AMARILLO, TEXAS — The former Howard Johnson hotel located on Interstate 40 in Amarillo has been rebranded as the Magnuson Hotel Amarillo. The hotel features 110 guestrooms; amenities include an outdoor swimming pool, free wireless Internet access and close proximity to Amarillo International Airport and Tradewind Airport. The hotel is owned by Kirit Patel. Spokane, Wash.-based Magnuson Hotels currently represents approximately 1,000 hotels.
WOBURN, MASS. — Construction has commenced for Phase II of the renovation of the Holiday Inn Select Boston/Woburn, a 195-room hotel located in Woburn. The project will include the modernization of the hotel’s lobby as well as the renovation of its 9,000 square feet of meeting space. The ballroom and breakout spaces will be redesigned and new audio/visual and communications equipment will be installed. Lynda Onthank is serving as interior designer with locally based Bay State Services providing general contracting services. The owner of the Holiday Inn Select is AAM15 Middlesex LLC, whose members include David Masse, founder of Compass Realty Associates. The company acquired the property in July 2008 and soon after commenced a capital improvements program. Phase I of construction included new beds and linens for each of the guestrooms, a new heating and cooling system, the installation of free wireless Internet access, a pool renovation, the renovation of the fitness center, a new business center and new landscaping.
LEWISTON, MICH. — Wheeling, Ill.-based New Frontiers Capital has acquired Garland Resort, an approximately 3,000-acre golf course and resort located in Lewiston. The buyer owns interests in resorts and entertainment attractions across the country and plans to complete capital improvements to Garland Resort in the near future. The resort had been family-owned for more than 50 years and will continue normal day-to-day operations under its new owners. Terms of the deal were not released.
FLORENCE, ALA. — YRG Hotel Group and Blackburn Development have broken ground on a 110-room Residence Inn Hotel in Florence. The four-story, extended-stay property features units equipped with full kitchens and high-speed Internet. Altamonte Springs, Fla.-based Forum Architecture & Interior Design served as architect on the project, and ProBuilt Development is constructing the hotel.
MAPLE GROVE, MINN. — The grand opening has been held for a new Cambria Suites hotel, located in Maple Grove. The 129-suite hotel features a two-story lobby, flat-screen televisions and Media Hub technology in guest suites, complimentary Internet access throughout the hotel, a casual restaurant, a fitness center with an indoor pool and spa, a 24-hour convenience store and more than 1,000 square feet of meeting space. It is owned by Grove Hospitality LLC under a franchise agreement with Choice Hotels International.
NEW YORK CITY — New York City’s first Candlewood Suites is slated to open. The Candlewood Suites New York City-Times Square features studio suites with wide rooms, including a full kitchen with a full-size refrigerator, a stove top, a dishwasher, a microwave, and it is stocked with pots, pans, plates, glassware and utensils. The guestrooms also include a recliner, a large workspace with a desk chair and deluxe bedding. The new Candlewood Suites also offers amenities typically found in apartment buildings, including a complimentary 24-hour fitness center, complete with cardio and weight machines, and complimentary onsite laundry for guests. The hotel is located at 339 West 39th St. between 8th and 9th Avenues in Midtown Manhattan, with LaGuardia and JFK International airports both less than 30 minutes away. The Candlewood Suites New York City-Times Square is owned by M&R Hotel, LLC, and managed by Hersha Hospitality, under a license agreement with a company in the InterContinental Hotels Group.
TWENTYNINE PALMS, CALIF. — San Antonio, Texas-based K Partners Hospitality Group has developed Fairfield Inn Suites, an all suites hotel located in Twentynine Palms. The 80-key hotel features rooms with double queen- or king-sized beds; an in-room entertainment package; luxury bedding and pillows; a refrigerator; a microwave; separate living, working and sleeping areas; high-speed Internet access; and an ergonomic desk and chair. Hotel amenities include an outdoor pool and spa, a fitness facility, a boardroom and complimentary breakfast. The hotel is located near the U.S. Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Joshua Tree National Park and the Mojave Desert.
MEMPHIS, TENN. — The new Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites Memphis – Wolfchase Galleria has opened at 2751 New Brunswick Rd. in Memphis. The 133-room hotel is based on Holiday Inn’s “Next Generation” design, a brand re-launch that will update the company’s more than 3,200 hotels worldwide by the end of 2010. The new hotel features work stations in guestrooms, complimentary high-speed Internet access, a full-service restaurant, a 24-hour fitness center, an indoor swimming pool and whirlpool and more than 3,000 square feet of meeting space. It is owned and managed by Wilson Hotel Management, a division of Kemmons Wilson, under a license agreement with InterContinental Hotels Group.
HENDERSON, TEXAS — A private investor recently purchased a 77-room Best Western Inn in Henderson for an undisclosed amount. Michael Yu and Rahul Bijlani of Marcus & Millichap’s Houston office marketed the property on behalf of the seller, also a private investor. Yu and Bijlani also helped the buyer secure financing.
SAN FRANCISCO — Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has completed the disposition of W San Francisco, a 404-key hotel located at 181 3rd St. in San Francisco. Hong Kong-based Keck Seng Investments acquired the property for $90 million. The hotel features 12,000 square feet of meeting space, a Bliss® Spa and a SWEAT® Fitness Center. Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels brokered the transaction on behalf of the seller.