Branded residences push Caribbean expansion

Marriott International, Hilton and Mandarin Oriental have added Caribbean projects that combine hotels with branded residences, extending a development model that executives and advisers say is becoming central to luxury growth in the region. Company announcements in 2025 and 2026 show new projects in The Bahamas, Turks and Caicos and Puerto Rico, with several slated to open in 2028 or later. Developers and hotel executives said at industry events that residences are helping finance projects and broadening the mix of units tied to a resort. Marriott said on June 2 that it has around 300 branded-residence projects in its open and pipeline portfolio worldwide, underscoring how large the category has become for global hotel groups. In the Caribbean and Latin America region, Marriott said on March 4 that it signed 94 deals in 2025, adding 10,461 rooms to the pipeline, while its luxury footprint at year-end included 71 open properties and 38 pipeline hotels. (hotelmanagement.net) ### Which hotel groups are adding branded residences in the Caribbean? Hilton said on April 16, 2025 that it signed a branding and management agreement for Waldorf Astoria Turks and Caicos Dellis Cay, a resort and branded-residences project expected to debut in 2028. Hilton said the project will be Waldorf Astoria’s first resort and branded residences in Turks and Caicos. (news.marriott.com) Mandarin Oriental said on January 22, 2025 that it will manage a new luxury resort and branded residences at Esencia in Boquerón Bay in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico. The company said Mandarin Oriental, Puerto Rico is expected to open in 2028 as its third property in the Caribbean. Marriott’s Caribbean pipeline includes Cotton Bay, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve and Residences in Southern Eleuthera, The Bahamas, anticipated to open in 2029, according to Hotel Management’s March 4 report on the company’s regional growth. (stories.hilton.com) The same report said Bvlgari Resort & Residences, Cave, Exuma in The Bahamas is also planned for 2029. ### Why are residences being paired with hotels so often? (press.mandarinoriental.com) Carlos Crovato, head of development, lifestyle at Hyatt Hotels Corp, said at the 2025 Caribbean Hotel Investment Conference & Operations Summit in Curaçao that “most of our projects are going to have that component.” He said owners want a faster return on investment and that demand for the product has not slowed since the pandemic. (hotelmanagement.net) Pamela Vasquez, senior director of development, Latin America and Caribbean at Hilton, said at the same event that demand in the Caribbean and Latin America region had grown 14% and would continue. Hugo Mirabal, director of feasibility and development at Marriott International, said nine of the 10 projects he was working on would include branded residences. (costar.com) Vijesh Patel, director of development at Six Senses, said at CHICOS 2025 that residences had become essential in ultra-luxury projects because of high construction and labor costs. His comments tied the model directly to financing rather than to hotel room growth alone. ### What changes when a resort includes private homes? Mandarin Oriental said its Puerto Rico project will include 106 rooms and suites, 83 residential villas and about 200 private residences in boutique buildings. (costar.com) That mix differs from a hotel-only project because it adds owner-occupied homes alongside transient guest inventory and requires dedicated residential amenities integrated with hotel services. Hilton said its Dellis Cay project will pair villa-style resort accommodations with branded residences on a private island reached by a 25-minute boat transfer from Providenciales. (costar.com) Marriott and other operators market these projects as part of their residences businesses, which typically extend hotel branding, management and service standards into owned homes. (press.mandarinoriental.com) ### Why does that matter for sourcing and procurement? Marriott, Hilton and Mandarin Oriental describe these projects as mixed-use developments with both hotel and residential components, which means the build-out goes beyond guest rooms, restaurants and back-of-house areas. Residential villas, private residences and owner amenities add furnishing, equipment and operating needs that are distinct from a pure hotel inventory profile, based on the room and residence counts disclosed by the companies. (stories.hilton.com) CoStar’s December 2025 report said branded residences also can be used as rental inventory, adding another operational layer for owners and managers. That structure can extend demand beyond an opening because residences, unlike standard hotel rooms, also move through owner handovers, ongoing service provision and later refurbishment cycles. That is an inference from the mixed-use model described by developers and operators. (press.mandarinoriental.com) ### What comes next in the region? Marriott said its Cotton Bay, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve and Residences in The Bahamas, is anticipated to open in 2029, while Hilton and Mandarin Oriental have Caribbean branded-residence projects scheduled for 2028. Future pipeline updates from Marriott, Hilton and other operators, along with the next CHICOS conference, will provide the next public checkpoints on how quickly the model is spreading across the Caribbean. (hotelmanagement.net) (costar.com)