Wyndham in Auckland: Wyndham Hotel Group announced plans to build an NZ$50 million (US$35.5 million) hotel in Auckland. The 86-key hotel, which will have a mix of studio and one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, is scheduled to open in early 2018.
Jin Jiang in Xi’an: Jin Jiang International Hotel Management Co. signed an agreement with Xi’an Neo-China Chanba Euro-Asia Hotel Development Co. to manage Jin Jiang International Hotel Xi’an, the second Jin Jiang hotel that it manages in the city of Xi’an. The 355-key hotel was previously managed by Kempinski Hotels.
Disney bans fishing: Walt Disney World is cracking down on fishing on its property unless it’s part of an excursion, and netting has been added to rope fences. Both the changes were made after a 2-year-old boy was killed by an alligator at the Seven Seas Lagoon.
Canopy in Oregon: Canopy by Hilton and the Buccini/Pollin Group are building Canopy’s first hotel in Portland, Oregon. The 153-key hotel in the the city’s Pearl District is slated to open in fall 2017.
Trump property tax dispute: Donald Trump is suing the District of Columbia over the tax bill for the hotel he is developing at the Old Post Office. The suit was filed yesterday. The value of the historic building was originally assessed at US$98 million; Trump Hotels got that figure reduced to US$91 million but failed to get additional reductions.
Read more in the Washington Post
Booking.com boosts analytics: Booking.com is rolling out two data-driven products to partners. The Analytics dashboard offers four reports including two focusing on sales performance. Booker Insights has details on behavior including country of origin and device used to book.
JLL on Sharia-compliant finance: Wealthy Muslim investors are providing increasingly important sources of cash for property deals in places like the U.K. and Germany, according to JLL. About 60% of JLL’s Gulf client base require Sharia-compliant investments and finance, the company says.
AC in San Juan: Marriott International announced the start of construction for an AC Hotel in the San Juan neighborhood of Condado in Puerto Rico. The 233-room hotel will open in the third quarter of 2017.
BW Premier Collection addition: Best Western Hotels & Resorts added The Dana on Mission Bay in San Diego to its BW Premier Collection soft brand. It’s the fifth North American property in the portfolio.
Spire to manage Seattle Marriott: Management of the 459-room Seattle Airport Marriott recently acquired by AWH Partners was awarded to Spire Hospitality. Spire will oversee renovations including guestrooms and atrium reconfiguration.
Red Lion in Fargo: RLHC will convert an 84-room hotel in Fargo, North Dakota, to a Red Lion Inn & Suites Fargo in October.
Dalata trading: On June 30 Irish hotel firm Dalata began trading on the main index of the London and Dublin stock exchanges. It announced the switch from London’s Alternative Investment Market and Ireland’s Enterprise Securities Market earlier this year.