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1. West Tower of Grand Hyatt Incheon sold for $145.2 million
Paradise Co., a South Korean operator of gaming casinos, has acquired the 501-room West Tower of the 1,024-room Grand Hyatt Incheon in Seoul, South Korea, for 210 billion Korean won ($145 million), according to Focus Gaming News. The deal was originally due to have been finalized on Oct. 31. The seller is South Korea’s KAL Hotel Network.
The West Tower, opened in 2014, is next to Paradise City resort, which has 769 rooms, with the acquired tower resulting in it now having 1,270 rooms. The Grand Hyatt Incheon now has 523 rooms. Paradise also plans to start construction on its fifth South Korea property: a casino-hotel also located in Seoul.
2. Hilton assumes management of three Omani coastline hotels
As of Jan. 5, Hilton has taken over full management of three hotels in the Middle Eastern nation of Oman, all of which are on the country’s coastline at a waterfront development site named Barr Al Jissah. The three hotels are the 302-room DoubleTree by Hilton Muscat Al Waha; 198-room Hilton Muscat Al Bandar, and 180-room Waldorf Astoria Al Husn.
Local firm Zubair Corp. owns the three hotels, and according to CoStar, the Hilton Muscat Al Bandar and Waldorf Astoria Al Husn until the end of 2025 were managed by Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts. The three hotels now will be included in Hilton’s “White Label” luxury collection division. Barr Al Jissah is approximately 25 miles east of Oman’s capital, Muscat.
3. Goldman Sachs launches $500 million Japan-focused hotel fund
Investment firm Goldman Sachs has launched a $500 million hotel fund that it says will target hotels in Japan. Bloomberg News reports the New York City-based firm is expected to close the fund’s first deal by the end of March.
Peer news site Private Equity Insights added that “Japan has drawn sustained interest from global real-estate investors due to comparatively low borrowing costs and a weak yen. Goldman's fundraising effort comes amid heightened competition from peers, including Morgan Stanley, KKR and Blackstone, which have all committed significant capital to Japanese real estate.”
4. Hotel stocks show mixed December numbers
Hotel stocks showed a mixed performance in December compared with November, according to the Baird Hotel Stock Index. Year to date through December, the global hotel brands gained 9% but underperformed the S&P 500 by 7.25% and hotel-focused real estate investment trusts declined by 10%.
“Numerous demand headwinds negatively impacted revenue per available room growth throughout 2025, which weighed on investor sentiment and stock performance,” said Michael Bellisario, Baird’s senior research analyst and managing director. He added 2026 provides optimism, notably from favorable holiday timing and June and July’s FIFA World Cup 2026.
5. US government accuses Hilton of canceling ICE reservations
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security claims Hilton canceled reservations at a Minneapolis hotel made via official channels by Immigration & Customs Enforcement employees, Reuters reports.
Hilton told the news agency “the property is independently owned and operated, and [that it] is investigating the matter.”
“Hilton works with governments, law enforcement and community leaders around the world to ensure our properties are open and inviting to everyone,“ a Hilton spokesperson said in a statement.