Disneyland is expanding its Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, which will offer the first Disney Vacation club villas in Anaheim, increasing the property's accommodations by more than 30 percent.

The project, scheduled for completion in 2009, will be a 2.5-acre expansion on the hotel's south side and will see the addition of over 200 hotel rooms and 50 two-bedroom equivalent vacation villas, which will include kitchens and living and dining areas.

Other expansion plans call for a rooftop deck, a new swimming pool and roughly 300 more parking spaces. Upon completion of the project, the Grand Californian Hotel & Spa will offer 745 guest rooms, 44 suites and 50 Disney Vacation Club villas. Visit [www.disneytravelagents.com]. (JM)

Hilton Hotels Corp. shareholders have given the go-ahead on the company's $20.1 billion sale to The Blackstone Group, Hilton announced Tuesday. The company was still calculating the exact percentage of shareholders that voted. With this hurdle passed, the transaction now needs to pass regulatory approval. (DE)

Westin Hotels & Resorts announced its new global personalized in-room spa experience, which will bring the elements of a full-service spa to a guest's hotel room.

The in-room spa experience is currently available at 64 of the company's properties and will continue to debut at Westin hotels worldwide. The program includes a massage on a portable spa bed, which is 31 inches wide (larger than typical portable massage tables) and has heated AeroCel padding topped by double layers of fleece.

White Westin signature Heavenly Bed linens and a fully padded face cradle complete the bed, which is fully adjustable and has been dubbed the The Heavenly Spa by Westin Nova bed. About 40 minutes before the massage appointment, guests receive a spa basket with water, a flower, a CD of relaxation music, a healthy treat, aromatherapy oils and room-sprays, and a letter explaining what to expect from the treatment along with tips for getting the most out of it. For more information, visit www.starwoodhotels.com.

MGM Mirage, Kerzner International and Istithmar Hotels announced a definitive agreement on Tuesday forming their previously announced joint venture, which will develop a multi-million dollar resort property on the Las Vegas Strip at the corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Sahara Avenue.

MGM will provide the land and own half of the venue, while Kerzner and Istithmar will provide cash equity and each own 25 percent. The new resort, for which there is no name yet, will be designed to encompass about 40 acres. Sol Kerzner, chairman and CEO of Kerzner, said he expects construction to begin by the first half of 2009 with a completion date slated for 2012.

 The announcement brings together three of the most recognizable developers in the lodging industry. MGM Mirage operates the MGM Grand and Mirage hotels; Kerzner is behind the Atlantis brand; and Istithmar is a subsidiary of Dubai World's investment company that owns such properties as the W Hotel Union Square in New York. (DE)

The French hotel group Accor on Monday said it completed the sale of the Red Roof Inn chain of economy hotels to a private consortium for $1.3 billion. In April, Accor announced it was selling the chain to a group made up of Citigroup's Global Special Situations Group and Westbridge Hospitality Fund LP, so that it could focus on its other economy offering, Motel 6, which operates 928 hotels across North America.

Over the next six months, Best Western International is on pace to have more than 200 properties in Asia by 2010.

The chain's Asia presence has expanded from just six hotels in 2001 to 106 today. While most of the chain's North American hotels are considered to be in the mid-market segment, Best Western is positioning itself as a four-star chain in Asia. In five years, Best Western will have 50 hotels in China, including two slated to open in Beijing before the 2008 Summer Olympics.

The chain also recently signed a new master licensing agreement that is expected to bring 100 hotels and 10,000 rooms to India over the next decade. Best Western has 11 hotels in South Korea, 11 resort-style properties in Thailand, 17 hotels under development in Japan, four hotel contracts to be signed in Indonesia in the next six months and two hotels under development in Vietnam. (MR)

Since opening two years ago, The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman (www.ritzcarlton.com/) continues to wow visitors. Here, General Manager Jean Cohen runs a tight ship; however, her employees are the first to tell you she's a great manager. That could be because the resort's opening was delayed for a year due to damage incurred by Hurricane Ivan, giving Cohen a generous amount of time to hire and train her staff. Working alongside Cohen is Natalia Alexander; she is the best go-to person if you have questions regarding your client's stay.

Standard guest rooms are spacious here and all bathrooms have double sinks and soaking tubs. Put your best clients in an Opal Reserve Suite (391 or 393); each has a 1,400-square-foot-terrace with panoramic views of North West Point, the Caribbean Sea, Seven Mile Beach, the oceanfront pool and George Town Harbour. These units are equipped with professional-style kitchens that host an extensive array of top-notch appliances and knickknacks (martini shakers, convection oven, dishwasher, etc.). A private chef can be easily attained to prepare an en suite meal. The Reserve units also provide butler service.

Our test, based on dire need, was to inquire whether there was any hair mousse to be found on property. After being filled in on what this product actually was, our butler got to work, with our polite hinting that we would ideally need it within the hour, as we were leaving for a full day of activities. He called just a few minutes later to say that there was none to be had at the resort; however, he had found out who distributed the product on the island and expected some to be delivered shortly. Our butler arrived with 10 minutes to go before our departure, proudly displaying both a small and large bottle of mousse so that we would have a choice of size. (Note: We were greatly relieved to have been charged a mere $8 for a premium-brand mousse.)

The luxury market in that area of Costa Rica just took another step in the right direction as One&Only Resorts announced plans to operate its first Central America property in Cacique. With 120 villa-style rooms, the luxury resort, along with the first phase of development in Cacique, is anticipated to be complete in 2010.

One&Only Cacique is owned by Revolution Places, launched by AOL co-founder Steve Case. Revolution Places owns the 650-acre site, known as Cacique, Costa Rica, on which the One&Only resort will be located.

Other developments on the site include the Miraval Cacique, which will include 120 luxurious rooms and 60 villas; Exclusive Resorts, a destination club also owned by Case that will design and purchase 30 residences at Cacique in a private enclave; a Tom Doak 18-hole golf course; and an Agassi/Graf Tennis & Fitness Center.

The Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea, one of Maui's standard-setting resorts, recently set the bar even higher with its completion of a $50 million renovation. Built in 1990, the resort is situated on 15 oceanfront acres of Maui's southern coastline, and is Hawaii's first and only AAA Five Diamond and Mobil Five-Star resort.

The renovation project encompassed remodeling 380 guest rooms and suites, including a technology upgrade, with such added features as high-definition, 42-inch LG flat-screen TVs, and iHome clock/radio/DVD/iPod/MP3 players.

Included in the renovation project is a new steak and seafood restaurant, DUO. The resort has seen a complete rewiring to provide high-speed wireless access; the deck of the children's waterfall pool was resurfaced with quartzite tiles; and the entire laundry service was replaced by an environmentally efficient facility to accommodate 100 percent cotton Italian linens in guest rooms.

A spokesperson for the resort noted that a standout feature of the renovation is the institution of a museum-quality art collection, which features works by Hawaii's finest artists. "The artwork is incorporated throughout the accommodations and public areas, and adds a cultural dimension to a guest's stay," she says.