A quick roundup of global hospitality news.
THE BOTREE OPENS: Place III Hotels has opened its first luxury hotel, The BoTree, in London. The hotel features 199 rooms, including 30 suites, along with a destination restaurant and bar. The suites consist of a lounge, balcony, personal bar and integrated cocktail station, with the biggest suite — The BoTree Suite — featuring views across central London. Located at the junction where Marylebone, Mayfair and Soho meet, the hotel is a member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts’ Legend Collection. Capturing the spirit of Marylebone’s ‘village’ life, the hotel has achieved an Excellent rating in BREEAM. Tao Group Hospitality is in charge of the dining and bars in the hotels, including LAVO, The BoTree’s signature restaurant. After opening in the U.S. and Singapore, LAVO is making its U.K. debut at The BoTree. The hotel will soon add an event space, private bar, wellness space and a rooftop with panoramic city views.
ANDAZ OPENS ITS BIGGEST HOTEL: Hyatt Hotels Corp. has collaborated with Galaxy Macau, the luxury shopping, dining, entertainment and resort complex, to announce the opening of Andaz Macau. The hotel is Andaz’s first hotel in Macau and its largest hotel globally. The hotel offers more than 700 rooms and suites and a collection of artworks and artifacts celebrating the city’s heritage. The property has two towers between the neighborhoods of Old Taipa and Coloane. The hotel offers a direct connection to Galaxy International Convention Center and the 16,000-seat Gaaxy Arena. The hotel includes a lounge, three dining venues, a heated 62-foot swimming pool, a fitness center, a dedicated check-in lounge, meeting and events spaces and complimentary access to the Grand Resort Deck at Galaxy Macau.
$21M LOAN TO REFINANCE COTTON COURT HOTEL: Sonnenblick-Eichner Co. has arranged $21 million of fixed-rate, first mortgage financing for the Cotton Court Hotel in Lubbock, Texas. The five-year, fixed-rate loan is non-recourse and was financed by a Wall Street investment bank. The loan is interest-only for the full term at an interest rate of 7.6%. The upscale hotel features 165 rooms and is situated one mile away from Texas Tech University and Lubbock’s downtown Depot District. Amenities at the property include a restaurant and bar, 4,489 square feet of indoor meeting space, and 20,772 square feet of interior courtyard area with a pool, pool bar, outdoor fireplaces and fire pits.
HHP ACQUIRES HOMEWOOD SUITES BY HILTON EATONTOWN: Highline Hospitality Partners (HHP), the hospitality investment platform launched by Highline Real Estates (HREP), has acquired Homewood Suites by Hilton Eatontown, N.J. The 131-room, extended-stay hotel is HHP’s 11th property and is located close to the Jersey Shore beaches and Fort Monmouth, a decommissioned army base undergoing a transformational redevelopment. The hotel also marks HHP’s first property in New Jersey. With this, HHP now has 11 hotels totaling 3,200 keys in its portfolio. HHP has selected Avion Hospitality to manage the hotel.
MARRIOTT TO OPEN THREE HOTELS IN INDONESIA’S NEW CAPITAL: Marriott International, Inc. has signed a hotel management agreement with Indonesia-based real estate developer PT. Pakuwon Jati Tbk. to open three hotels in Indonesia’s new capital city, Ibu Kota Negara Nusantara. The multi-deal agreement will see Marriott introducing three brands — Four Points by Sheraton, Tribute Portfolio and Westin Hotels & Resorts — in the destination. Four Points by Sheraton Nusantara will be the first to open and will have 300 rooms, an outdoor pool, event spaces and a gym. Tribute Portfolio will offer 150 rooms and suites, a signature destination dining venue, a café, a pool bar and a lobby lounge. The hotel is also expected to have an outdoor swimming pool, a gym and a spa. The Westin in Nusantara is expected to have 200 rooms and suites, three restaurants, three bars and lounges, function spaces, meeting rooms, a pool, a fitness center, a spa and a kid’s club. Nusantara has been planned as a smart forest city, aligned with Indonesia’s commitment to achieve zero carbon emissions and 100% new and renewable energy by 2060.