IHG reports expanded Americas portfolio with strong Q1 development
IHG reports expanded Americas portfolio with strong Q1 development
https://hotelsmag.com/news/ihg-reports-expanded-americas-portfolio-with-strong-q1-development/?
IHG Hotels & Resorts recorded 24 hotel openings and added 65 hotels and nearly 6,000 rooms to its Americas development pipeline in the first quarter of 2026, with signings up more than 30 percent year-over-year.
The region delivered RevPAR growth across every chain scale and every IHG brand in Q1, driven by business and group travel demand alongside leisure performance. Growth was led by the U.S., with additional contributions from Central America, the Caribbean and Canada.
“Our new deal growth reflects the strength across our entire brand portfolio and the confidence owners have in IHG,” said Mark Sergot, Chief Development Officer, Americas, at IHG. “Pipeline additions were up more than 30 percent year-over-year in the first quarter, driven by continued demand for conversion opportunities and growth across key segments, including Suites and the Holiday Inn brand family.”
In the Essentials & Suites segment, the Holiday Inn brand family recorded 23 signings. Staybridge Suites, Candlewood Suites and Atwell Suites account for more than one-third of the region’s pipeline and combined for 22 signings in Q1, including Atwell Suites’ debut in Puerto Rico. Conversion brand Garner posted 14 signings and eight openings—including a Mexico debut—adding to nearly 200 open and pipeline hotels globally. Avid Hotels holds a pipeline of nearly 120 properties.
In the Premium segment, voco Hotels opened voco Times Square – Broadway and the brand’s first all-inclusive, voco Sandpiper in Port St. Lucie, Fla. The brand also made its Hawaii debut in Honolulu. Ruby made its U.S. arrival in Chicago.
Four luxury and lifestyle properties opened in Q1. Kimpton debuted Kimpton Era Midtown in New York City, Kimpton Miralina Resort & Villas in Scottsdale, Ariz., and Kimpton Mirador Pacific Grove Monterrey in Pacific Grove, Calif. Hotel Indigo Turks & Caicos Grace Bay marked IHG’s first branded property on that island. IHG also signed Six Senses Camp Korongo, a resort and residences in the Utah desert.
IHG’s Americas system includes more than 4,600 open hotels and a pipeline of nearly 1,100 properties.
This Is the Best Way to Visit This Dreamy Island Destination
Max/Unsplash
https://www.fodors.com/world/australia-and-the-pacific/fiji/experiences/news/where-to-stay-when-island-hopping-in-fiji
The key to visiting Fiji? Island hopping.
Welcome to Fiji, a South Pacific nation made up of 333 islands, where visitors are joyfully greeted with “bula.” It’s a word that means hello, welcome, cheers, good health, life, and one that perfectly encapsulates the hospitality found in this corner of the world. After a long-haul flight, snap into island mode and sync up with Fiji time. Here, on the islands, your days begin languidly, waking up in an idyllic overwater bure, a traditional Fijian bungalow, and progress unexpectedly. You could take part in a cultural kava ritual, witness a mesmerizing fire show, or spend the afternoon snorkeling and observing a colorful underwater world.
The Mamanuca Islands
Get whisked away by boat or by helicopter to a tropical island in the Mamanucas to The Sheraton Resort & Spa Tokoriki Island. The Mamanuca Islands are a volcanic archipelago that rests west of Nadi and are famous for their white-sand beaches. Having served as the backdrop for such television shows and movies as “Cast Away” and “Survivor,” checking into The Sheraton Resort & Spa Tokoriki Island means stepping ashore into your own beachfront bure, where you’ll enjoy endless views of turquoise-blue waters.
Whether you opt to swim among the fish while snorkeling amongst coral reefs or zoom around the island by jet ski, you can take each day at your own pace. Hike to Hideaway Beach and return to a seashell massage, similar to a hot stone massage but with smooth seashells and warm coconut oil. The hotel can even organize a special experience, such as cocktails on a helipad at sunset.
The Mainland
On the mainland, Fiji Marriott Resort Momi Bay is home to adults-only overwater bures—the only ones on the island—with stairs for direct access to the lagoon. If overwater sleeping isn’t your style, you can opt for a land-based room with ocean or lagoon views instead. Spend your days in your swimsuit at one of the pools or take a dip in the lagoon. Learn Fijian recipes in a hands-on cooking class, or give back to the local community.
Give back to the community and the environment by signing up for sustainable activities such as mangrove planting, coral planting, and building a fish house. For a special occasion, the hotel can organize a private breakfast picnic with a view. Find time to venture offsite to tour a local Fijian village where you’ll drink kava and connect with Fijian culture through song and dance.
Sheraton Resort & Spa Tokoriki Island FijiValerie Buvat de Virginy Espinoza
Denaru Island
Less than 30 minutes from the international airport in Nadi, you’ll find another gem, The Sheraton Fiji Golf & Beach Resort on Denarau Island. Here, you can unwind in your stylish guest room or book an entire villa for your friends and family next door at Sheraton Denarau Villas.
If golf is your sport of choice, this is the resort for you. Spend your afternoons golfing at the 18-hole championship golf course, with paradise serving as your backdrop. Cap off a round of golf with a glass of crisp wine at Cellar & Barrel, where over 300 curated wines, whiskeys, and spirits are available to choose from. Visit the adult or family pool, tour the farm, and enjoy the sister spa at The Westin Fiji Golf Resort & Spa. And, whatever you do, don’t miss the best show of all: Mother Nature’s dramatic sunset show alongside an equally breathtaking fire show.
Getting There
For as far-flung as Fiji is, getting there is easier than you might think. Fiji Airways has four nonstop routes from the United States—direct from San Francisco, Los Angeles, Honolulu, and Dallas. From Los Angeles, for example, it’s about an 11-hour journey, making this destination more accessible.
No matter where your adventures may take you, I hope they take you to Fiji.
This Quiet Stretch of the Dominican Republic Is Home to Its Best-Kept Resort Secret
Courtesy of Zemi Miches
https://www.fodors.com/world/caribbean/dominican-republic/experiences/news/i-was-skeptical-of-all-inclusivesuntil-this-dominican-hideaway-changed-my-mind
I dreaded all-inclusives, then this under-the-radar Dominican resort made me never want to leave.
Between their unlimited cocktails, winding buffet lines, and the quiet fear that you’ve accidentally signed up for a fancy adult summer camp, I’ve always been a little suspicious of all-inclusive resorts. So, when I arrived at Zemi Miches, an all-inclusive resort nestled in the Dominican Republic, I admittedly arrived armed with mild skepticism, a skepticism that soon morphed into a feeling of not wanting to ever check out.
Tucked along the quiet Playa Esmeralda coastline, about 90 minutes from Punta Cana, Zemi Miches feels intentionally off-grid, surrounded by lush greenery, ocean views, and pools that wind around towering palms as if designed by nature first and architects second. My first night at the resort set the tone: sunset cocktails, Thai-inspired flavors at Boba, live music drifting through the warm Caribbean air, and suddenly, that all-inclusive experience I’d dreaded began to feel less like a package deal and more like stepping into the island’s natural rhythm.
My mornings at Zemi Miches started languidly, as most island vacations should, with the day beginning at Royal Palm—the resort’s vintage-inspired rooftop overlooking Playa Esmerelda–followed by admiring the resort’s thoughtful Taíno-inspired design and décor before disappearing into the cave-like Acana Spa, built around a tranquil water sanctuary reminiscent of a natural cenote. This is where the “wait, this is actually included?” thoughts began to set in as I discovered the resort’s four pools, full waterpark, padel courts, fitness classes, non-motorized water sports, arcade, bowling alley, escape room, laser tag, kids and teens clubs, and over ten restaurants and bars serving everything from Caribbean to Italian with 24 hour room service and daily refreshed minibars.
Somewhere between swimming in the ocean, enjoying cultural workshops, stepping into late-night speakeasies, and confections appearing in my room each night, like magic, I realized that the best all-inclusives aren’t about excess; they’re about place.
Zemi Miches leans into the Dominican Republic’s local culture, nature, and island energy, turning a quiet stretch of coastline into the kind of under-the-radar escape you’ll want to experience before everyone else discovers it.
Midair Mayhem as Passenger Bites Crew Member
Ozkan Guner/Unsplash
https://www.fodors.com/news/photos/midair-mayhem-as-passenger-bites-crew-member
And other travel news you may have missed.
This week in travel, we have several stories that may have flown under your radar. Among them: five divers from Italy lost their lives in the Maldives; a tourist from New Zealand swam in the Trevi Fountain in Rome; another New Zealand traveler was banned by Qantas for causing disruption on a long-haul flight; and, in Japan, two Americans were detained after one climbed a fence to enter Punch the monkey’s enclosure.
Dive into these and more as we examine the latest in travel news.
1 OF 5
Japan Detains Americans After Entering Punch the Monkey’s Enclosure
Police in Ichikawa have detained two Americans after one of them climbed over a fence to enter baby macaque Punch’s enclosure while the other filmed the incident. They were arrested on charges of obstructing the zoo’s operations, but have denied the charges.
Punch is an internet sensation; the monkey went viral earlier this year after his mom abandoned him and he latched onto an orangutan toy.
The two men have been identified as 24-year-old student Reid Jahnai Daysun, who climbed the fence, and 27-year-old singer Neal Jabahri Duan, who filmed his companion’s stunt. Videos show a person wearing an emoji head climbing the fence and descending into the enclosure. The space is also home to 40 other macaques, who ran away from the person before zoo officials escorted him away.
The Ichikawa Zoo apologized for the incident and said no abnormalities were observed in the animals.
2 OF 5
Passenger Put on No-Fly List for Allegedly Biting Flight Attendant
Australian carrier Qantas banned a passenger for life after he allegedly bit a flight attendant and caused an emergency landing. The flight was en route to Dallas from Melbourne when the passenger became disruptive. About seven hours in, it was diverted to Tahiti in French Polynesia, where authorities met the plane. After refueling, the flight continued to its destination 35 minutes later.
The man has not been identified, but he was from New Zealand. According to a video uploaded by comedian Mike Goldstein, the passenger had a heated exchange with a flight attendant and appeared to be intoxicated. The biting was not captured.
3 OF 5
Royal Pop Pocket Watch Frenzy Closes Stores Around the World
Several Swatch stores closed this weekend over safety concerns after a pocket watch release caused a frenzy among buyers. The Swiss watchmaker collaborated with luxury manufacturer Audemars Piguet for a pocket watch priced at $400-$420. Crowds lined up hours in advance at stores worldwide, prompting Swatch to close 30 locations, including in New York, Atlanta, Toronto, Paris, London, and Dubai.
The watch company said on its website that people shouldn’t rush to stores and that the collection will be available for several months. “In some countries/regions, queues of more than 50 people cannot be accepted, and sales may need to be paused.”
People waited in line for hours to get the watch, and it is already being sold on eBay for several times the price. It is not a limited-edition collection, so the chaos felt unwarranted.
4 OF 5
A Tourist Dives Into Trevi Fountain
It has started again: badly behaved tourists are distressing locals even before summer begins. A tourist from New Zealand was recorded diving into the historic Trevi Fountain in Rome. He jumped in fully clothed and did laps in the 18th-century Baroque fountain, ignoring officers’ demands to get out. The 30-year-old was fined €500 ($580) and banned from the monument for life.
PHOTO: Rachael Levitt
5 OF 5
Five Italians Die While Diving in the Maldives
Last week, five divers from Italy lost their lives while diving in the caves of the Vaavu Atoll in the Maldives. One body was found at the entrance of the cave on Thursday, while four others were located in the deepest part of the caves on Monday. A senior military search diver, Mohamed Mahudhee, also died from decompression sickness while trying to recover the bodies.
Those lost include marine scientist Monica Montefalcone and her daughter Giorgia Sommacal, a research fellow Muriel Oddenino, marine biologist Federico Gualtieri, and diving instructor Gianluca Benedetti. They were on an expedition on the Duke of York luxury vessel, carrying other passengers who did not participate in the dive.
The caves the group was exploring are 50 meters deep (164 feet)—equivalent to a 16-story building submerged underwater. However, Maldivian regulations prohibit recreational diving below 30 meters (98 feet). Going beyond that threshold requires special equipment, which the group was not carrying. The Maldives suspended the vessel’s license, and an investigation is ongoing.
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