U.S. warning in Mexico: Rising homicide rates in Mexican resort locations including the states of Quintana Roo and Baja California Sur prompted the U.S. State Department to upgrade warnings to citizens about travel to those areas.
Read Mexico’s response in Bloomberg
Whither the Wales? New York City’s Hotel Wales was sold for US$35 million to an affiliate of DLJ Real Estate Capital Partners; a sales flyer touted the 10-story building in the Carnegie Hil neighborhood as a good candidate for an apartment conversion.
Read more in the New York Post
Europe and Africa up, Middle East down: According to STR data, Europe is still climbing: For the month of July, occupancy rose 2.6% to 78.5%, ADR rose 4.3% to 118.30 euros (US$139.30) and RevPAR rose 7.0% to 92.84 euros (US$109.32). In Africa, occupancy rose 6.9% to 60.7%, ADR was up 9.3% to US$97.81, and RevPAR rose 16.8% to US$59.34. Things aren’t so rosy in the Middle East, where occupancy was down 2.8% to 56.1%, ADR fell 16.1% to US$134.00, and RevPAR was down 18.4% to US$75.20.
Raffles in Maldives: AccorHotels will take over the management contract for the Dhevanafushi Maldives Luxury Resort, starting September 1. It will be re-branded as the Raffles Maldives Meradhoo Resort in late 2018 following a refurbishment.
Read more in Hotelier Middle East