WASHINGTON, D.C. — Pebblebrook Hotel Trust has agreed to sell the 99-room Kimpton Topaz Hotel in Washington, D.C. for $33 million. The buyer was not disclosed. The hotel is located at 1733 N St. NW, less than a mile from The White House and two blocks from Dupont Circle. Hotel amenities include complimentary breakfast, a yoga mat in each room, electric car charging stations, 24-hour fitness center and twice-nightly wine hour.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Choice Hotels International Inc., along with general contractors Donohoe Development Co. and Kouchar Management, has started construction of Cambria Hotels Washington, D.C. Capitol Riverfront, a 154-room hotel. The project is scheduled for completion in early 2021. The property is located at 69 Q St. SW, three miles from the Capitol Building and walking distance to Nationals Park and Audi Field soccer stadium. Hotel amenities will include 2,500 square feet of meeting space, a ground-level restaurant, 3,500-square-foot rooftop terrace and fitness center. BBGM Architects designed the hotel.
TAMPA, FLA. — Hard Rock International has completed a $700 million expansion of Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa. The development added a new 223,900-square-foot casino to the property, which includes an additional 1,000 slot machines and 41 table games throughout its new gaming spaces. The new casino brings the roster of gaming attractions up to nearly 5,000 slot machines, 179 tables and 46 poker tables.The casino now comprises 245,000 square feet of dedicated casino space, according to the Tampa Bay Times. The renovation also included construction of a 14-story hotel with 562 rooms and suites. Amenities of the new hotel include a 26,000-square-foot spa, three pools, two VIP suites, a hair and nail salon, barbershop and lounge. The top floor also features a private gaming parlor for VIP guests. Additionally, the construction included a 1,500-seat Hard Rock Event Center, where completion celebrations were held including performances from Atlanta-based rapper Big Boi and DJ Jazzy Jeff. New food and beverage options at the property include coffee café Constant Grind, the Pool Bar & Grill and Italian restaurant Cipresso. “Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa is already one of the largest and most profitable casinos in the United States,” says Jim Allen, …
RICHARDSON, TEXAS — Marcus & Millichap has arranged the sale of Hilton Garden Inn Dallas/Richardson, a 125-room hotel that was built in 2008. The property is located along the Telecom Corridor, a six-mile strip northeast of Dallas that houses some 600 technology companies and 25 million square feet of office space. Chris Gomes and Allan Miller of Marcus & Millichap represented the seller, a Texas-based limited liability company, in the transaction. The buyer was not disclosed.
SHARONVILLE, OHIO — Marcus & Millichap has brokered the $5.2 million sale of a 75-room Holiday Inn Express & Suites hotel in Sharonville near Cincinnati. The property is located at 11160 Dowlin Drive. Andrew Bankhurst and Alexandre Duong of Marcus & Millichap marketed the property on behalf of the seller, a limited liability company. The team also secured the buyer, a limited liability company.
CHICAGO AND NEW YORK CITY — Blackstone Real Estate Partners IX, an affiliate of Blackstone (NYSE: BX), is acquiring a 65 percent controlling interest in Great Wolf Resorts Inc. Although the specific price of the investment was not disclosed, Blackstone and existing owner Centerbridge Partners LP will form a new $2.9 billion joint venture to own the company. Chicago-based based Great Wolf is an owner and operator of family-oriented entertainment resorts, with 18 locations around the country. Each lodge contains a full-service hotel, indoor waterpark, recreational activities and various food and beverage offerings. A new resort in Northern California is slated to open next year. “Great Wolf has enriched the guest experience and opened seven new lodges since 2015,” says Tyler Henritze, head of U.S. acquisitions for Blackstone. “We look forward to investing in these properties to further deliver for guests and grow the company.” Murray Hennessy, CEO of Great Wolf, says that the company stands to benefit greatly from Blackstone’s insights and expertise in hospitality. The sale comes at a time when theme park companies are benefitting from higher consumer spending on travel and leisure, according to Bloomberg. Blackstone has previously invested in SeaWorld Entertainment Inc. and helped buy …
BOSTON — Choice Hotels International Inc. has opened Cambria Hotel Boston, Downtown-South Boston, a 159-room hotel in the South Boston or “Southie” neighborhood. The hotel features a food and beverage service called Six \ West that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner in a ground-floor restaurant and extends service to a rooftop 4,000-square-foot rooftop lounge. Other amenities include a 2,400-square-foot gym, business meeting space and close access to mass transit lines. City Point Capital is developing the hotel, and Meyer Jabara will manage the property.
FLINT, MICH. — A new 101-room Hilton Garden Inn is set to open in downtown Flint in 2020. The building was formerly known as the Genesee County Savings Bank Building. The historic 11-story building was Flint’s second skyscraper when it opened in 1920. (The height of a skyscraper in those days was typically much lower than today.) Plans for the Hilton Garden Inn include a full-service restaurant, meeting and banquet center and rooftop deck. Crescent Hotels and Resorts will manage the hotel. Flint-based firms DW Lurvey Co. and Sorenson Gross are jointly managing construction of the project. Detroit-based Kraemer Design Group is serving as architect, interior designer and historic consultant. Developer Uptown Reinvestment Corp., Michigan Economic Development Corp., Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, Skypoint Ventures and Local Initiatives Support Corp. are providing project financing, along with Huntington Bank and Old National Bank.
BOSTON — Suffolk University has purchased the 114-room Ames Boston Hotel, located in Financial District of the city, for $63 million. The historic property, located at 1 Court St., was originally built in 1893 and redeveloped in 2009. The university will rebrand the building as a student housing facility called the One Court Street Residence Hall, which will ultimately house approximately 280 students. The building will undergo minor renovations, which are slated for completion in fall 2020. Ted Wheatley and Robert Webster of JLL represented Suffolk University in the transaction. Denny Meikleham, Alan Suzuki and Matthew Enright of JLL represented the seller, Invesco Real Estate.
CHICAGO — Hyatt Hotels Corp. has launched a new brand within the select-service category called Caption. The brand is designed with communal spaces in mind. Union Square Hospitality Group consulted on the design of a food and beverage concept, which will include a café, market and bar. Guest rooms will average around 270 square feet. “We intend for the Caption by Hyatt brand to be a global growth driver domestically and internationally in dense urban markets, emerging neighborhoods and high foot-traffic areas,” says Jim Chu, global head of development for Hyatt.
