It was a pretty busy week in the hotel world, to say the least, as new properties were opened in the Mediterranean, a new brand debuted in Asia, an important pipeline was expanded in Italy and a couple of other industry hot topics were unveiled that points and miles travelers should watch. If you're dreaming of a summer trip to Europe or simply out looking for where the loyalty programs are going, here's what happened.

 Mandarin Oriental Makes Its Mallorca Debut

The first guests have arrived at Mandarin Oriental Punta Negra, Mallorca, officially, in Calvià, near Puerto Portals, on the southwest coast of the island. It is built on the site of the former Hotel Punta Negra and combines a total of 131 rooms with direct access to the Mediterranean in secluded coves, private gardens and pine trees.

This is the third Spanish property that Mandarin Oriental has opened after its urban flagship properties in Barcelona and Madrid. The Mallorca resort is not a place that fills the same role as the city hotels; it's a leisure resort, a natural beauty, a place that offers access to the sea and is not a business competitor to the established luxury independently owned hotels of Mallorca.

Mallorca has been one of the more competitive and expensive luxury markets in Europe for years, for those who are on a high budget and are travelling to the Mediterranean for luxury breaks. In fact, the top end of that market is completely taken by independent boutique hotels, with international luxury brands being surprisingly few in number to the demand the island receives. That's where Mandarin Oriental's arrival is making a difference, by introducing the programmatic reliability of a global brand to a place where most luxury travelers had to go it alone.

The hotel chain is seriously targeting Italy

World Hyatt members will be even more interested when three new Hyatt properties open in Italy: 428 rooms and suites are now slated for the island of Sicily and the city of Rome. The most likely to open is the Hyatt Regency Rome Central in the vicinity of Termini station, which will be available around the end of Q3 2026. Featuring 238 rooms, a rooftop pool, a pool bar and an Asian themed restaurant, it's ideally situated as a well-connected hub hotel for business and leisure visitors exploring the surprisingly efficient transit system in Rome.

Later in Q4 2026, The Thompson Rome will offer more upscale ambiance to the city, nestled in a historic structure close to the Colosseum, that features 69 rooms and three restaurants. Thompson is one of Hyatt's more design-inclined lifestyle brands, and the site in the vicinity of the Colosseum is sure to appeal to anyone looking to immerse themselves in Rome's history and make it more of a day-stay experience.

Further out, the Park Hyatt Taormina will be opening in Sicily in 2028, boasting 121 rooms, private terraces overlooking the Ionian Sea and Mount Etna, a restaurant and a spa. Finally, when the property opens, it will likely be one of the most visually stunning redemptions in the World of Hyatt portfolio, and Taormina is one of the most beautiful places in all of Italy.

Now the Hilton Hotel on the beach in Malaysia is open for business and you can get points for your booking

The Hilton Burau Bay Langkawi Resort was a big addition to the Hilton Honors selection for Southeast Asian travelers, as it opened on the Malaysian island of Langkawi, which covers almost 22 acres of tropical rainforest and the Andaman Sea. With four dining concepts, a spa, three swimming pools, five meditative rock pools and a Nature Center, the 251-room hotel is a complete resort hotel and not just a hotel close to the beach.

The nightly rates begin at $185 or 59,000 Hilton Honors points, which is a good, middle of the road price for a beachfront resort this size in a community with a premium overnight room rate during the high season, considering Langkawi's natural beauty justifies the premium. Towards this week, Hilton also celebrated two big milestones in Asia Pacific, with the opening of the first two Spark by Hilton properties in the region, one in Bengaluru and the other in Goa, both in India. Spark debuted worldwide in 2023 and has grown to include over 240 properties open across the globe, and a backlog of almost 230 hotels under construction. The India expansion will be supported by a deal with Olive Hospitality to build out 150 Spark properties in India, one of the most aggressive single market rollouts of any new brand in recent memory.

IHG launches iPad application, adds a new voco in Malaysia and plans Kimpton in Madrid.IHG launches iPad application, adds new voco in Malaysia and plans Kimpton in Madrid. IHG's week was very busy both in opening and signing. The voco Kuching is the first voco property opened in the state of Sarawak, Malaysia. Located in Kuching's riverside capital, close to the airport, the 321-room hotel features locally inspired interiors, a signature restaurant, an outdoor pool and almost 26,000 square feet of event space. The rates of rooms begin at $75 or about 16,000 IHG One Rewards points, which is very easy to redeem for a hotel in this classification.

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On the other side, IHG has inked a contract with the city of Madrid to open its Kimpton brand for the first time there. The development of the 106-key property, which has been in partnership with El Corte Inglés, is set to open in mid-2030 in the Barrio Salamanca neighborhood on Goya Street, one of the more refined residential and shopping districts of Madrid. It will feature a ground floor restaurant, spa, indoor pool and rooftop bar and restaurant. Kimpton is IHG's upper upscale lifestyle brand and Madrid is a logical market for it because of its high demand for leisure travel from North America and Europe.

IHG also revealed a transformation loyalty program members will want to keep in mind, set to happen at the current Crowne Plaza in Vilamoura, Portugal, which will become InterContinental Vilamoura Algarve in April 2027. The Algarve is one of Europe's most popular summer holiday destinations and an InterContinental branded property in the region will fit into the program at a level far higher than the current Crowne Plaza positioning.

Industry News Points and Miles Travelers Should Know 

There were several other hotel industry wide developments that impact loyalty program members beyond openings and signings:

• Marriott lawsuit Hidden mandatory fees on award bookings have sparked a class action lawsuit.
• Bonvoy Series changes Points and elite night earnings now vary by country check earning rates before booking.
• IHG expansion Reached 50 hotels in its Italy pipeline, reflecting strong European growth.
• Waldorf Astoria Costa Rica Added 8 private residences for short and extended stay bookings.

The Bottom Line

There were some real hotel news items in this week's offering, not just the usual future baits. Mandarin Oriental's entry into the Spanish island of Mallorca signals a major luxury brand to an island which has not been adequately served by international chains. With three hotels in Italy, Rome twice, Sicily once, it's possible to redeem in meaningful ways in one of the most visited countries in the world at the World of Hyatt.

The deal at Hilton's Langkawi hotel and IHG's moves into Malaysia and Iberia restaurants are just the latest examples of how large loyalty brands are building out their presence in markets where points earners and redeemers have not had a lot of choice.At this rate of new hotel launches in Europe and Southeast Asia, redemption in 2027 is significantly different from today for any hotel operator launching a new loyalty initiative.