NEW YORK CITY — Thorofare Capital has funded a $7.5 million bridge loan for a hotel located in Brooklyn. The fixed-rate loan has a 65 percent loan-to-value ratio. Proceeds of the loan will be used to refinance the 56-room hotel. The name of the borrower was not released.
BEAUMONT AND LUMBERTON, TEXAS — KeyBank Real Estate Capital has secured an $8.5 million, non-recourse CMBS first mortgage loan for a two-property hospitality portfolio. The portfolio consists of a Comfort Inn located in Beaumont and a La Quinta Inn and Suites located in Lumberton. Both properties are located near major interstates and highly traveled state highways. Randy Martin of Key’s Commercial Mortgage Group secured the financing.
EL PASO, TEXAS — Hilton Worldwide has opened the Embassy Suites by Hilton El Paso. The 187-room hotel, formerly the El Paso Suites, debuts following a multimillion-dollar renovation. TRS El Paso Property LLC owns the hotel and has selected Spire Hospitality to manage it. Two-room suites include a separate living area, private bedroom, two televisions, wet bar, microwave and mini-fridge. Amenities include a free breakfast, heated indoor pool, fitness center, business center and free Wi-Fi. The hotel features more than 5,400 square feet of flexible meeting space and can accommodate events of up to 200 guests. Located less than three miles from El Paso International Airport at 6100 Gateway Blvd. East, Embassy Suites by Hilton provides a free shuttle for arriving and departing guests.
NORTH LAS VEGAS — An unnamed buyer has purchased a 74-room Best Western Plus in North Las Vegas for $6.2 million. The hotel is located at 4540 Donavan Way. It was built in 2000. Aseem Tandon of Marcus & Millichap’s Ontario office represented the seller, a limited liability company, in this transaction.
BOSTON — Related Beal has broken ground for Parcel 1B, a mixed-use, transit-oriented development across the street from Lovejoy Wharf in Boston. Designed by CBT Architects, the project will include a 14-story residential building totaling 484,000 square feet with street-level retail and on-site parking, and a 220-room Courtyard Marriott hotel with 2,500 square feet of meeting space, which will be operated by Turnberry Associates. The residential building will feature 239 affordable units that will be restricted to individuals, couples and families with qualified incomes ranging from 30 percent area median income (AMI) to up to 165 percent AMI. The project is slated for delivery in 2018.
MIDLAND, TEXAS — MCR Development has completed the renovation of Residence Inn by Marriott Midland, a 131-room hotel. The hotel is located near energy, construction and healthcare corporations in Midland, and is in walking distance of Security Bank Ballpark. Renovations included updating all guestrooms and public spaces. The lobby and meeting room were redesigned to provide guests with more space to interact, while the fitness center received new exercise equipment and weights.
MAYFIELD HEIGHTS, OHIO — Alpine Realty Capital LLC has brokered the sale of a Staybridge Suites hotel in Mayfield Heights, approximately 22 miles east of Cleveland. A local developer sold the asset to Arbor Lodging Group for an undisclosed price. The 123-room extended stay hotel opened in 2007 and is located at 6103 Landerhaven Drive. Arbor Lodging Group plans to renovate and upgrade the guestrooms, public areas and hotel exterior. The hotel features a meeting room, outdoor pool and breakfast area. Ed Walsh of Alpine Realty Capital brokered the transaction.
NEW YORK CITY — Hersha Hospitality Trust (NYSE: HT) has signed definitive agreements to sell ownership interests in seven of its limited-service hotels in Manhattan for a total purchase price of $571.4 million. The Philadelphia-based hotel REIT sold its interests to joint venture partner Cindat Capital Management Ltd. Totaling 1,087 rooms, the hotels include Holiday Inn Express Times Square, Candlewood Suites Times Square, Hampton Inn Times Square, Hampton Inn Chelsea, Hampton Inn Herald Square, Holiday Inn Wall Street and Holiday Inn Express Wall Street. “Manhattan’s preeminence as a financial, cultural and technological hub, combined with the security and scarcity of its real estate, provides significant yield for a strategic, long-term partner such as Cindat,” says Neil Shah, president and chief operating officer of Hersha Hospitality. “We intend to utilize a portion of the sale proceeds to make hotel investments in Washington, D.C., and California, continue our share repurchase program and repay debt.” The proposed joint venture is structured with Cindat as the preferred joint venture partner holding a 70 percent ownership stake, while Hersha retains a 30 percent equity interest. Cushman & Wakefield represented Hersha in the transaction. Hersha will continue to fully own 10 hotels in New York City …
The hotel industry has gained momentum over the last few years, with impressive increases in revenue per available room (RevPAR) and a continuing development boom in virtually all major markets across the Midwest and the nation. In the Chicago hotel market, RevPAR increased 7.2 percent in 2014 on a year-over-basis, according to STR Inc., and RevPAR was up 7.7 percent through the first 11 months of 2015. With consumer demand so strong and the development pipeline quite active, it might feel like the challenges of the last recession are long in the past. The reality, however, is that in a cyclical market the next downturn is never too far away. There are some indications that the ride may be slowing down and that the good times the region and the industry have enjoyed in recent years may be coming to an end. Oversupply Concerns While Chicago’s construction pipeline is smaller than a number of other metropolitan areas, it is the Windy City’s most robust development pipeline in recent memory. In aggregate, there will be a 20 percent increase in the room supply over three years. That could easily balloon to 25 percent with projects recently announced. This is very likely …
SEATTLE — Moody National REIT II has entered into an agreement to purchase the Marriott SpringHill Suites Hotel in Seattle for $74.1 million, excluding closing costs. The SpringHill Suites Seattle is a select-service hotel consisting of 234 guest rooms. Located on the southeast corner of Stewart Street and Yale Avenue in downtown Seattle, the SpringHill Suites Seattle is situated along one of the city’s major transportation routes with access to the corporate homes of Amazon.com, Microsoft, Nordstrom and REI. The hotel is also located near Puget Sound and is within walking distance of the Seattle Space Needle. “Located downtown in a global gateway city accommodating travelers from around the world, and home to companies including Amazon.com, Microsoft, Boeing and Starbucks, this investment presents itself as an attractive addition to our portfolio,” says Brett Moody, CEO and chairman of REIT II. Forbes magazine named Seattle the “No. 1 Best City for Jobs in 2015” based on 16 metrics including job opportunities, employment growth, monthly median starting salary, median annual income, time spent working and commuting, and housing affordability. Due to its geographic location, Seattle is a national hub for manufacturing, technology industries, international business, trade and tourism. Moody National REIT II …