Earth Hotels to open in Riyadh, Jeddah
Earth Hotels, a conscious and design-forward hospitality group built for the modern, mindful traveller, will open four distinctive urban resorts in Riyadh, Jeddah, Lisbon, and Porto. The properties have a collective project value of over $202 million. First to open in Saudi Arabia will be Earth Riyadh, opening in Q3 2026. More than a hotel, Earth Riyadh is an experience – one that fuses the pulse of Saudi culture with laid-back vibes, bold locally inspired designs, and purposeful hospitality. Located in the Al Maathar district, close key attractions and the Diplomatic Quarter, Earth Riyadh features 86 signature rooms, lofts and suites. Following closely behind is Earth Hotel and Living Jeddah Waterfront, launching in Q3 2027. Positioned on a prime waterfront plot set to create Jeddah’s first integrated urban community by the sea. The property will offer 110 hotel rooms and 179 fully serviced “Earth living” apartments. Earth Jeddah will also feature co-working zones, event and social spaces, a retail component accessible from the waterfront corniche. Minor announces Avani+ Fujairah Resort Minor Hotels, a global hospitality group that owns and operates over 560 hotels in 58 countries in Asia Pacific, the Middle East, Africa, the Indian Ocean, Europe and the Americas, has signed Avani+ Fujairah Resort in the UAE. Set to open in 2028, the new-build property will mark the debut of the Avani brand in Fujairah and represents the brand’s first resort product in the country. Located on Fujairah’s eastern coastline along the Gulf of Oman, the beachfront resort comprises 232 contemporary hotel rooms and 16 expansive villas ranging from three to five bedrooms. Designed to cater to both families and couples, select accommodation options will include private pools and direct lagoon access–unique features within the Fujairah hospitality landscape. Developed in collaboration with Al Fahim, a family-owned conglomerate, the new resort builds on the successful relationship between the two groups, following the opening of Avani+ Palm View Dubai Hotel & Suites. Avani+ Fujairah Resort will feature a range of dining and leisure facilities designed to elevate the guest experience. Starhotels signs financing Starhotels, the first Italian private hotel company, has signed a €350 million ten-year loan financing agreement with a pool of banks. The new financing has been used to repay the €460,000,000 loan signed in 2022 and originally maturing in 2027. This transaction provides the company with long-term financial resources to support the maintenance and enhancement of its current portfolio, the acquisition of new hotel properties, and the signing of new hotel management agreements (lease & management), it said. Hyatt set for 50% rooms growth in Africa HYATT, a leading hospitality brand, has announced that it expects around 50% rooms growth across new and existing markets in Africa by the end of 2030. In the past two years, Hyatt saw 51% rooms growth in Africa, fuelled by the addition of several milestone properties and first-time brand entries. These included Park Hyatt Marrakech, introducing the luxury brand to Morocco; Hyatt Centric Cairo West, the brand’s debut on the continent; Hyatt Regency Harare – The Meikles, Hyatt’s first hotel in Zimbabwe; and Hyatt Regency Nairobi Westlands, its first hotel in Kenya. Most recently, in March 2025, Hyatt Place Nairobi Westlands and Hyatt House Nairobi Westlands opened along Lower Kabete Road.