RIU´s establishments in hurricane-battered Playa del Carmen and Cancun are ready to receive new guests as of today. The RIU chain reports that its five establishments in Playa del Carmen are already open and ready to receive new guests this week. These hotels are the RIU Yucatan, RIU Palace Mexico, RIU Tequila, RIU Playacar and RIU Lupita.

Hawaiian hotels saw a 3-percentage-point increase in occupancy rates, to 80.5 percent, during the week of Oct. 16, compared with the same time period in 2004. Average room rates rose 10.6 percent to $160.68 for the week, according to a report by Smith Travel Research and Hospitality Advisors LLC.

Small Luxury Hotels of the World will host its 13th Annual International Conference in London from November 10 to 12. Strategically timed to take place immediately before London´s World Travel Market, this year´s conference will be the best attended ever. More than 300 delegates, representing 200 independent hotels from 45 countries around the world will come together to review the success of the past year, share ideas on moving forward and gain insight from industry leaders to an ever growing global business. Aptly themed “The Next Generation,” the two-day extravaganza will not only feature a busy business program with guest speakers, panel discussions and workshops, but also an exciting social agenda.

Intercontinental Hotels Group PLC (IHG) has recently indicated that it expects China to account for up to a third of the company´s global expansion over the next three years, which involves adding up to 60,000 net new rooms. In a recent interview, the group´s chief executive Andrew Cosslett said that much of the growth in China will be spurred by domestic travel partly linked to the mainland´s massive road building scheme.

Barceló Hotels and Resorts said two new five-star, all-inclusive hotels –the Barceló Maya Colonial Beach and the Barceló Maya Tropical Beach- will open on the Mayan Riviera on December 1, joining next-door Barceló Maya Beach and Barceló Maya Caribe Beach properties. Together, the four hotels comprise the largest resort on the Riviera Maya, surrounded by a 123-acre nature preserve less than 50 miles from Cancun´s airport.

Accor is continuing Sofitel´s UK expansion with the renaming of Le Meridien Gatwick into the Sofitel London Gatwick, together with the planned opening in 2008 of a brand-new 600-room hotel at Heathrow Airport´s Terminal 5, the Sofitel London Heathrow. Both properties are in a franchise partnership with Aurora International Hotels. Directly connected to Gatwick´s North Terminal and close to the airport´s London Express rail link, the 500-room Sofitel London Gatwick will undergo a major facelift which will include new granite flooring and creation of relaxation zones in the main atrium with a Zen central garden feature.