LE MÉRIDIEN TO ZANZIBAR: Marriott International has inked an agreement with Morogoro Mishama Co., the sister company of Delaware Investment Ltd., to bring Le Méridien Hotels & Resorts to Zanzibar, Tanzania. Slated to open in 2025, Le Méridien Zanzibar Resort will be located in Bwejuu, on the eastern coast of Zanzibar Island and will feature 75 rooms and villas with views of the Indian Ocean. The resort will include a specialty restaurant, an open-air bar, a fitness center, a pool, a spa, a kid’s club and a lagoon. The resort marks Morogoro Mishama’s second collaboration with Marriott in the region. The hotel will be operated by Dubai-based Aleph Hospitality. Le Méridien has around 120 properties in over 35 countries in its portfolio.
HOTEL GRANDUCA SECURES FINANCING: JLL Capital Markets has arranged $30.6 million in financing for the Hotel Granduca in Houston. JLL secured the five-year, floating-rate loan from Prime Finance on behalf of Transwestern Hospitality Group. The six-story, 122-key boutique hotel features two dining venues, a bar, a gym, 2,860 square feet of meeting rooms and 2,050 square feet of event space. Built in 2006, the hotel sits on 3.57 acres of land, including a pool, garden and seating area. The hotel’s ground floor will undergo renovations in the first half of the year. The lobby, breakfast area, bar, seating and event areas will undergo a comprehensive redesign, and the gym will be relocated. The lobby will be reimagined, and the tearoom will be converted into a salon. The restaurant will be shifted to an event space, which opens onto the garden, and the former restaurant space will turn into an event space.
BEST WESTERN OPENS IN LOUISIANA: Best Western Hotels & Resorts has opened Best Western Heritage Inn & Suites in Broussard, La. Owned and operated by Divi Hospitality and General Manager Dennis Patel, the hotel offers 67 rooms and kitchenette suites. The hotel was recently renovated and features revitalized rooms with new flooring, furniture, bedding, artwork and smart televisions. The hotel includes a fitness center, an outdoor pool, guest laundry and a business center. BWH Hotels comprises three companies: WorldHotels, Best Western Hotels & Resorts and SureStay Hotels. The global network consists of 4,500 hotels in more than 100 countries.
IHCL, TREE OF LIFE PARTNER: Indian Hotels Co. Ltd. (UHCL) has entered into a strategic alliance with Tree of Life Resorts & Hotels, recently acquired by the Kolkata, India-based Ambuja Neotia Group. The alliance opens up IHCL’s marketing and distribution network to Tree of Life’s portfolio. Founded in 2009, Tree of Life operates 14 boutique hotels outside city centers across India. The Tree of Life properties can be booked from IHCL’s distribution channels from March 1. One of the biggest hotel companies in India and the hospitality vertical of the Tata Group, IHCL has a portfolio of more than 300 hotels, including 90 under development, in 13 countries.