Marriott in Joshua Tree, Four Seasons in Venice, Plus Loyalty Shakeups, and Other Hotel News

A busy week of hotel news ran from a design-forward desert retreat near Joshua Tree to the 200-year-old Hotel Danieli in Venice, now flying a Four Seasons flag.

On the development side, Marriott signed a large deal in Egypt, while the bigger themes came from Marriott, Hilton, and IHG each reworking what a hotel stay costs and looks like.

Here’s a look at the hotel industry news you may have missed.

Hotel Openings

RESET Hotel, Outdoor Collection by Marriott Bonvoy — Joshua Tree

Marriott’s Outdoor Collection welcomed its first new brand since launching in September 2025: RESET Hotel in Twentynine Palms, California.

The 65-room property sits on 180 acres of high desert, minutes from the north entrance of Joshua Tree National Park, and it’s the first hotel built from the ground up in the town in more than 15 years. Every room has a private patio with a Solo Stove fire pit, daybeds, and a stargazing platform, and the hotel runs telescope-led astronomy programming under some of Southern California’s darkest skies. Guests also get a saltwater pool, jacuzzi, sauna, cold plunge, and a desert preserve to explore.

Rooms start at $158 or 53,000 Marriott Bonvoy points in the low season.

Danieli, a Four Seasons Hotel — Venice

As first announced in January, Four Seasons opened the Danieli in Venice on July 30, converting the former Marriott Luxury Collection hotel, which has operated as Venice’s oldest property for 200 years. Spread across 3 buildings from the 14th and 19th centuries near St. Mark’s Square, it will grow from 120 to 176 keys by 2027. Amenities include the rooftop Restaurant Terrazza Danieli, the lobby’s Bar Dandolo, and a spa with a sauna and hammam.

Rooms start around $2,700 per night.

Upcoming Hotels

Marriott Adding 9 Hotels in Egypt

Marriott signed an agreement with Misr Italia Properties and People & Places to develop 9 hotels and branded residences across Egypt for over 1,500 keys. The deal spans coastal and urban destinations, with Ritz-Carlton, Luxury Collection, and Autograph Collection projects on the North Coast at Ras El Hekma, in West and East Cairo, and at Ain Sokhna on the Red Sea.

Hotel Industry News

Marriott Builds an Airline-Style Upsell Engine

Marriott is rebuilding its reservation and loyalty systems on an Amadeus platform that sells rooms the way airlines sell seats. CEO Anthony Capuano told the Wall Street Journal the new system lets hotels merchandise individual room attributes — floor, view, bed type, distance from the elevator — alongside early check-in, spa, golf, and dining as paid additions.

For elite members, upsold rooms aren’t available as complimentary upgrades. Some members are already being asked to bid for suites they’d otherwise receive for free.

Hilton Cuts Fees for Owners, but…

On Hilton‘s earnings call, CEO Chris Nassetta said the company is cutting some fees franchisees pay to help rebuild margins that have been squeezed by 2 years of soft rate growth and rising costs. A global loyalty-program fee cut took effect in January, and a newer program called RISE discounts fees for hotels that score well on guest experience.

However, profit must come from somewhere, and customers may see higher prices.

IHG Launches AI Conversational Search

IHG started a U.S. beta of AI-powered conversational search on IHG.com and the IHG One Rewards app. Guests can describe a trip in plain language and get tailored recommendations with interactive maps, real-time availability, and pricing in cash, points, or a mix. It follows IHG’s recent ChatGPT app launch, with more personalized search and agentic booking on the roadmap.

Hyatt Audits Leverage Accounts

Hyatt has begun emailing members of its Leverage program — which gives small- and mid-sized businesses 5% to 15% off rates — to confirm their companies are legally organized entities, requesting tax IDs, business addresses, employee counts, and top travel destinations. It’s a verification step that the program arguably should have required back when it launched in 2018.

Final Thoughts

It was a week of contrasts: distinctive openings in the high desert and on the Venetian waterfront, a sizable Egypt pipeline, and 3 of the largest chains each rewiring the economics of a stay — Marriott toward more paid extras, Hilton toward lower owner fees, and IHG toward AI.

We’ll be watching what happens with Marriott, as it could reveal what elite status is actually worth.