NEW YORK CITY — Meridian Capital Group has arranged $88 million in pre-development financing for a Marriott-branded hotel to be located at 450 Eleventh Ave. in the Hudson Yards neighborhood of Manhattan. Meridian secured financing on behalf of the borrower, Marx Development Group, through lender Mack Real Estate Credit Strategies. The two-year loan will serve to recapitalize the project and cover pre-development costs for the hotel. MDG is also raising $66 million in EB-5 funds through the Manhattan Regional Center for the hotel’s construction. Once completed, the 42-story hotel will span 235,000 square feet and contain 441 rooms. The property will also include a business center, lounge, restaurant and outdoor meeting space. The hotel is slated for completion in late 2019. Hudson Yards is a $20 billion large-scale redevelopment program on Manhattan’s far west side that will include a 28-acre mixed-use development.
Hospitality
ORANGE VILLAGE, OHIO — AC Hotel Cleveland Beachwood will open at the new Pinecrest development in Orange Village, a suburb of Cleveland, this August. The 145-room hotel, designed by Meyers + Associates Architecture, will be owned and operated by DelMonte Hotel Group. The hotel will include a cocktail bar, library, business center, fitness center and ballroom. Pinecrest is an 80-acre, mixed-use project that includes apartment and office space.
KISSIMMEE, FLA. — DSH Hotel Advisors has arranged the $4.8 million sale of Baymont Inn & Suites by Wyndham, a 130-room hotel in the Central Florida town of Kissimmee. Dennis Hopper of DSH Hotel Advisors represented the seller, Maingate East Development Inc., in the transaction, and George Jimenez of Multifamily Real Estate Group Inc. represented the buyer, J.E. System Service Corp. The hotel features a business center, outdoor pool and complimentary breakfast.
Pebblebrook Hotel Trust Revises Offer to Acquire LaSalle Hotel Properties, New Deal Valued at $4.17B
by John Nelson
BETHESDA, MD. — For the fourth time since March, Pebblebrook Hotel Trust (NYSE: PEB) has revised its merger proposal with LaSalle Hotel Properties (NYSE: LHO). Both hospitality REITs are based in Bethesda. Pebblebrook’s offer is contingent on LaSalle breaking off its current merger agreement with Blackstone Group. Pebblebrook submitted its offer to LaSalle’s board of trustees a few weeks after Blackstone and LaSalle came to terms on their merger. Blackstone’s deal was for $4.8 billion in an all-cash transaction. While a lower total dollar amount, Pebblebrook’s $4.17 billion offer excludes a debt portion, and The Wall Street Journal reports that Blackstone’s deal was valued at $3.7 billion when excluding debt. Pebblebrook’s board of trustees has unanimously approved the new deal. “The board of Pebblebrook remains convinced that a strategic combination with LaSalle represents a value-maximizing opportunity for the shareholders of both LaSalle and Pebblebrook,” said Jon Bortz, chairman, president and CEO of Pebblebrook. The hospitality REIT’s new offer represents a 13 percent premium over the Blackstone agreement. For each LaSalle common share held, each LaSalle shareholder may elect to receive $37.80 in cash (compared to Blackstone’s $33.50 per share offer) or a fixed exchange ratio of 0.92 Pebblebrook share. The …
ANAHEIM, CALIF. — The Anaheim Planning Commission has approved BPM Real Estate Group’s plan to develop a Radisson Blu on a 3.3-acre site at Interstate 5 and South Anaheim Boulevard. The 12-story hotel will feature 326 guest rooms; a 353-stall garage; an outdoor rooftop deck bar, restaurant and social pool; a fitness facility; small conference facility; gift shop; and game room. Additionally, the property will be within walking distance of Disneyland Resort’s main entrance. Designed by GBD Architects, the hotel is slated for completion in spring 2020.
CRESTON, IOWA — Condor Hospitality Trust Inc. is under contract to sell its 121-room Super 8 hotel in Creston, about 70 miles southwest of Des Moines, for $5.1 million. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter. Condor is a REIT based in Maryland that specializes in the investment and ownership of select-service, extended stay and limited-service hotels. The company currently owns 17 hotels in nine states.
NEW YORK CITY — Westgate Resorts has acquired the Hilton New York Grand Central, a 23-story, 300-room hotel in Midtown Manhattan. The sales price was not disclosed. Westgate will rebrand the two-tower hotel as the Westgate New York City. The hotel first opened in 1931 and was formerly known as the Hotel Tudor and Hilton Manhattan East. The property features gothic-revival architecture blended with modern luxuries. Amenities include a business center, 24-hour fitness center and 3,500 square feet of flexible meeting space. Westgate will continue to operate the resort as a hotel while it undergoes an extensive renovation. The company will also explore opportunities to add timeshare vill
NORWALK, CONN. — Queens Plaza West has acquired the 120-room Dolce Norwalk hotel in Norwalk. The sales price was not disclosed. Lakota Hotels & Resorts will operate the 66-acre facility after renovations and upgrades, which will include updates to the 240-seat ballroom, amenity areas and guest rooms. Situated in the center of Fairfield County, the hotel offers views of outdoor terraces, wide green lawns, wooded areas and ponds. The property features a 10,500-square-foot event space, lap pool, full-sized basketball court, racquetball courts and a fitness center. Dolce Norwalk was acquired for $24.9 million in 2007 by Broadreach Capital Partners.
WEST PALM BEACH, FLA. — Aztec Group has arranged a $42 million construction loan for a 208-room Marriott Autograph Collection Hotel located in downtown West Palm Beach. Boaz Ashbel of Aztec Group originated the financing through Florida Community Bank N.A. on behalf of the hotel owner and operator, Concord Hospitality Enterprises Co. The hotel will be located at 201 N. Flagler Drive, within a 435,000-square-foot mixed-use project under development by Navarro Lowery Properties. In addition to the new hotel, the site will feature 250 residential units, more than 30,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space, outdoor recreational space and a multi-level parking structure. The hotel is scheduled to open in fall 2019 and will feature a full-service restaurant, fitness center, 4,000 square feet of meeting space and a rooftop swimming pool and lounge.
NEW YORK CITY — Pendry Hotels, in collaboration with Brookfield Properties, will open its first New York City location at Brookfield’s Manhattan West development in the Hudson Yards district. Pendry Manhattan West will be a 164-room hotel with a restaurant, lounge and open-air terrace bar, as well as meeting and event space. Construction of the hotel is scheduled to begin during the third quarter of 2018, with an estimated completion date of 2021. Manhattan West is a 7 million-square-foot development with more than 6 million square feet of office space and 250,000 square feet of retail anchored by a 35,000-square-foot Peloton Studios location and a 60,000-square-foot Whole Foods. Pendry Manhattan West was designed by architectural firm, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill with interiors by Gachot Studios.