Meliá unveils Meliá Whale Lagoon Maldives
Melia Hotels & Resorts recently entered the Maldives with the opening of Meliá Whale Lagoon Maldives in January 2026, marking a major milestone in Meliá Hotels International’s global expansion. Located in the South Ari Atoll, the five-star all-inclusive resort is designed for couples, families and ocean lovers, offering direct access to the South Ari Marine Protected Area (SAMPA), renowned for year-round sightings of whale sharks and manta rays.
Guests reach the resort via a scenic 30-minute seaplane transfer from Malé International Airport. The property features 100 private oceanfront villas, including Water Villas, Beach Villas, and Sunset Suite Villas with private pools. Facilities include four restaurants and bars, two infinity pools, a spa with sauna and steam bath, plus experiences like cooking classes, open-air cinema, and activities for younger guests.
Dusit targets over 1,400 rooms in 2026 openings
Dusit International achieved its strongest development year on record in 2025, signing an all-time high of 24 hotels and expanding its active pipeline to more than 50 properties scheduled to open over the next five years. Growth was driven by a disciplined strategy focused on quality over scale, with increasing emphasis on conversions and brownfield developments to accelerate timelines and deliver earlier owner returns.
Key signings spanned India (six properties), Japan (WE Hotel – Dusit Collection), the Maldives (Devarana – Dusit Retreat Maldives), Saudi Arabia (Dusit Hotel Al Ahsa), the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, and Myanmar (The Strand Hotel – Dusit Collection). In 2026, Dusit anticipates one of its strongest opening years, adding more than 1,400 rooms, including projects in Japan, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia and the Philippines, subject to market and regulatory conditions.
Six Senses arrives at The Whiteley
Six Senses London will officially open on March 1, 2026, marking the brand’s UK debut and its first major step into urban hospitality. Located within The Whiteley, Bayswater, the hotel brings Six Senses’ wellbeing-led philosophy to London through a new city rhythm focused on wellness, sustainability and community. Designed by AvroKO with EPR Architects, the property will feature 109 rooms and suites, 14 Six Senses Residences, and Six Senses Place London, the brand’s first private members’ club.
Facilities include Six Senses Spa London and Whiteley’s Kitchen, Bar and Café. The hotel will be led by Nick Yarnell, Regional General Manager for Europe. Six Senses London has created more than 300 roles, supporting the reactivation of The Whiteley and the surrounding Queensway and Bayswater neighbourhoods, through year-round programming, workshops, talks and immersive wellbeing rituals.
Ennismore unveils 2026 openings
Ennismore has unveiled its key global openings for 2026, coinciding with the Group surpassing its 200th hotel opening and more than doubling its network in four years. The 2026 pipeline includes major debuts across new markets, led by the reopening of Delano Miami Beach (171 rooms, four Paris Society concepts including Rose Bar), first-time brand launches in Mexico City (Hyde and Mama Shelter), and Delano London as the brand’s UK debut.
Further openings include Mama Shelter in Lake Como and Cape Town, Morgans Originals debuts in Paros and Mumbai, and Hyde expansion in Perth and Bali. Rixos continues rapid growth with Rixos Cancún, Rixos Phu Quoc (1,700+ rooms), and Rixos Murjana in Saudi Arabia. Paris Society will expand F&B into the US with Gigi and Mimi Kakushi.
Centro Hail to debut in Saudi Arabia
Rotana has signed Centro Hail, a next-generation lifestyle hotel in Saudi Arabia, to be developed in partnership with Alkhorayef Investment and Development Co. and the Tourism Development Fund (TDF). Announced on January 20, 2026, the project marks another milestone in Rotana’s accelerated expansion across the Kingdom and aligns with Saudi Vision 2030.
Located in Hail, a strategic gateway to northern Saudi Arabia, the hotel will feature 175 contemporary rooms and introduce the next-generation Centro brand concept to the Saudi market, with smart design, open social spaces and flexible co-working areas for modern business and leisure travellers. With this signing, Rotana’s operational and pipeline portfolio in Saudi Arabia reaches 25 hotels with a combined 5,600 rooms, reinforcing the group’s long-term commitment to the Kingdom’s growing tourism and hospitality sector.