Tiangus Hotel Update

Mexico's Tourism Tianguis 2007 convened in Acapulco last month, providing a forum for hotel and resort companies to highlight new properties and renovation efforts.

Sol Melia announced the launch of Melia Cabo San Lucas as the newest resort in its ME by Melia brand, experience-based hotels catering to adults (although families are welcome). The hotel will have 150 rooms and suites, a signature Yhi Spa, as well as total connectivity, including in-room Wi-Fi, pre-loaded iPods for loan, aromatherapy experiences throughout the hotel and complimentary access to the recently launched Nikki Beach. Visit www.mebymelia.com.

The three-day conference schedule began with an AMResorts' press breakfast, with the company previewing expansion and enhancement plans to its eight existing resorts. In 2006, the company spent $50 million on improvements; in 2007, they'll commit another $20 million to enhancements. AMResorts has nine properties in the pipeline, including resorts in new destinations for the company: two in Huatulco, Mexico, and one in Montego Bay, Jamaica. All three are scheduled to open in 2009.

AMResorts is also considering additional developments in Costa Rica and is in talks with several English Caribbean islands.

Hilton Los Cabos Beach & Golf Resort has completed a remodeling of its 375 guest rooms at a cost of $15,000 per unit. The next step for the property is a complete redesign of its restaurants. No timetable has been set.

The Loreto Bay Company continues its progress on The Villages of Loreto Bay, a Baja California Sur sustainable development resort. Currently comprising 125 homes, the master plan calls for 6,000 homes over 12 years. The company now offers fully furnished one-, two- and three-bedroom homes for rent for extended stays of one to 12 months. These pay 10 percent commission to travel agents.

The Loreto Bay Company's The Inn at LoretoBay, formerly the Camino Real Resort, is gearing up for renovations. The 155-room resort, which provides views of the Sea of Cortez, has rates that start at $125 per night. Visit www.loretobay.com and www.innatloretobay.com.

The Cancun Convention & Visitors Bureau provided an update noting that Cancun had 11,000 rooms in 2006, while 24,600 rooms are presently available and another 15,000 are on the way.

The Acapulco Convention and Visitors Bureau highlighted a slate of hotel projects. By the end of this year, a cliff-top Banyan Tree Punta Diamante will be completed. The hotel will have Asian-style cabanas and a restaurant, Vertigo, accessible only by cable car.

Additional resort development includes the $125 million all-suite Mansion Imperial, the $85 million 900 villas Villas Imperial and the $85 million 360 suitePalace Imperial. Look for Acapulco to add 3,000 hotel rooms by late 2008.

Update From InterContinental

InterContinental Hotels Group celebrated the opening of its 100th hotel in Mexico—the Holiday Inn Cancun-Arenas—with the launch of its "Any Hotel, Anywhere" program. The program allows Priority Club Rewards members in Mexico to redeem points at more than 500,000 hotels worldwide, including competitors' hotels. Visit www.ihg.com.