Cross Hotels & Resorts Joins SONO Hospitality

A major development in the Asia Pacific hospitality sector took place last month. Cross Hotels & Resorts, the operator behind our upcoming Bali developments, has been officially acquired by SONO International, a long-established hospitality group from South Korea with a significant and diverse portfolio across Asia.

Read announcement on Cross website: Cross Hotels & Resorts to Join Sono International Group

SONO has been operating since 1979 and is recognised as one of Korea’s largest integrated hospitality companies. Their portfolio includes 10 brands across 30 operating sites, with 22 locations in Korea and 8 located abroad, representing more than 12,000 hotel rooms. Since 2019, SONO has been focused on a new era of global expansion, which now extends into Southeast Asia through Cross Hotels & Resorts.

For us at Geonet, this is a positive move that strengthens the partnership we have already built with Cross and adds a deeper layer of experience, resources and regional capability to our development ecosystem.

Our 10-year partnership with Cross has only just begun, and with SONO now stepping in, that partnership becomes even stronger. SONO brings a long history of building and managing lifestyle-focused hotels and leisure destinations that appeal to today’s travellers. Their operational scale and design-driven approach fit naturally with where we are heading.

Chad Egan, CEO of Geonet, summed it up clearly. “There is a real sense of alignment between all three groups. Our ten year partnership with Cross has just begun, and with SONO now supporting the operator, we see this as a major win for our investors and our long-term strategy in Bali.”

Evan Burns, Country Manager Indonesia: “We are delighted to be joining forces with Sono International, whose regional insight and shared commitment to quality make them a natural fit for our business. This partnership opens new opportunities for innovation and expansion, strengthening our position across key markets while staying true to what makes Cross unique. With Sono’s support, we will continue to enhance our portfolio, deliver outstanding experiences and drive sustainable growth.”

The hospitality landscape in Bali is evolving quickly. Lifestyle hotels continue to outperform traditional hotel categories across the Asia Pacific region, with travellers looking for spaces that feel modern, social and design-led.

This is where SONO and Cross excel.

Egan added, “Lifestyle hotels are leading the next cycle of growth in the Asia Pacific region. Guests want places that feel modern, energetic and connected. Bali is perfectly positioned for this, and our partnership with Cross and SONO lets us deliver that at an international standard.”

With SONO now supporting Cross, our developments, including ELLE Resort & Beach Club and The Wylder, will benefit from stronger regional teams, improved operational systems and a hospitality group that is equipped to scale high-end lifestyle hotels across Southeast Asia.

One important part of this transition is what stays the same.

Cross will continue its relationship with Flight Centre as a preferred accommodation partner. This remains a major advantage for our hotel developments and our investor community in Australia. Flight Centre drives significant travel volume every year, and maintaining this partnership supports strong early-stage demand and long-term visibility for our properties.

For our Australian investors, this strengthens the commercial foundation of our hotels at opening and supports sustained guest volume over time.

There is no change to existing agreements, contracts or project plans. Cross remains the hotel operator for our developments, and SONO now strengthens the capabilities behind them.

For investors, this means:

• A reinforced operator supporting our developments
• Stronger training, distribution and revenue networks
• More robust regional support teams
• Continued advantages through Flight Centre
• Improved operational stability over the long term

It is rare to have a pipeline supported by world-class design partners, an iconic global lifestyle brand like ELLE and now an operator backed by a major hospitality group. This combination creates long-term value and builds confidence around future performance.

As Bali enters another period of record-breaking tourism growth, this acquisition positions all of us extremely well. The combination of Geonet’s development expertise, Cross’s hospitality capabilities and SONO’s long-term vision creates a partnership designed for growth and lasting success.

We look forward to working closely with Cross and SONO throughout this next decade and delivering a new collection of lifestyle hotels to Bali.