Read the latest news from around the Asia-Pacific region.

MGM Resorts International and its partners received certification for the area development plan for its $10 billion integrated resort in Osaka, Japan, reports HNN’s Bryan Wroten. The integrated resort is set to be Japan’s first casino.

MGM Resorts Japan, its regional operations, partnered with Japan-based financial services company Orix Group to form Osaka IRR for the project. The Osaka Prefecture selected their joint venture in September 2021 to submit the area development plan to Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.

The plans for the integrated resort on Yumeshima island in Osaka Bay include the MGM Osaka, MGM Villas and Musubi Hotel, totaling 2,500 guestrooms. It will also have several food-and-beverage outlets, retail space, a spa, a fitness center and banquet halls.

Jakarta, Indonesia-based Artotel Group acquired hotel management firm Milestone Pacific Hotel Group, reports HNN’s Terence Baker. No price was disclosed, but Artotel now owns the majority stake in Milestone and its portfolio of 45 hotels.

Artotel, not to be confused with the Netherlands-based hotel brand Art’otel, has grown its portfolio to more than 100 managed hotels, up from 17 in 2020, across Indonesia. Its own brands include Artotel and Dafam. It has been a master franchisor for Indonesia for Louvre Hotels Group’s Kyriad brand since 2021.

Mehul Patel, CEO and managing partner of hotel ownership and development company NewcrestImage, has plans to acquire more than 100 hotels this year, reports HNN’s Dana Miller. He also has set his sights on development in India.

NewcrestImage opened its first Courtyard by Marriott in Vadodara, India, and it’s in the process of acquiring a resort in Karalui. The resort has 51 guestrooms, and he’s planning to add 20 glamping accommodations.

"India doesn't have that glamping concept yet, and we would be the first one to kind of introduce that new glamping concept in India," he said.

Across the four world regions as defined by STR, CoStar’s hospitality analytics firm, there has been a year-over-year drop in hotel construction activity. The Asia-Pacific region in particular came closest to 2022 comparisons.

In the development pipeline for the region, hotels in construction were down 0.8% with 476,993 rooms. Hotel rooms in the planning stage grew by 1.9% to 322,507, but those in the final planning phase dropped 29.6% to 105,435. The total number of rooms under contract dipped 4.4% to 904,935.

Within the region, China has the most rooms in construction with 299,458, followed by Vietnam with 36,358.

• Australia's Acure Asset Management acquired the 122-key Quest Fremantle for 38 million Australian dollars ($25.2 million) from Harvis Capital.
• Queensland Investment Corp., a government investment company, filed a development application for a mixed-use project valued at 560 million Australian dollars, including a 200-room hotel, in Sydney's Capital Hill area.
• Singapore-based Invictus Development acquired the 132-key Quest Woolloongabba in Brisbane for 43.8 million Australian dollars from Pellicano Group.
• Japan-based Belluna acquired the Toya Sun Palace Resort & Spa and Lake Suite Ko-No-Sumika, totaling 404 rooms, in Hokkaido, Japan.
• Australia-based Vision Hotels acquired the 38-key Marco Polo Best Western Mackay in Mackay, Australia.
• Singapore-based Well Smart Group acquired Lindeman Island, part of the Great Barrier Reef Islands, for 10 million Australian dollars with plans to restore and upgrade the former 218-key Club Med site as a family friendly resort.
• Japan-based Daiwa House REIT Investment Corp. acquired the 36-key Mimaru Tokyo Akasaka from Fuyo General Lease for 3.1 billion Japanese yen ($23.2 million).
• Singapore-based COMO Group will debut its first hotel in Singapore with the 19-story mixed-use project that will house the Como Metropolitan Singapore.
• Accor will debut its Maison Delano brand in Asia with the 81-key Maison Delano Seoul slated to open in the Gangnam district in 2026.

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