Marriott International’s flagship brand, Marriott Hotels, announced plans to open the174-room Marriott Hotel in Santa Cruz de la Sierra in 2016, making it the first hotel in Bolivia for the company.

Sunset World Resorts & Vacation Experiences, with resort properties in Cancun and the Riviera Maya, Mexico, report a record average occupancy rate of 85 percent in 2013 among its six properties in the region.

Best Western is going full steam ahead in 2014 across Mexico and Central and South America, with 29 hotels in the 2014-15 pipeline. South America is proving to be the hottest area for hotel development due mostly to Brazil hosting both the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

The newly launched Generations Resort by Karisma will bring Generations Riviera Maya, an all-suite oceanfront resort, with rooms starting at 1,200 square feet.