Fergus, Don Juan Resort, Hilton, Saudi Arabia, Mews, Calistoga, airlines and Adif

The industry is moving on three fronts at once: hotel management in Spain, international expansion in the Middle East and a European aviation sector tidying up its numbers before the next season. The most striking news of the day is Fergus Group returning to the Don Juan Resort in Lloret de Mar, a 795-room asset that now sits with Pep Cañellas' group and becomes the most significant Spanish hotel deal of the week.

Today's brief

Fergus is taking back Catalonia's largest hotel and folding it into a portfolio that already includes six hotels and more than 2,100 rooms in the region. According to Hosteltur, the deal was announced back in October 2023 and is now being executed with Lloret framed as a repositioned sun-and-beach destination.

• Fergus Group will manage the Don Juan Resort, Catalonia's largest property with 795 rooms.
• The group is sticking to its plan to open a five-star hotel in Sitges in 2028, part of an upscale strategy.
• The deal strengthens Fergus' footprint on the Catalan coast, where it already runs more than 2,100 rooms.

Meanwhile, Skift reports that Hilton wants to capture Saudi Arabia's mid-market now that the luxury build is done. And European aviation faces a new scenario: Ryanair says it has fuel hedged and rules out price hikes for the summer.

Hotels

Spain's big move of the day is Fergus. The Don Juan Resort in Lloret de Mar is back in the Balearic group's orbit, which takes over management of an asset that had been up in the air. With 795 rooms, it is Catalonia's largest hotel and a thermometer for the Costa Brava's repositioning. My take: Fergus is buying scale and visibility in a destination with room to improve, though the challenge will be filling that volume without cannibalising rates.

The other relevant hotel move comes from Saudi Arabia. Hilton acknowledges luxury is saturated and is now targeting the mid-market with franchise brands, using Turkey as proof the model works. It's a clear signal: Gulf money no longer only pays for suites, it also wants rooms at 120 euros a night. Anyone with mid-scale product and international standards has an opening.

On the operational side, Hospitality Net covers Calistoga Spa Hot Springs migrating to Mews PMS and RMS after 20 years on the same system. The number that matters: 50% online check-in adoption after rollout, with on-site staff training. The lesson is simple, tech doesn't run itself if the team isn't pushing it.

Hospitality Net also argues for reframing hotel gyms as multi-zone wellness hubs with diversified revenue models. And eHotelier reports on the revamp of the food and beverage programme at Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa. F&B and wellness are shifting from cost centres to ancillary revenue levers, provided they are designed commercially.

795 rooms will be managed by Fergus at Don Juan Resort, Catalonia's largest hotel, according to Hosteltur.

Airlines and travel

Ryanair is making its move before the market gets jittery. Preferente quotes Michael O'Leary saying the airline has fuel hedged and dismissing any chance the ongoing war extends beyond summer, so he expects no major price effects. The read is clear: the Irish carrier is covering energy risk and telling the market rates will stay stable. For other operators, that squeezes margins unless they secure similar hedges.

On infrastructure, Preferente reports that CNMC has opened sanction proceedings against Adif for allegedly favouring Renfe over Ouigo and Iryo in its track access charge discounts. The probe revisits measures imposed in 2025 and puts the spotlight on real high-speed competition. If the case advances, private operators' cost base could shift, and that feeds straight into AVE pricing.

Startups and funding

In travel-tech, Mews scores a commercial win with Calistoga Spa Hot Springs migrating to its PMS and RMS. The number that matters isn't the hotel's size, it's the 50% online check-in adoption with on-site training included. For the industry, it's a reminder that implementation weighs as much as the software itself.

• Mews: hotel PMS and RMS, lands Calistoga Spa Hot Springs after 20 years on its previous system.
• OneSpaWorld: cruise spa operator now approaching 1 billion dollars in revenue, according to Skift.
• Fergus Group: Balearic chain taking over management of Don Juan Resort in Lloret de Mar.

In 30 seconds

• Fergus Group takes over management of Don Juan Resort in Lloret de Mar, Catalonia's largest hotel with 795 rooms, according to Hosteltur.
• Ryanair says it has fuel hedged and rules out summer price hikes, according to Preferente.
• CNMC opens sanction proceedings against Adif for favouring Renfe over Ouigo and Iryo, according to Preferente.
• CEAV says there is no wave of cancellations to Morocco despite the Ceuta crisis, according to Hosteltur.
• Hilton targets the Saudi mid-market after saturating luxury, according to Skift.

Fergus is buying scale in a destination that needs repositioning, and it's doing so with an asset that had been waiting for an owner for years. My read: the Costa Brava has room to move upmarket if it's managed with discipline, but the risk is filling 795 rooms on discounts. Hotel tech is advancing fast and Mews proves it with high adoption at a traditional property. Anyone who doesn't implement properly will end up with expensive software and frustrated teams.