Trumped by a Marriott: A luxury hotel and condominium tower in Panama City that used to bear the Trump name was formally rebranded Tuesday as the JW Marriott after a bitter dispute over control that ended with the U.S. president’s family company evicted. The 70-story, seaside, sail-shaped building is now operated under the brand of U.S. hotelier Marriott International, which took over management. Owners and administrators unveiled the new name on a granite wall at the entrance where the Trump name was removed in March when, after a hotly contested legal fight, majority investor Orestes Fintiklis ousted Trump managers.
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Oyo aims big: Hotel chain Oyo Hotels said Tuesday it would raise US$1 billion from existing investors, including Japan’s Softbank Group, to grow its business in India and China, and expand into new international markets. In the latest funding round, which could value OYO at about US$5 billion, it has already raised US$800 million from investors led by Softbank’s Vision Fund, the world’s biggest private tech investor, and Lightspeed Venture Partners, Sequoia Capital and Greenoaks Capital.
Housekeeping incident in Waikiki: An incident at a Waikiki hotel involving a member of Saudi Arabia’s royal entourage is now under investigation by the Honolulu Police Department. A Royal Hawaiian Hotel housekeeper says that an entourage member grabbed her arm when she couldn’t open a locked door to an adjoining room. The Royal Hawaiian Hotel issued this statement Tuesday:
“The safety and security of our employees is always a top priority. We are aware of the incident that was reported and alerted the Honolulu Police Department immediately. Because of confidentiality issues, we are unable to discuss the details of the incident. However, we can confirm that we have safety measures in place, including providing our Royal Hawaiian Hotel housekeepers with an electronic panic alert system. And we have policies and procedures in place to assist our employees and thoroughly investigate and respond to any such incident.”
‘Trip’ed up: TripAdvisor has defended itself against accusations that as many as one in three reviews is fake. An undercover operation by The Times claimed to have caught bed and breakfast hosts trying to buy 5-star TripAdvisor reviews – as well as negative reviews of rivals. The investigation found a thriving online trade in fake TripAdvisor reviews. TripAdvisor has rejected the claims, saying it invests heavily in detecting fraud and has tools to prevent bogus posts.
Archipelago in Saudi Arabia: Archipelago International, Indonesia’s largest hotel group, signed a long-term agreement with Jeddah, Saudi Arabia-based Warifat Hospitality Limited, a subsidiary of Jabal Omar Development Company. The multi-hotel agreement grants development and branding rights to Warifat Hospitality for three of Archipelago’s hotel brands — Grand Aston, Aston and Harper — in Saudi Arabia. The first hotel being developed will be the 560-room Jabal Omar Grand Aston, due for completion in July 2019.
Choice in Saudi Arabia: Choice Hotels International will bring seven additional hotels to Saudi Arabia under its Comfort and Quality brands. The new hotels represent the first step of a broader strategy to open 30 Choice-branded hotels to the Kingdom. The announcement the previously signed master development agreement with an affiliate of one of the largest tourism and travel companies in the Middle East, Al-Tayyar Travel Group. All seven hotels will be operated through hotel-management agreements between CHME, a subsidiary of Al-Tayyar Travel Group, under a master license agreement with Choice Hotels. Four of these hotels already are under construction and expected to open beginning in the third quarter of 2019.
Hilton expands in Colombia: Hilton has added Atolón Hotel Cartagena Tierra Bomba, Curio Collection by Hilton, Hilton Garden Inn Pereira and Hilton Garden Inn Cartagena to the company’s portfolio in Colombia, where Hilton currently has 18 hotels. The first in-market Curio Collection by Hilton property is scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2019, while the two Hilton Garden Inn hotels are set to open by the first quarter of 2020.
Moxy in Caribbean and Latin America: The brand is targeting those regions with plans to expand into four established destinations in 2020. Four Moxy Hotels projects were recently approved in the Caribbean, Central America and South America, with the 165-room Moxy in Medellín, Colombia signed last week.
Andaz also in the Caribbean: Hyatt Hotels Corporation announced plans for Andaz Turks & Caicos at Grace Bay, a hotel and residences development expected to open in 2021, marking the Andaz brand’s first property in the Caribbean to be developed by Vista Development of Pronet Capital.
An Even three: IHG is adding three of its wellness lifestyle brand, Even, to the map. The three hotels are scheduled to open by early 2020 in Ann Arbor, Michigan (111 rooms); Charlotte, North Carolina (181 rooms); and Austin, Texas (123 rooms). Developers are Graham Hotel Systems, Mayfair Street Partners and Mopac Hotel Development LP.
Graduate in UConn: AJ Capital Partners the Nathan Hale Inn in Storrs, Connecticut. The building will convert to the Graduate Storrs and open late next year. The 98-room hotel is located on the campus of the University of Connecticut and had been partly used for student housing.