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Veranda Resort Phuket, Florida Hilton Resort Gets a Makeover, and Other Hotel News From This Week

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Victoria M. Walker
Updated: 
Edited by: Ryan Smith
Veranda Resort Phuket, Florida Hilton Resort Gets a Makeover, and Other Hotel News From This Week
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It was another busy week in the hotel industry, with new hotels opening or being announced worldwide. Luckily, we’re here to get you up to speed with everything you missed.

Read below for our round-up of the most exciting hotel news you might have missed this week.

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Hotel Openings

Veranda Resort Phuket, Autograph Collection, Thailand

Veranda Resort Phuket, Autograph Collection is the newest high-end Marriott resort to open in Thailand. The hotel offers 159 guest rooms, suites, and pool villas set against the backdrop of Cape Panwa on Phuket’s east coast.

Veranda Resort private plunge pool
Veranda Resort Phuket, Autograph Collection. Image Credit: Marriott

The first Autograph Collection in Phuket, the resort has several pools, a kids’ club, a fitness center, a spa, and several dining options. Phuket International Airport (HKT) is an hour away. 

  • Opening Date: Now open
  • Typical Cash Price: From $160 per night
  • Typical Points Cost: From 22,000 Marriott Bonvoy points points per night

Hilton Cairo Nile Maadi, Egypt

The new Hilton Cairo Nile Maadi offers unobstructed views of the Nile River. The hotel offers 255 guest rooms and suites, including some with views of the Pyramids of Giza.

Hilton Cairo Nile Maadi suite with windows
A suite at Hilton Cairo Nile Maadi. Image Credit: Hilton

Designed for business and leisure travelers, the hotel offers several restaurants (including a pool bar), 2 floors of meeting spaces, a full-service spa, and is close to attractions like the Museum of Egyptian Civilization.

  • Opening Date: Now open
  • Typical Cash Price: From $160 per night
  • Typical Points Cost: 40,000 Hilton Honors points per night

Four Points by Sheraton Bangkok, Sukhumvit 22, Thailand

Four Points by Sheraton Bangkok, Sukhumvit 22, is the perfect hotel for travelers wanting to see everything Bangkok offers. The hotel is located steps from the popular Sukhumvit district, which has shopping, dining, and live entertainment.

Four Points by Sheraton Bangkok Deluxe Premier King
Four Points by Sheraton Bangkok. Image Credit: Marriott

The new Four Points has 333 guest rooms and suites, an on-site restaurant, a fitness center, and a rooftop pool.

  • Opening Date: Now open
  • Typical Cash Price: From $120 per night
  • Typical Points Cost: From 16,500 Marriott Bonvoy points per night

Upcoming Hotels

The Westin Flushing LaGuardia Airport, New York (April 2025)

The Westin Flushing LaGuardia Airport might be the only airport in New York City with an omakase bar. Opening this April, the 246-room hotel isn’t your typical airport hotel.

Westin Flushing indoor space
A rendering of the Westin Flushing LaGuardia Airport, which opens this April. Image Credit: Marriott

The 5-star Westin will feature a spa, a pool, 6,000 square of event spaces, and a restaurant with a 12-seat omakase sushi and oyster bar. The hotel is 10 minutes from LaGuardia Airport (LGA) and steps from the Long Island Railroad (LIRR) and 7 train. 

  • Opening Date: April 2025
  • Typical Cash Price: From $179 per night
  • Typical Points Cost: From 31,000 Marriott Bonvoy points points per night

Hyatt Regency Times Square, New York (September 2025)

The Hyatt Regency Times Square is accepting reservations from September 1, 2025. The hotel, a conversion of the Crowne Plaza Times Square Manhattan, will have a whopping 795 guest rooms and suites.

Hyatt Regency Times Square bedroom
The Crowne Plaza Times Square Manhattan is being converted to Hyatt Regency. Image Credit: Hyatt

Located in the heart of Midtown Manhattan, the hotel is near popular attractions like Times Square, Rockefeller Center, Javits Center, and Broadway. It will offer dining and a fitness center and will be pet-friendly.

  • Opening Date: September 1, 2025
  • Typical Cash Price: From $260 per night
  • Typical Points Cost: Award Category 6; award nights cost between 21,000 and 29,000 World of Hyatt points per night (depending on dates)

Hyatt Place AlUla, Saudi Arabia (2025)

Hyatt plans to open a Hyatt Place in the popular AlUla development in Saudi Arabia by the end of 2025. The hotel will have 215 guest rooms, 2 restaurants, a pool, and a fitness center. AlUla hotels are some of the most luxurious in the world, and Hyatt is poised to offer a midrange option in the region. 

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Hotel News

Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal Closing for Renovations

Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal
The Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal. Image Credit: Hilton

As flagged by One Mile At a Time, the Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal will close for several months to undergo renovations. Reservations are unavailable between July 15 and September 30, 2025, though the hotel is accepting reservations before and after those dates. It’s unclear what the resort will renovate. The Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal is a favorite among many luxury travels, so we’ll have to see what the hotel can do to become even better.

Destination by Hyatt Brand Coming to Mississippi

Hyatt is bringing its Destination by Hyatt brand, a collection of independent hotels, to Mississippi for the first time. Okhissa Lake Lodge will open in 2027 on a 1,200-acre spring-fed lake. The hotel will offer 200 lodges, including cabin suites, a conference center, a swimming pool, a spa, and restaurants.

Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa Undergoes $35 Million Renovation

The Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa has reopened after a sweeping $35 million renovation. The family-friendly resort, which straddles the Gulf of Mexico, features an updated indoor pool and floor-to-ceiling windows offering views of the Gulf.

Hilton Sandestin Beach guest room
Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa. Image Credit: Hilton

The massive, 590-room resort is located in South Walton, Florida, and boasts a spa, a fitness center, 6 dining outlets, and a dozen tennis courts.

Cash rates range between $250 and $550 per night, while award nights start at 66,000 Hilton Honors points nightly.

Best Western’s Grand Canyon Property Reflags to Holiday Inn

Best Western has lost its property close to the southern rim of the Grand Canyon, as the property has now been reflagged as a Holiday Inn property, joining the IHG One Rewards program. The Squire at Grand Canyon, a Holiday Inn Resort, is open for bookings.

Squire Resort at the Grand Canyon, Best Western Signature Collection pool
The Squire at Grand Canyon, a Holiday Inn Resort. Image Credit: Ryan Smith

The property has 322 rooms, multiple dining options, indoor and outdoor pools, a fitness center, bowling, an arcade, and more. Cash prices start at $111 (including taxes) but can jump to $250 on popular dates. Alternatively, you can find award nights starting at 20,000 IHG points.

Interestingly, you’ll also find the Holiday Inn Express & Suites Grand Canyon right next door to this property.

A New Hotel Tax in Edinburgh, Scotland

Starting on July 24, 2026, you’ll pay an extra 5% tax on the cost of overnight accommodations in Edinburgh, though this is capped at 5 consecutive nights. The goal of this new tax, which passed on January 24, 2025, is to invest in the city’s infrastructure.

Final Thoughts

This week, the hotel industry saw a lot of exciting activity, from several new hotels opening in Thailand to a Hyatt Regency opening later this year in Times Square — from a reflagged property near the Grand Canyon to one of the best hotels in Cabo closing this summer for renovations. We’ll be back next week with more hotel news!

Featured Image Credit: Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort and Spa
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About Victoria M. Walker

Victoria holds a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism from the Howard University School of Communications and is an award-winning journalist, travel reporter, and the founder of the “Carrying On with Victoria M. Walker” newsletter.

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