A quick roundup of global hospitality news.
SELINA OPENS IN GREECE: Selina Hospitality has expanded to the Mediterranean with its latest seaside property in Evia, Greece. Selina Kaminos Evia is a wellness retreat offering wellness programs to complement the island’s surroundings. The hotel has 105-bed spaces with various accommodation options, including private rooms and apartments with kitchenettes and balconies with views of the Aegean Sea. The property includes a pool and multiple dining venues.
THE HOTEL MARIA TO OPEN IN HELSINKI: The Hotel Maria is set to open in December in Helsinki. Reservations have now opened for stays starting December 15. A member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts’ Legend Collection, the luxury hotel is located in the city’s Kruununhaka district. The Hotel Maria will be the first Legend Collection-branded property in Finland. The hotel consists of four buildings built between 1885 and 1930 and offers 117 rooms, including 38 suites. The hotel also includes two restaurants and bars, a ballroom, chapel, spa and wellness facilities and a destination boutique showcasing Finnish designers. The hotel’s interiors feature custom furnishings from American luxury furniture company RH. One of the biggest independent hotel brands, Preferred Hotels & Resorts has over 650 properties across 80 countries.
REFINANCING FOR NYC WESTIN GRAND: JLL’s Hotels & Hospitality Group has arranged a new, floating-rate loan to refinance the Westin Grand Central in New York City. JLL represented the borrower, a global investment management company, to secure the loan from funds that are managed by Apollo. The investment management company has owned the 744-key hotel since 2019. Located in Midtown Manhattan, the hotel features a restaurant and lobby bar, 13,000 square feet of meeting space, a fitness center and a 144-space parking deck.
BEST WESTERN’S DUAL-BRANDED HOTEL IN NEW MEXICO: Best Western Hotels & Resorts has opened the new Best Western Plus Executive Residency Carlsbad Hotel in Carlsbad, N.M. Raj Bhakta owns the hotel, which has 78 rooms, including four suites. Bhakta also serves as the hotel’s general manager. The new-build, dual-branded hotel caters to long-term stays on the Executive Residency side and features kitchenettes. Amenities include an indoor pool, a fitness center and 700 square feet of meeting areas. Best Western’s portfolio currently includes 4,500 hotels under 19 brands in more than 100 countries.