a conversion-friendly model, allowing owners to adapt existing properties with light, medium, or heavy renovation options.
Since its global launch in 2023, Garner has expanded to more than 100 hotels worldwide. Its entry into Greater China represents the next phase of the brand’s global expansion. The first property in the region, Garner Beijing 798 Art District, is now open. Additional signings have been confirmed in Shanghai Lujiazui, Chongqing Jiefangbei, and Hangzhou West Lake.
“Having maintained a long-standing presence in Greater China, we have observed the industry enter a more refined stage of development,” said Daniel Aylmer, CEO of IHG Greater China. “The introduction of Garner hotels to the region demonstrates our deep commitment to this market and reflects how we are responding to the growing demand for conversions. Garner strengthens our portfolio in the conversion market, complementing our luxury and lifestyle brand, Vignette Collection, and our premium brand, voco, to offer a broader set of solutions across different markets and project types. Its high adaptability and flexible conversion model enable a strong balance between investment efficiency and guest experience. We look forward to supporting owners in building more resilient and sustainable investment models while contributing to the high-quality growth of the hospitality sector in Greater China.”
Each Garner property connects to IHG’s global platform, including access to more than 160 million IHG One Rewards members, along with its distribution network, revenue management systems, and digital marketing capabilities.
Guest experience at Garner properties is built around three pillars: flexible scheduling with extended breakfast hours and 24-hour delivery services; self-serve beverage stations and varied breakfast options; and interactive guest touchpoints, including welcome treats and community voting.
Worried Americans Are Trying to Move to Canada
Igor Kyryliuk & Tetiana Kravchenko on Unsplash
https://www.fodors.com/world/north-america/canada/experiences/news/worried-americans-are-trying-to-move-to-canada
Last year, Canada opened an avenue for Americans to claim citizenship.
In every presidential election, some Americans claim they will move to Canada if a leader they don’t agree with is elected. Now, that idea has suddenly become more realistic for some disenchanted with the current president. More Americans are trying to obtain Canadian citizenship—some for political reasons and others as a backup plan.
Last year, Canada opened a new avenue for Americans to claim citizenship. Until recently, the country allowed citizenship to be passed only to the first generation of someone born outside Canada. As an American, if you had parents who were born in Canada, you could obtain citizenship, too—but your children could not. That rule changed last year, creating a new pathway for Americans with Canadian ancestors.
The change dates back to 2023, when the Ontario Supreme Court ruled that the first-generation limit was unconstitutional. On Dec. 15, 2025, Bill C-3, An Act to Amend the Citizenship Act (2025), took effect, abolishing the limit. Canada is now retroactively granting citizenship to anyone born before Dec. 15, 2025, if they have direct Canadian ancestry.
Second-generation Americans with Canadian parents have automatically become citizens. They can apply for proof of Canadian citizenship—though the process may take months—and obtain a Canadian passport. “This rule also applies to you if you were born to someone who became Canadian because of these rule changes,” the website clarifies. This means that if you have an ancestor who was born in Canada, you may also be able to claim citizenship. Women who married Americans once lost their Canadian citizenship because of outdated rules, and their descendants may now be eligible.
What’s fortunate for Americans is that there is no limit to how far back you can go to prove a generation lived in Canada, as long as you can document it. Additionally, Canada maintains extensive historical records, which are now being inundated with requests.
Surge in Demand
CBC reported that the Bibliothèque et Archives Nationales du Québec, which holds official documents dating from 1621 to 1900, has seen an uptick in inquiries from Americans. CNN interviewed several people who have applied after facing stressful situations in the U.S., driven by political and economic concerns. Ellen Robillard, whose mother was born in Nova Scotia, told the outlet she is gathering documents for herself and her son, who has now become eligible. “If things start deteriorating here with our economy, I know that I can just get in the car and go. It’s an option anyway.”
Others may be looking to immigrate because of the political climate in the U.S. The country has introduced strict policies on immigration and has rolled back protections related to LGBTQ+ rights and women’s health care. According to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, the current processing time is about 10 months, and nearly 51,000 people are waiting for a decision.
America’s Canadian Roots
Not everyone searching for documents is looking to leave because of current U.S. government policies. Some Americans descended from Canadians who emigrated during the Great Hemorrhage of Quebec feel a stronger connection to their French roots and are rediscovering their heritage.
About 1 million Canadians from Quebec moved to the U.S.—particularly New England—between 1865 and 1930. Their reasons were largely economic: there were more opportunities and higher wages across the border. French Canadians worked in textile mills and formed “Little Canadas” across the region. Their children were educated in French-language schools and spoke French at home. Today, some descendants are reconnecting with their ancestors’ homeland and learning more about their history.
The process of obtaining proof of citizenship can be complicated. Name changes, old records, appointments and phone calls make it time-consuming to locate birth records or marriage certificates. With the surge in demand for records and citizenship claims, wait times may stretch even longer.
Meanwhile, a Facebook group called Canadian Citizenship by Descent (Bill C-3) has emerged to help people navigate the bureaucracy. The group currently has about 12,400 members and includes posts asking for clarification on required documents and sharing archival resources.
Americans are not the only ones seeking alternatives. Around the world, people are researching connections to other countries and trying to secure second passports, particularly if they qualify for dual citizenship. Many say the decision is driven by a desire for greater mobility or a sense of security in an increasingly polarized world.
Meanwhile, immigration to the U.S. has slowed in nearly every metro area and is expected to continue declining.
Hotel investors remain interested in Europe but seek operational improvements
Mediterranean resort markets still viewed as safe
From left: GIC's Coley Brenan, Fattal Group's David Fattal, Blackstone's Peter Werhahn, Brookfield Asset Management's Lauren Okada Young and JLL's William Duffey speak at the 2026 International Hospitality Investment Forum EMEA in Berlin. (IHIF EMEA, Simon Callaghan Photography)
https://www.costar.com/article/1562405087/hotel-investors-remain-interested-in-europe-but-seek-operational-improvements
BERLIN — Supply-demand dynamics for travel to Europe have been strong since the COVID-induced travel pauses earlier in the decade, and investors say that continues to drive capital to European hotels.
Speaking during the "Capital talks" session at the International Hospitality Investment Forum EMEA, Lauren Okada Young, managing director at Brookfield Asset Management's real estate group, said hotel investment appetite remains strong.
"We continue to see a lot of support for our investments in European hospitality because of the supply and demand fundamentals," she said. "We see very supply-constrained markets and diversified demand drivers across the space."
One thing that is changing, though, is an increasing appetite for investing in operating platforms in order to have greater influence over the performance of hotels, she said.
"A lot of what we've done is investing in operating businesses and trying to scale them to create a meaningful component of our return," she said.
Peter Werhahn, managing director of Blackstone's London-based real estate group, agreed and noted that Mediterranean resorts continue to be viewed as safe bets for global investors.
"Europe is a pretty unique place, and that's why it's really become a magnet" for travelers and investors, he said. "We try to follow these sorts of themes by doubling down on leisure and investing in experiences."
One thing that has expanded somewhat is the profile of investment groups looking to get into hospitality across Europe, and Werhahn noted Blackstone has seen more family offices and high-net-worth individuals backing their investments in the sector.
"That's been, from a firm perspective, a big growth area," he said.
Coley Brenan, hospitality advisor for Singapore sovereign wealth fund GIC, agreed that focusing in on the operational side of the business makes a big difference on how well European hotel investments perform.
"I think one of the things that's different today than a year ago in terms of the types of questions we're navigating really comes back to ... the operational real estate elements that are differentiated and really understanding those levers," he said. "And it's not just rooms, so the businesses have those diverse revenue streams and [you have to think] through where the exposure is different from the fundamental macro pieces."
Picking the right partners at the outset is key, he added.
"It's all about the operators," Brenan said. "It's about backing the right leadership teams and the right concepts."
David Fattal, founder and CEO of Fattal Group, said elevating hotel investments through strong operations is core to how his business thrives. He noted Fattal Group strives for a balance of a third of its hotel portfolio owned, a third under management agreements and a third leased.
"We think we are experts in hotels. We only do hotels, and we only do Europe," he said. "So we are very focused."
He noted for each asset "the major thing is to run the operation successfully."
"The major key is improving the results, finding the potential and improving the results," Fattal said.
Werhahn noted there's an important balance to be struck as an investor where you're active in asset management but not "second-guessing our management teams."
"They're clearly experts in the field, but oftentimes it's just being someone to bounce ideas off of," he said. "It's us bringing a new perspective from" other asset classes.
Okada Young said success in managing hotels begins with selecting the "right assets of the right quality in the right location" and continues with selecting the right operating partners, then giving them the platform to succeed.
"If I look back at all the investments that we've made over the last few years that have tended to be more successful, they're where we've been working hand in hand with our operating partner or management team to pivot our strategy and react to change proactively and very quickly," she said.
Texas billionaire buys outstanding loans tied to historic West Virginia resort
The Greenbrier now owned under the Omni Hotels & Resorts umbrella
The Greenbrier is a luxury resort in West Virginia. Dallas-based TRT Holdings, the parent company of Omni Hotels & Resorts, bought the outstanding loans for the property. (Bobak Ha'Eri/Wikimedia Commons)
https://www.costar.com/article/2102940606/texas-billionaire-buys-outstanding-loans-tied-to-historic-west-virginia-resort
Texas billionaire Robert Rowling, who leads Omni Hotels & Resorts parent company TRT Holdings, purchased the outstanding debt on a historic luxury resort in West Virginia once owned by U.S. Sen. Jim Justice and his family businesses.
Rowling, who founded TRT Holdings in 1989, has significantly expanded the Omni Hotels & Resorts brand since buying the company in 1996. The upscale hotel chain has over 50 hotels in its portfolio spanning the United States and Canada.
Now, those holdings are growing with The Greenbrier, a luxury hotel and resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia.
Carter Bank & Trust completed the sale of all loans totaling more than $200 million tied to entities in which Justice has an interest, including one for The Greenbrier, according to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission from the bank in late March.
Carter Bank was one of the lenders when Justice bought The Greenbrier in 2009. The Greenbrier is located about two hours southeast of Charleston, West Virginia, and about three hours west of Richmond, Virginia. It is one of the nation's oldest hotels and a National Historic Landmark. The site has hosted visitors since the 18th century.
Carter Bank sold the loans to an unaffiliated third party, the filing said. But public records and a spokesperson for TRT Holdings confirm the company was the buyer.
According to Greenbrier County records, an entity called White Sulphur Springs Holdings LLC, a limited liability company that shares an address with TRT Holdings at 4001 Maple Ave., Suite 600, in Dallas, purchased the debt from Carter Bank. The acquisition of the first-lien loan was signed by Michael G. Smith, TRT Holdings' executive vice president of real estate and development.
In a statement emailed to CoStar News, a TRT Holdings spokesperson said, "A subsidiary of TRT Holdings acquired the first-lien debt on The Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. This transaction was made as part of TRT Holdings’ broader business of investing across a diverse portfolio of assets," the spokesperson added. "This is an investment, and any future plans will be guided by its performance.”
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