Paraguay rarely tops South American holiday shortlists, but that could be shifting. Minor Hotels — the group behind brands like NH Hotels & Resorts, NH Collection and Tivoli, with more than 640 properties across 67 countries — has signed two new agreements with local real estate heavyweight Grupo Petra, sealing the deal in Madrid.
The first agreement is a strategic partnership that gives Grupo Petra the job of scouting and structuring hotel opportunities across Paraguay for Minor Hotels to assess. Projects will lean towards the NH, NH Collection and Tivoli flags, covering the upscale through luxury segments. The second is a concrete management contract: a new 116-room, four-star NH hotel in Asunción, with construction due to start in early 2027 and doors expected to open by late 2029.
That hotel will sit on Calle Quesada in the capital's fast-growing financial district, a short hop from Shopping Mariscal, the World Trade Center Asunción and the main Mariscal López and San Martín avenues, with Silvio Pettirossi International Airport about 20 minutes away. Plans include a rooftop restaurant and bar, 244 square metres of meeting and event space, a gym and an outdoor pool — a solid business-and-leisure mix aimed at the corporate and MICE demand driving the city's hotel market.
It won't be the pair's first joint project. Petra Imperiale, Grupo Petra's flagship mixed-use development in Asunción, is due to open in early 2030 and will include an NH Collection hotel. Beyond the capital, the two companies are eyeing Ciudad del Este, a cross-border commerce hub, and Encarnación, a tourism and events city on the Argentine border — plus other cities benefiting from new infrastructure investment.
For travellers, the takeaway is that Asunción's hotel scene is quietly upgrading. International management brands bring consistent standards, reliable Wi-Fi, proper business facilities and, in this case, a rooftop with a view — useful whether you're in town for meetings or using the capital as a base to explore a country most visitors still skip. Paraguay's pitch is a stable economy, improving infrastructure and growing demand from business, leisure and conference travellers, so expect more international-brand options in the coming years.
If you're planning a trip before these hotels open, Asunción already has a workable range of accommodation, and Encarnación's riverfront beaches and Jesuit mission sites make an easy second stop. Ciudad del Este remains a shopping-and-logistics town rather than a leisure destination, though it's the gateway to Iguazú-area crossings.
