Motto adds six: Motto by Hilton, the company’s lifestyle brand launched last year, signed six properties in the U.S. and South America: Motto by Hilton Washington D.C. City Center, opening early next year, a 245-room hotel in Penn Quarter; a 108-room hotel in downtown Indianapolis opening in 2021; a 374-room hotel in New York City’s Chelsea neighborhood, in 2021; a 155-room hotel in Lima, Peru, opening in 2022 near Miraflores’ central plaza; a 117-room property in Brooklyn, opening in 2022; and in Savannah, Georgia, a 125-room hotel opening in the city’s historic district in 2022. It also broke ground in Atlanta’s Old Fourth Ward, at 146-room property slated to open in 2021as part of a mixed-use development led by Lucror Resources and equity partner Sixty West. The hotel will be operated by Hospitality Ventures Management Group of Atlanta.
Marriott in Caribbean: Marriott International signed contracts with hotel developers to open two all-inclusive resorts in Jamaica and Curaçao. The 800-room Marriott Hotel Al Amaterra is planned on a beachfront site within the Amaterra Resort, a mixed-use development along Jamaica’s north coast. Owner/developer Amaterra Group expects to commence construction in early 2020. It’s the first signed Marriott Hotels-branded all-inclusive resort; Amaterra will work with Marriott to manage the property. In Curaçao, Marriott signed an agreement to open a 283-room, all-inclusive Autograph Collection resort in the Pietermaai district of Willemstad. Construction is expected to begin in June 2020, with completion by 2024.
Aimbridge grows in Indianapolis: Management company giant Aimbridge Hospitality has been selected to manage three Marriott International-branded properties located in Indianapolis, Indiana. Owned by U.S. OCG, a global investment firm based in Los Angeles, the portfolio includes Marriott Indianapolis East, Fairfield Inn & Suites Indianapolis East and Delta Indianapolis East. Beginning in 2020, the Marriott Indianapolis East will undergo a US$21 million renovation, while the Fairfield Inn & Suites Indianapolis East will focus on a refresh of all guest rooms.
New AAHOA leader: The board of directors at the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA) have selected Dr. Cecil Staton as its next president and CEO. Prior to joining AAHOA, Staton served as the chancellor at East Carolina University from 2016 to 2019. During his tenure at ECU, he launched a US$500 million capital campaign that raised more than US$230 million in the first three years.
Europe pipeline increases: STR hotel pipeline data for Europe showed 1,620 projects accounting for 205,383 rooms in construction as of October 2019. That’s a 44.3% year-over-year increase in rooms in the final phase of development. Unaffiliated projects represented the largest percentage increase (67,829 rooms, up 88.7%) YOY. Next was upscale, with 40,750 rooms (up 30.9%), and upper midscale (up 30.6%). Top countries were Germany, with 51,544 rooms (up 7.6%); the U.K., with 40,867 rooms (up 6.0%); and Spain, with 26,166 rooms (up 3.9%).
U.S. hotel construction up: STR also reported U.S. pipeline data: 1,563 projects accounting for 205,299 rooms in construction as of October 2019, a 5.5% year-over-year increase in the number of rooms in the final phase of the development pipeline. “Growth in construction activity had been hovering closer to 10%, and the 5.5% increase in October is actually the lowest for the industry since February,” said Bobby Bowers, STR’s senior VP of operations. Luxury chains have 10.9% of existing supply represented in construction, and no other segment is above 7.9%, Bowers said. Details: Upscale: 63,428 rooms; upper midscale: 62,542 rooms; upper upscale: 27,875 rooms. Major markets: New York: 13,801 rooms (up 10.9%); Las Vegas: 9,259 rooms (up 5.6%); Orlando: 7,322 rooms (up 5.7%).