Another Nobu for London. Nobu Hospitality has announced a second project in London, this one on the West End scheduled to open in spring 2020. The 239-room Nobu Hotel, owned by London + Regional Hotels, is set in Portman Square W1. The property is being conceptualized by London-based architecture and interior design firm, David Collins Studio, in conjunction with Make Architects.
AHLA takes new shot at Airbnb. A new report released on Monday on behalf of the AHLA, National Tax Day in the United States, calls on state and local government leaders to reject Airbnb’s future pursuit of voluntary collection agreements (VCAs) and look to the Supreme Court’s Wayfair vs. South Dakota decision as a pathway to cancel current VCA agreements and bring Airbnb up to code with current industry tax standards and regulations. The report, issued by Dan Bucks, former director of the Montana Revenue Department and previous executive director of the Multistate Tax Commission, says the decision last year provides the legal framework and incentive to tax Airbnb like every other U.S. online business now.
Airbnb-HotelTonight deal final. HotelTonight and Airbnb on Monday announced that the acquisition bringing the two companies together has closed. The HotelTonight app and website will continue to operate as they do and Sam Shank, HotelTonight co-founder and CEO, will lead the boutique hotel category at Airbnb. In the first quarter of 2019, the number of room nights booked via HotelTonight, a hotel-booking service focused on last-minute trips, increased more than 41%, year-over-year.
Caesars deal imminent? Caesars Entertainment, which owns Harrah’s and Bally’s hotels and casinos, is getting ready to put itself up for sale, the New York Post reported. The US$24 billion company (US$18 billion in debt) plans to announce within days that its board has approved a sales process amid pressure from billionaire investor Carl Icahn, sources told The Post. Billionaire Tilman Fertitta, the owner of the Houston Rockets, was recently invited to conduct due diligence using the casino company’s records, sources said. This is a change from November when his merger offer was rebuffed due to a concern about the strength of the offer.
Crowne Plaza sells. A Singaporean consortium led by developer Heeton Holdings has acquired Crowne Plaza London Kensington, a freehold property, for £84.3 million ($110.3 million). In a disclosure, Heeton said, it has teamed up with contractor KSH Holdings and privately held construction firm Ho Lee Group to acquire Crowne Plaza London Kensington via a share sale and purchase agreement with LC London.
Lego theme to Dubai. Dubai Parks and Resorts will become home to the Middle East’s first Legoland hotel in 2020. The 250-room hotel is a joint venture between DXB Entertainments (who look after Dubai Parks and Resorts) and Merlin Entertainments Group, which will manage the property’s operations. Dubai Parks and Resorts aims to expand its accommodation offering over the next year to more than 1,300 hotel rooms.
Sterling Resorts sold. Vacasa has acquired Sterling Resorts, one of the largest vacation rental companies on the Florida Gulf Coast. Previously purchased by Pacifica Companies in 2015, Sterling Resorts manages 1,000 units in destinations along the Gulf Coast of Northwest Florida. The company has not reported inventory growth since 2015. With the acquisition, Vacasa now manages 12,000 exclusive vacation rentals and is the largest vacation rental management company in North America.