ORLANDO, FLA. — A partnership between affiliates of Houston-based RIDA Development Corp. and Los Angeles-based Ares Management has purchased the Hyatt Regency Orlando hotel for approximately $1 billion. The seller was Hyatt Hotels Corp. (NYSE: H), and the purchase included a 45-acre adjacent, undeveloped parcel. The hotel spans 1,641 rooms, making it the fourth-largest Hyatt hotel in the world based on room count. The hotel was originally built in 1986 as The Peabody Orlando. Hyatt bought the hotel in 2013 and rebranded it later that year it as the Hyatt Regency Orlando. Guestrooms and suites at the hotel average 453 and 846 square feet, respectively. The accommodations feature marble-accented bathrooms, sleeper sofas, mini-fridges and 65-inch streaming TVs. Amenities include six onsite dining options, a 24-hour fitness center, tennis courts, a spa, outdoor pool and 315,000 square feet of meeting and event space. The hotel also connects to the Orange County Convention Center. The new ownership plans to implement a value-add program at the hotel and has also entered into a development agreement with Hyatt to construct a new Grand Hyatt hotel on the 45-acre parcel. That hotel is expected to have more than 2,500 rooms. Kevin Davis, Mike Huth and …
