IHG inks Philips partnership: PPDS, the exclusive global provider of Philips professional displays, has announced a new global partnership with IHG Hotels & Resorts to debut Philips MediaSuite TVs into IHG properties. IHG will introduce the new, advanced Chromecast™ built-in Philips MediaSuite hospitality TVs to deliver an updated in-room entertainment solution. IHG will launch Philips MediaSuite TVs in selected hotels across all of its brands. As part of the partnership, Philips MediaSuite TVs (available in sizes ranging from 49” to 75”) will be available for hotels to purchase. Philips MediaSuite TVs feature built-in Chromecast allowing guests to wirelessly cast streaming content, including movies, gaming, presentations, etc. All guest data will be deleted once they check out of the room through built-in security protocols.
Champion Hotels’ $26M acquisition: Champion Hotels has acquired four hotels from American Hotel Investment Properties in Oklahoma for $26.25 million. The deal, led by HotelBrokerOne, closed on Dec. 6 and includes two Holiday Inn hotels, a Staybridge in Oklahoma City and a Hampton Inn in Woodward, Okla., totaling 440 rooms. The properties will remain with their respective flags and will undergo extensive renovations and upgrades. Champion Hotels owns and operates more than 150 properties across the U.S., with 70 of those in Oklahoma.
Cape Codder Resort sells: Linchris Hotel Corp. has acquired the 266-key Cape Codder Resort & Spa in Hyannis, Mass., on Cape Cod, from Catania Hospitality Group. The hotel features 18,000 square feet of event space, a waterpark, a fitness center, swimming pools, four food and beverage venues. The hotel was last renovated in 2008. The hotel was offered unencumbered by brand and management. JLL represented the seller. JLL also represented Linchris and worked with long-time partner Tristan Pierce, FVP Commercial Lending at HarborOne Bank to secure their financing.
citizenM openings in 2023: citizenM will open three new properties in Miami, Paris and Austin in 2023. The company will add more openings in 2024, with its first hotels in Rome and Dublin, a second hotel in Boston, third properties in Miami and Washington, D.C. and its fifth location in London. The properties set to open next year include the 351-key citizenM Miami World Center (to open in Q1 2023), the 84-room citizenM Paris Opera (to open in Q1 2023) and the 344-key citizenM Austin Downtown. citizenM will also open a property in Menlo Park, as a benchmark project in the Facebook campus. The company plans to add projects in key and gateway cities in North America and Europe and aims to have 40 open hotels by 2024.
Refinancing for 2 Florida hotels: JLL’s Hotels & Hospitality Group has arranged $110 million in refinancing for two adjacent beachfront hotels totaling 481 keys in Pensacola Beach, Fla. The hotels include the 275-key Hilton Pensacola Beach and the 206-room Holiday Inn Resort Pensacola Beach. JLL represented Innisfree Hotels, the borrower, in securing the five-year, fixed-rate loan with flexible repayment options through a regional bank. Proceeds from the loan were used to pay off a maturing CMBS loan secured by JLL 10 years ago. The loan additionally included more than $18 million for future capital improvements and US$23 million of cash back to the sponsorship. The transaction represents more than $500 million in financings secured for Innisfree Hotels.
Travelodge to grow London footprint: Travelodge has announced plans to more than double its presence in London and is looking for 127 hotel sites across the city. Travelodge has secured four deals, with hotels currently under development in Beckenham, Bermondsey, Chiswick and Peckham, representing an investment of £55 million (US$67.40 million) for third-party investors. The new properties will feature the group’s on-site Bar Café concept and dedicated SuperRoom floors with the brand’s premium economy rooms, and will open in 2023. The company partnered with landlord Three Rivers District Council for the recent opening of the 177-key London Wimbledon Central Travelodge. The hotel was the group’s 79th hotel in London. The company operates 596 hotels across the U.K., Ireland and Spain.
Indonesia’s new sex law won’t affect Bali hotels: A week after Indonesia passed a controversial bill that seeks to criminalize unmarried couples from living together and sexual behavior outside marriage, Bali’s governor has stated that the bill doesn’t question tourists about their marital status. The law punishes extramarital sex with up to a year in prison and couples who live together without being legally married can face jail. Persons can be prosecuted if a complaint is raised by a spouse, parent or child. Although changes are expected to be implemented only after three years, it is feared that the law will put off foreign tourists from visiting Bali. Wayan Koster, Bali governor, said visitors to the island will not fall under the ambit of the new law. He added that Bali government would ensure that there will be no inquiries on guests’ marital status during check-in at hotels, resorts and spas. The bill is yet to be signed by the president and mandates the formulation of implementational regulations.
Radisson RED to Liverpool: Radisson RED has announced its first hotel in Liverpool, UK. Located in a renovated Grade II-listed property, which earlier functioned as Northern Western Hall and dates back to 1871, Radisson RED Liverpool is a 10-story building with 201 rooms and suites. The hotel also includes a destination restaurant, five meeting rooms for up to 50 people, an intimate dining room for up to eight people and a gym. Before the opening of the hotel, the building underwent extensive renovations, which included the reconstruction of a six-meter-high window above the staircase. Over 792 hours were spent refurbishing the grand staircase.
Renovations at Grand Wailea: Grand Wailea, A Waldorf Astoria Resort in Wailea, Hawaii, recently underwent a property-wide renovation by New York-based hospitality design studio, Tihany Design. The renovations included refreshed dining venues and enhanced spaces. Takeshi Sekiguchi, Grand Wailea’s original developer, worked to personify his vision in creating a luxury resort inspired by six cultural and environmental influences of Maui. The resort offers 776 rooms and suites and 51 luxury villas.
The Hoxton’s fourth in London: The Hoxton has opened its fourth hotel in London — The Hoxton, Shepherd’s Bush. Located in west London, the hotel includes 237 retro-inspired rooms, a restaurant, terrace, lobby, event space and a standalone retail unit playing host to eco-brand Plastic Freedom’s first physical store. The hotel’s interiors have been designed by AIME Studios, Ennismore’s in-house design studio.
Lodging Dynamics adds in Seattle: Provo, Utah-based Lodging Dynamics Hospitality Group has been appointed to manage The Charter Hotel Seattle, Curio Collection by Hilton. This grows Lodging Dynamic’s footprint in the Seattle market. The 229-key hotel includes two upscale dining venues and over 10,000 square feet of event space.
IHCL’s SeleQtions to Dharamshala: Mumbai, India-based Indian Hotels Co. (IHCL) has opened Norbu The Montanna, an IHCL SeleQtions hotel at Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh, in India. The hotel marks the first SeleQtions-branded property in Dharamshala. IHCL partnered with Soham Hotels & resorts for the hotel. Located at the Kangra Valley, the hotel offers 31 rooms and suites and three dining venues. With the addition of this hotel, IHCL now has four hotels in Himachal Pradesh, with two under development.