NEW ORLEANS — PENN Entertainment Inc. plans to invest approximately $195 million to relocate its Boomtown Casino & Hotel New Orleans riverboat casino operations to a new landside property on adjacent land, pending regulatory approval. If approved, the publicly traded gaming company will rebrand the property, which is expected to open in 2029, as Hollywood Casino New Orleans. The investment will include the build-out of roughly 140,000 square feet of new development, approximately 875 slot machines, 45 table games, a retail sportsbook and multiple dining options. The existing riverboat will be vacated upon opening of the new property, and PENN expects to keep the existing hotel open. The investment would represent the fourth landside relocation of a riverboat casino for PENN, which expects to finance the project with cash on hand, allowing for the option to access its balance sheet or other sources of liquidity. PENN currently operates four other casino destinations in Louisiana, including L’Auberge Casino Resort Lake Charles, L’Auberge Casino Hotel Baton Rouge and Margaritaville Resort Casino and Boomtown Casino Hotel in Bossier City.
Hospitality
KEY WEST, FLA. — Sixth Street, a global investment firm based in San Francisco, and partner Riller Capital have acquired Pier House Resort & Spa, a 142-room luxury oceanfront resort located at 1 Duval St. in Key West. Dallas-based Braemar Hotels & Resorts sold the property to the partnership for $190 million. Situated on five acres, Pier House offers two oceanfront restaurants, a full-service spa, oceanfront pool, 75 linear feet of private beach frontage and 3,000 square feet of meeting and event space. Starwood Property Trust provided acquisition financing for the deal. CBRE represented Sixth Street in the transaction, and The Plasencia Group represented Braemar.
Ryman Hospitality Properties Agrees to Buy Grande Lakes Orlando Resort for Nearly $1.4B
by John Nelson
ORLANDO, FLA. — Ryman Hospitality Properties Inc., a publicly traded hotel REIT based in Nashville, has entered into a definitive agreement to purchase Grande Lake Orlando Resort for approximately $1.4 billion from Trinity Investments. The 409-acre resort comprises a 1,010-room JW Marriott hotel, 582-room Ritz-Carlton hotel and an 18-hole championship golf course designed by Greg Norman. Amenities include 320,000 square feet of event and meeting space, 14 food-and-beverage options, the Grande Lakes Waterpark and a 40,000-square-foot spa and fitness center. Ryman plans to continue to operate the two hotels, which have recently received a combined $150 million renovation, under their Marriott-branded flags. Ryman expects to close the transaction in the third quarter, subject to customary closing conditions. BofA Securities and J.P. Morgan acted as financial advisors to Ryman, and Bass, Berry & Sims PLC and Greenberg Traurig, LLP acted as the firm’s legal advisors.
Huff, Niehaus & Associates Brokers Sale of Quality Inn & Suites Hotel in Horse Cave, Kentucky
by Abby Cox
HORSE CAVE, KY. — Huff, Niehaus & Associates has brokered the sale of Quality Inn & Suites, a 68-room hotel located at 425 Flint Ridge Road in Horse Cave. Huff, Niehaus & Associates represented the undisclosed buyer in the transaction. The seller and sales price were also not disclosed. The property, which sits along the I-65 corridor in south-central Kentucky between Louisville and Nashville, features a mix of amenities including complimentary breakfast, a seasonal outdoor pool, Wi-Fi, free parking with RV/bus space, a business center, self-serve laundry facilities and pet-friendly rooms.
Ownership Completes Phase I Renovations of Baltimore Marriott Inner Harbor at Camden Yards Hotel
by Abby Cox
BALTIMORE — A New York-based development firm doing business as SC Baltimore Hotel LLC has completed the first phase of the renovation of the Baltimore Marriott Inner Harbor at Camden Yards, a 523-room hotel located at 110 S. Eutaw St. in downtown Baltimore. HEI Hotels & Resorts operates the hotel, which is situated near Oriole Park at Camden Yards, the home ballpark of the Baltimore Orioles. Phase I is part of a two-part, $30 million property-wide renovation. The second phase, which will include upgrading the lobby, restaurant and meeting spaces, is expected to commence in the first quarter of 2027. Phase I focused on modernizing the hotel’s guestrooms, suites and concierge lounge. New in-room amenities include a smart TV with casting and streaming options, a mini-refrigerator, coffee maker and Wi-Fi. The executive lounge, located on the 10th floor, has been refreshed to provide an elevated experience for the hotel’s Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite, Titanium Elite and Ambassador Elite members, which features modern enhancements, new seating and a refined atmosphere. Guests can also enjoy complimentary all-day beverages, free daily breakfast and evening hors d’oeuvres. Additional hotel amenities include 24-7 fitness and business centers, more than 18,400 square feet of event space and The …
FREDERICKSBURG, TEXAS — Houston-based developer DC Partners has topped out a 210-room hotel in the Central Texas city of Fredericksburg that will be operated under IHG Hotels & Resorts’ Kimpton brand. Designed by Merriman Anderson Architects with interiors by Curioso, the Kimpton Fredericksburg will be located within The Meuse, a 22-acre mixed-use development. The property will feature a full-service restaurant and bar, along with a poolside bar and lounge. Additional amenities will include a 10,000-square-foot outdoor pool and deck, fitness center, café and 18,500 square feet of indoor/outdoor meeting and event space. Construction began last summer. The opening is scheduled for 2027.
MIAMI BEACH, FLA. — Terra and Turnberry, along with general contractor Balfour Beatty, have topped out Grand Hyatt Miami Beach, a 17-story, 800-room hotel underway in Miami Beach. The hotel tower will be connected to the newly renovated Miami Beach Convention Center via a climate-controlled sky bridge upon completion. Designed by Arquitectonica, Grand Hyatt Miami Beach will feature 12 floors of hotel rooms, as well as four floors of meeting and ballroom space totaling 110,000 square feet, including the 8,000-square-foot Grand Lawn on the fifth-floor amenity deck. The hotel will include a signature restaurant, lobby lounge and bar and 17,000 square feet of ground-level retail space, as well as two resort-style pools and a fitness center with a spa treatment room. The development team plans to deliver the hotel in late 2027. Last year, Terra and Turnberry secured $392 million in construction financing for the project.
BAY CITY, MICH. — Alpine Realty Capital, a member of Hotel Brokers International, has arranged the sale of the DoubleTree Hotel and Conference Center by Hilton in Bay City. Alpine negotiated pricing and terms on behalf of the buyer and assisted in all aspects of due diligence, including appraisal and environmental execution, lender analysis and approvals and coordination with legal counsel and seller’s representatives. The property overlooks the Saginaw River and features an onsite restaurant, indoor pool, fitness center and meeting rooms.
Partnership Breaks Ground on Apartment Tower, Marriott Hotel in Downtown West Palm Beach
by John Nelson
WEST PALM BEACH, FLA. — A partnership comprising LD&D, IGEQ and FrontRange Capital Partners has broken ground on a 21-story apartment tower and hotel in downtown West Palm Beach. The properties, the 181-unit Alida Residences and the 112-room Tribute Portfolio hotel by Marriott, will be developed simultaneously as separate residential and hospitality properties. The developers assembled the three parcels for the two buildings in 2019. The site is located directly adjacent to a Brightline station and near the future campus for Vanderbilt University. Alida Residences will offer a mix of studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom units ranging in size from 500 to 2,000 square feet, as well as a rooftop pool deck on the 21st floor. Both Alida Residences and the Tribute Portfolio hotel by Marriott are expected to open in 2028.
OMAHA, NEB. — Marcus & Millichap has negotiated the sale of a 113-room Fairfield Inn & Suites hotel property in downtown Omaha. Adam Lewis is Marcus & Millichap’s Nebraska broker of record. The firm marketed the property on behalf of the seller and procured the buyer, both private investor groups. Fairfield Inn & Suites Omaha Downtown is located within walking distance of Charles Schwab Field, home of the College World Series.
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