Anantara in Diriyah development: Minor Hotels, Bangkok, has signed a MOU with Diriyah Gate Development Authority (DGDA), Riyadh, to develop a hotel under its Anantara brand at the Diriyah site located outside Riyadh. The DGDA is developing over 11 square kilometers to build a cultural and lifestyle development. Currently, there are 10 Anantara properties in operation in the Middle East, along with four more properties in the pipeline.
The Set Collection joins GHA: The Set Collection, a London-based luxury hotel collection, will join the Dubai-based Global Hotel Alliance, operator of a multi-brand loyalty program GHA Discovery. Founding members of The Set Collection will also become members of the alliance’s Ultratravel Collection, a selection of the program’s global luxury properties. The Conservatorium in Amsterdam, Café Royal in London, the Lutetia in Paris and the recently added Mamilla in Jerusalem make up the group’s founding members those joining GHA. The Set Collection’s integration into GHA Discovery will combine the loyalty program’s recent reimagination. It will now be known as The Set Discovery.
Aimbridge appoints Mark Tamis: Aimbridge Hospitality has appointed Mark Tamis as its president of global operations. With more than 35 years of hospitality leadership, Tamis most recently served as senior vice president of hotel operations at Royal Caribbean International. Before joining Royal Caribbean, he served in several progressive roles in the travel and tourism industry with industry leaders, including Carnival Cruise Line, Setai Hotels and Resorts, Ian Schrager Hotels, Morgans Hotel Group and Ian Schrager Company.
Davidson adds 7: Starwood Capital Group, Miami, Florida, has selected Atlanta, Georgia-based Davidson Hospitality Group to manage seven branded hotels under its Davidson Hotels operating unit. The properties include Aloft San Francisco Airport, The Westin San Francisco Airport, Le Méridien Atlanta Perimeter, Sheraton Memphis Downtown, Sheraton Columbus at Capitol Square, DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Columbus Downtown and the soon-to-open Embassy Suites by Hilton Nashville Downtown. Davidson’s portfolio currently consists of 78 properties and over 187 restaurants, bars and lounges and almost 1.5 million square feet of meeting space in the U.S.
Marriott amends “robocall” lawsuit: Marriott International has filed an amended lawsuit in a federal court in Virginia and has named 10 defendants responsible for fraudulent “robocalls” and other misuse of Marriott’s name, the company said in a release. The defendants reportedly engaged in deceptive and abusive telemarketing practices and used Marriott’s name for their commercial gain. As per the YouMail Robocall Index, consumers in the U.S. received over billions of robocalls in 2021 pushing services and products including fake Marriott offers. To lure consumers into buying promotions, robocallers reportedly said they were employees or agents of Marriott.
Deal making activity declines: Deal-making activity declined 28.1% to 64 deals (comprising mergers and acquisitions, private equity, and venture financing) in April in the global travel and tourism sector, according to GlobalData. A total of 89 deals were announced in March. The announcements of mergers and acquisition and private equity deals fell by 42.6% and 9.1%, respectively, while the number of venture financing deals increased by 11.8% in April as compared to the previous month. Most of the key global markets reported a dip in deals volume, due to surging fuel prices and the new variant of COVID-19. Key global markets including the U.S., the U.K., India, and Germany saw 29%, 12.5%, 33.3% and 75%, respectively, decrease in deal volume in April compared to previous month. However, markets like Japan, Spain, France and Sweden saw improved deal activity.
Indigo Road adds to portfolio: The Indigo Road Hospitality Group (IHRG), Charleston, South Carolina, has announced the addition of The George Hotel, which is under construction in Georgetown, South Carolina, to its portfolio of boutique hotels. Along with operating the hotel, Indigo Road will also manage the hotel’s outdoor bar, full-service restaurant and catering operations. This is the group’s first property in their home state. The hotel will feature 56 rooms, a restaurant and bar and direct marina access and is expected to open in spring 2023. Winyah Hospitality LLC began developing the hotel in February and is demolishing the building currently at the site of the hotel. Winyah Hospitality acquired the building from Georgetown Times in August 2021. Indigo Road has three open and operating hotels, three acquisitions under contract, four active developments and over wo dozen restaurants in eight cities.
Kimpton to Nevada: Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants broke ground on May 13 on its new hotel in Reno, Nevada. Once it opens in late 2024, it will be the city’s first newly constructed non-gaming hotel. Owned by Las Vegas, Nevada-based CAI Investments, LLC, 16 stories of the 20-story multi-use tower will feature 270 rooms. Obermeier Sheykhet Architecture will work on the building’s architecture and the accompanying 55,000-square-foot office space and residences. The hotel will include four restaurants and bars, an outdoor pool, day spa, fitness center and around 16,000 square feet of event space. The hotel will mark Kimpton’s first property in Nevada.
Kempa Collection grows in Cayman Islands: Kempa Collection announced the addition of Kempa Caribe in Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands. The eight-room, 14 bath Kempa Caribe is a beachfront estate home spanning 1.4 acres with 48,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor living space, a private tennis/pickleball court and spa. The resort joins Kempa Kai on Cayman Islands, Kempa Villa in Palm Desert, California and Kempa Park in Orlando, Florida.
PMZ finances 3 TownePlace Suites: PMZ Realty Capital LLC has arranged financing for three TownePlace Suites by Marriott properties The US$20 million non-recourse loan with a bank enabled the owner to refinance the existing debt that matured with a rate less than 5%. The three properties include the 112-suite TownePlace Suites Denver Southeast, the 150-suite TownePlace Suites Boulder Broomfield Interlocken, and the 94-suite TownePlace Suites Denver Tech Center. All three hotels are located in the Greater Denver area.