by Lacey Pfalz
Last updated: 7:00 AM ET, Mon July 28, 2025
July saw a fair bit of big news in the hotel and resorts category, with big brands announcing leadership changes, independent hotel collections celebrating new member properties, a slate of new openings, renovations and development news and, closer to home, Trump’s immigration policy’s impact on the hospitality industry.
Check out the hospitality industry news you should know from July right here.
Leadership Changes
Stéphane Maquaire, President and CEO of Club Med Holding. (Photo Credit: Club Med)
Two major hospitality companies announced changes to their leadership this month.
Marriott International announced that as of March 31, 2026, Leeny Oberg, Marriott’s Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President, Development, will retire after 26 years at Marriott. Replacing her will be Jen Mason as Chief Financial Officer and Shawn Hill as Chief Development Officer.
Club Med also announced a new President and Chief Executive Officer. Stéphane Maquaire replaced Henri Giscard d’Estaing, who served in his role for twenty years before Chinese shareholder Fosun called for his dismissal.
Brand Growth
Imlauer Hotel Schloss Pichlarn in the Austrian Alps, now part of Preferred Hotels & Resorts. (Photo Credit: Preferred Hotels & Resorts)
Well-known hotel brands continue to grow and celebrate their own successes this year.
J.D. Power’s 2025 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index released this month, with travelers in North America ranking brands like Ritz-Carlton, Omni Hotels & Resorts, Drury Hotels and Hyatt House ranking the highest for guest satisfaction in their respective categories.
Luxury hotel brands Preferred Hotels & Resorts and Relais & Châteaux both added new member properties to their portfolios this past month.
Preferred Hotels & Resorts added 18 new properties, including the beautiful Imlauer Hotel Schloss Pichlarn in the Austrian Alps, while Relais & Châteaux added eight new hotels to its luxury portfolio, including the Relais & Châteaux Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni in Bellagio, Italy.
In other Marriott news, the hotel giant also finalized its acquisition of hotel brand CitizenM, which has about 37 hotels across twenty locations in Europe, North America and Asia. Travelers will soon be able to earn and redeem their Marriott Bonvoy points at CitizenM locations.
New Openings & Renovations
Lobby of Waldorf Astoria New York City (Photo Credit: Waldorf Astoria)
A handful of hotels have announced their debut or exciting new renovations.
In New York, the Hyatt Regency Times Square made its debut in Manhattan, offering 795 rooms in the central location on Broadway.
The Waldorf Astoria New York announced a major renovation and restoration of its historic glamour, while Resorts World New York City unveiled a major $5.5 billion proposal for its entertainment venue, complete with large hotel and full casino, which could open as soon as next year.
Playa Hotels celebrated the completion of a $50 million renovation at the Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos resort, featuring newly designed rooms, public spaces, an expanded kids club and more.
Additionally, the Paradisus by Meliá Fuerteventura resort in the Canary Islands will be the first all-inclusive on the UNESCO-designated Biosphere island of Fuerteventura when it opens this August.
Trump's Impact on Hospitality
Janitor cleaning a hotel lobby. (Photo Credit: soupstock/Adobe)
New reports suggest Trump’s efforts to deport record numbers of immigrants are causing hospitality employers to increase their background checks by 36 percent from January to June 2025, compared to last year.
The data comes just one month after ICE was given the go-ahead to raid hotels, restaurants and farms. The United States hospitality industry is one that relies heavily on foreign-born employees, with data suggesting that over 34 percent of hospitality workers are immigrants.
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