GD TRAVEL NEWS

GDTN - Thai hospitality group Minor Hotels will introduce its Minor Reserve Collection to Asia for the first time at a mixed-use development in Phuket’s Layan district. Scheduled for completion in 2031, the property will comprise a 100-room hotel, three branded residential buildings with approximately 210 units and a wellness centre.

GDTN - easyJet will begin installing Starlink's ultra-fast inflight wifi service on its A320, A320neo and A321neo aircraft next year, with the roll out set to be completed by early 2028. The airline’s fleet of outgoing A319s will not be equipped with the technology, as they are set to be phased out as new Airbus A320neo aircraft are delivered.

GDTN - Latvian airline airBaltic plans to make approximately 100 pilots and 200 cabin crew members redundant as part of a workforce reduction. The final number of affected employees may change following the ongoing assessment process.

GDTN BREAKING NEWS - At least 39 dead and others injured as two high-speed trains crash and roll down embankment in Spain on the Madrid-Andalusia line between the towns of Yebenes and Urda in the province of Toledo.

GDTN - The opening of the Cape Town EDITION hotel marks the hotel brand’s African debut at Quay 7 on Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront. The142-room hotel overlooks the new superyacht marina and Table Mountain in South Africa, which GD TRAVEL visited back in February.

GDTN - Hilton has debuted its Outset Collection brand in Europe with the opening of Casa Verbena Madrid Outset Collection by Hilton, a 45-room property on Calle de Preciados. Many guest rooms look onto Preciados street, while Preciados Rooms open onto terraces with views across the city’s rooftops and towards the Royal Palace.

GDTN - Hilton’s lifestyle brand Tempo is expanding into Europe, with a new 199-room hotel in Munich, Germany. The hotel will be located in the entertainment district near the airport. The hotel will include a rooftop bar, gym and café. The brand currently has six hotels in the US, but more than 80 projects worldwide are already in the pipeline.

GDTN - Qantas passengers on flight QF672 from Sydney to Bangalore, India were in the air for 10 hours before touching down back in Sydney due to mechanical issues. The flight was five hours in to the journey when a problem with the plane's hydraulic system was discovered. The usual journey time is 11 hours and 50 minutes.

GDTN - Today saw the opening of Australia's newest airport Western Sydney Airport to passengers. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was at the official opening. The airport has been operating as a cargo airport since 27 July, with the passenger terminal undergoing tests for the grand opening today.

GDTN - United Airlines has opened what it calls the largest airline lounge in the Americas. The 54,000-square-foot club with 800 seats is located at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH).

GDTN - From January 2027, Air India's Bengaluru-Heathrow service will be operated by a retrofitted 787-8 aircraft, and capacity is also being added on selected flights to Birmingham and Gatwick. The retrofitted Boeing jet features new economy and business class seating, and passengers will also benefit from the option of premium economy on the Bengaluru-Heathrow route.

GDTN - Indian Hotels Company has opened Vivanta Indore, Amaltas, a 202-room hotel in Madhya Pradesh’s commercial and educational hub. The property includes two dining venues, a spa, swimming pool and fitness centre, along with a ballroom, meeting rooms and garden lawns for conferences and social events.

GDTN - IHG Hotels & Resorts has signed an agreement with Naluang International Resort and Hotel Limited to open the 101-key Holiday Inn Resort Luang Prabang Naluang Hill in 2027. UNESCO-listed Luang Prabang is rich in cultural heritage, centuries-old temples and unique blend of Lao and French colonial influences.

GDTN - Hotel Cala is set to open on Tampa’s Riverwalk in January 2027 as a 281-room urban resort shaped by the city’s waterfront setting and multicultural heritage. Designed by Rockwell Group, it includes a resort-style pool, and two Tao Group Hospitality venues: coastal Italian restaurant LAVO and waterfront bar BarOnda.

GDTN - GDTN - Minor Hotels is coming to Morocco through an agreement with Bloom Holding to develop Anantara Retreat Rabat, a 38-key luxury property scheduled to open in early 2030. Located in Rabat’s diplomatic district, the retreat will include rooms, suites and seven villas, alongside dining venues, an Anantara Spa, meeting rooms and fitness facilities.

GDTN - Bay Gardens Resorts has officially opened Sapphire Sands Villas, its first luxury beachfront villa property, situated directly on Reduit Beach in Rodney Bay Village. The new retreat combines spacious, flexible accommodations with beachfront dining, wellness experiences, and family-friendly amenities.

GDTN - Whitbread is set to begin demolition of the former Leisureplex site in Cork, Ireland after securing the final approvals needed to progress its second Premier Inn hotel in the city. The 174-room hotel is planned for the corner of MacCurtain Street and Brian Boru Street.

GDTN - JLL Capital Markets, Hospitality Finance Group arranged $210 million in refinancing through Citi for the 531-key Grand Hyatt Indian Wells Resort & Villas in Indian Wells, California, on behalf of Trinity Investments. The refinancing follows a $62 million renovation and conversion to the Grand Hyatt flag in 2024.

GDTN - Norwegian Air Shuttle is increasing winter capacity between the UK and Oslo as part of a joint campaign to attract more British skiers to Norway. Manchester services will rise from two to five weekly departures, including a Sunday flight aimed specifically at ski holidaymakers, while London and Edinburgh will also receive additional flights compared with last winter.

GDTN BREAKING NEWS - At least 19 people injured as a frieght train crashed into a bus at the Pas-de-Calais entrance to the Channel Tunnel in France this evening. Emergency services are at the scene following the incident.