EASTON, PA. — Meridian Capital Group has arranged a $12.6 million acquisition loan for the 86-room TownePlace Suites by Marriott in Easton, located 17 miles northeast of Allentown. The four-story property is located in Lower Nazareth Township among major corporate entities including Amazon, BMW and Porsche, in addition to several medical centers and shopping centers. The hotel was built in 2009 and offers five king suites, 26 queen suites, nine one-bedroom suites and six two-bedroom suites. Morris Betesh, Philip Galligan and Alex Bailkin of Meridian Capital arranged the financing through a balance sheet lender on behalf of the borrower, Manhattan-based RiverBrook Equities. The 10-year loan includes a 25-year amortization schedule.
ALTOONA AND WASHINGTON, PA. — Florida-based hospitality REIT Chatham Lodging Trust has sold two Marriott-branded hotels in Western Pennsylvania for approximately $10 million. The properties include the 105-room Courtyard by Marriott in Altoona, about 100 miles east of Pittsburgh, and the 86-room SpringHill Suites by Marriott in Washington, located about 30 miles southwest of Pittsburgh. Chatham, which purchased the hotels in 2010 as part of a larger portfolio acquisition, sold the properties at a capitalization rate of 6 percent. The buyer was not disclosed. Chatham CEO Jeffrey Fisher noted that the revenue per available room (RevPAR) at both hotels did not meet the standards of his company’s portfolio, and that disposing of the properties saved the company roughly $4 million in renovation costs.
ATLANTA — Woodbine Legacy Investments (WLI) has completed a $20 million renovation of W Atlanta-Buckhead, a 12-story, 291-room hotel in Atlanta’s Buckhead district. The renovation began in May 2018. Guest accommodations — 286 guest rooms, four WOW Suites and one EWOW Suite — were enhanced with new headboards, armoires, damask wallcoverings and carpeting, 55-inch TVs, in-room Nespresso machines, beverage bar and artwork throughout. Communal renovations included new furnishings, an upgraded lobby and living room, upgraded fitness center and added Wi-Fi and meeting space throughout the hotel. The design team included architect and interior designer C+TC Studio, which designed the hotel’s rooftop bar, Whiskey Blue; interior designer Studio 11, which designed the lobby; and general contractor Genoa Construction. A second phase of renovation is planned for later this year, which will focus on updating the hotel’s restaurant, Cook Hall.
FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. — HFF has arranged a $42.3 million acquisition loan for the Renaissance Fort Lauderdale Cruise Port Hotel in Fort Lauderdale. A joint venture led by DoveHill Capital Management acquired the 236-room hotel, which opened in 2001 and has been updated throughout the years, most recently in 2016. An undisclosed CMBS lender provided the 10-year, fixed-rate loan, which is structured as interest-only for the full term. Hotel amenities include 12,838 square feet of meeting and event space; an outdoor pool; 24-hour fitness center; business center; limousine service; a salon; and three food and beverage outlets: Bistro 17, R Lounge and Calusa Coffee Roasters Bar. Josh Simon, Maxx Carney and Tyler Dumon of HFF arranged the loan on behalf of the borrower.
SEATTLE — Sonnenblick-Eichner Co. has arranged $21 million in non-recourse first mortgage leasehold financing for Palihotel Seattle. A partnership between Los Angeles-based Lighthouse Investments LLC and KCB Management is the borrower. Operated by Palisociety, the hotel features 96 guest rooms. Originally built in 1895, the newly renovated property opened in November 2018 and the initial funding was sized to a debt yield less than 6 percent on the first year’s projected net-operating income. The five-year interim loan also provided for a return of equity above the existing construction loan, as well as significantly reducing the cost of capital for the borrower. An institutional debt fund provided the LIBOR-based loan.
MINNEAPOLIS — Lake City Hospitality LLC, comprised of Eagan-based JR Hospitality and Iowa-based Hawkeye Hotels, is partnering with Stahl to convert a vacant office tower and surrounding site located at 317 Second Ave. in downtown Minneapolis into a dual-branded Hilton hotel. The eight-story building will undergo an $18.8 million renovation and 41,129-square-foot addition. The newly transformed space will feature 201 Tru and Home2 Suites guestrooms. Originally built in 1900, the existing 76,000-square-foot building was previously known as the William E. McGee Building. The facility was occupied by Hennepin County’s Office of the Public Defender for over 20 years, but the property has been vacant since 2012. JR Hospitality originally acquired the structure in 2017 before partnering with Hawkeye Hotels in late 2018. Ramaker & Associates Inc. is the project architect. Completion is slated for May 2020.
NEW YORK CITY — Hilton Grand Vacations (NYSE: HGV) will acquire The Central at 5th, a 34-story hotel under construction in Manhattan. The site is located on E. 48th St. in between Fifth Avenue and Madison Avenue and offers proximity to several tourist destinations, including Rockefeller Center, Radio City Music Hall and the Theater District. Developed by local firm Hidrock Properties exclusively for HGV, the property will consist of 161 studio and one-bedroom units that Hilton plans to acquire in phases. Anticipated resort amenities will include a fitness center, outdoor terrace and private owners’ lounge. The opening is expected to occur in spring 2020.
AVONDALE, ARIZ. — Trez Capital has closed in $15 million construction financing for Phoenix-based Virtua Partners’ first-ever Opportunity Zone project. Virtua Credit arranged the loan, which will finance the development of a SpringHill Suites by Marriott in Avondale, a western suburb of Phoenix. Located off North 99th Avenue, the 128-suite hotel will anchor a 58-acre mixed-use development that will include retail, restaurant, multifamily and single-family developments. Slated to open in summer 2020, the hotel will feature a fitness center and pool, free Wi-Fi, in-suite workspaces and an on-site business center. Hotel Equities will manage the hotel.
WAUWATOSA, WIS. — Hospitality Properties Trust has acquired the 198-room Crowne Plaza Milwaukee West in Wauwatosa for $30 million. The full-service hotel, built in 2008, includes 6,100 square feet of meeting space, a health and fitness center, indoor pool, restaurant and lounge. IHG operates the property. Atlanta-based Peachtree Hotel Group was the seller, according to local media.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Birchington LLC is set to break ground on a $93 million, 247-room Holiday Inn Express in Washington, D.C. The hotel is expected to open in late 2020. Birchington, which developer Habte Sequar owns, received a construction loan from Atlanta-based Stonehill Strategic Capital for the project. The 14-story hotel will be situated at the corner of 4th and K streets, three blocks from the historic Carnegie Library and the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. The design and management team include BBGM Architects, general contractor Kinsley Construction Inc. and property manager Urgo Hotels & Resorts.