Hilton Hotels Corp. has signed a $1.1 billion deal to sell its Scandic Hotels brand, a midsize market chain of properties located in Northern Europe that Hilton acquired last year. Hilton said it expects to the complete the sale in April, with the proceeds going to pay down debt.
Spanish hotel company Sol Melia celebrated its fiftieth anniversary in 2006 with a 7.9 percent increase in revenues, a 13.2 percent increase in EBITDA, and an increase in net profits of 51.2 percent.
Barcelo Hotels & Resorts announced the addition of a fifth luxury hotel at its upscale all-inclusive Barcelo Maya Beach Resort in Mexico. The newest addition at the Resort, the Barcelo Maya Palace Hotel, will open at the end of 2007 and will be an all-suite property with 756 junior guest suites.
Belize’s newest resort, the Ka’ana Boutique Resort & Spa in the Maya Mountains, located about 90 minutes west of Belize City near San Ignacio, will open its doors on March 17.
Marriott Vacation Club International opened the first phase of the Marriott Frenchman’s Cove, its first timeshare resort on St. Thomas.
Hotel occupancy in the tourism zone of Costa Norte (North Coast) during this winter season registers close to one hundred percent, especially by foreign tourists from Canada, the United States, England, France and Germany visiting the Dominican Republic.