A concise roundup of global hospitality news
BAYMONT BY WYNDHAM CHANGES HANDS: Lakeland Maruti Hotels, LLC has acquired the 67-room Baymont by Wyndham in Lakeland, Fla. The hotel was sold by Prestige Yenugonda Holdings, LLC. The acquisition price was not disclosed. DSH Hotel Advisors arranged the sale of the interior-corridor hotel and represented the seller and buyer in the deal. Tampa, Fla.-based DSH Hotel Advisors held the exclusive listing, which generated more than 310 signed confidentiality agreements from buyers and received 27 offers from buyers from the U.S. and internationally. Located between Tampa and Orlando directly off of Interstate 4, the hotel recently underwent renovations to include new paint, bedding and furniture in the guest rooms and enhancements to the public areas. Following the sale of the Sleep Inn & Suites, this is the second hotel that DSH Hotel Advisors sold in Lakeland in the last couple of weeks.
ALOFT HOTELS OPENS IN HONDURAS: Aloft Hotels, part of Marriott Bonvoy’s portfolio of 31 hotel brands, has announced the opening of Aloft San Pedro Sula in Honduras. Located in a residential area in San Pedro Sula, the hotel offers 122 rooms with high-tech features. The hotel includes a bar, restaurant, meeting spaces (including the rooftop venue, which offers panoramic views of the Sula Valley), a fitness center and a grab-and-go station. Currently, Aloft Hotels has more than 220 hotels across 29 countries.
AHLA FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES $500,000 IN GRANTS: AHLA Foundation has awarded $500,000 as its first-ever No Room for Trafficking Survivor Fund grants to four community-based organizations serving survivors of human trafficking. The four recipients are Safe House Project, Emergency Services Program; Businesses Ending Slavery and Trafficking, Safe Jobs Collective; Restore NYC Inc., Economic Empowerment Program; and University of Maryland Support, Advocacy, Freedom and Empowerment Center for Human Trafficking Survivors, “Future in Training” Hospitality Job Readiness Program. The grant will help recipients to provide and promote resources to build self-sufficiency and stability for survivors. Launched in 2022, the fund has grown to $3.4 million.
MARRIOTT CLEVELAND UNIVERSITY CIRCLE SELLS FOR $31M: Apple Hospitality REIT has acquired the 154-room Marriott Cleveland University Circle for $31 million, or approximately $201,000 per key. Other terms of the deal were not disclosed. The hotel first opened in 2013; it recently underwent a complete renovation of its rooms and interior public spaces and saw the addition of one guest room and an expanded fitness center. With this acquisition, Apple Hospitality now has 221 hotels totaling 29,138 rooms across 37 states.
SONDER TO MANAGE, OPERATE THE MERCHANT: Sonder Holdings Inc. has collaborated with Kalimian Equities to manage and operate the newly-built hotel at 139 Orchard in New York as The Merchant. The new 98-key hotel is expected to open this fall. Located on the corner of Orchard and Allen Streets, The Merchant will feature a rooftop terrace, a fitness center, guest lounge and several dining venues. Most rooms will offer private outdoor terraces overlooking the Lower East Side’s streetscape. The deal was brokered by Aziz Kabbaj of Reshape.