Hospitality

BOSTON — RLJ Lodging Trust (NYSE: RLJ) has sold Fairmont Copley Plaza, a 383-room hotel located in the Back Bay area of Boston, for $170 million, or approximately $444,000 per room. Maryland-based RLJ, which merged with Texas-based FelCor Lodging Trust Inc. in September, intends to use the proceeds from the sale to cover general corporate expenses, with an emphasis on paying down debt. The sales price represents a capitalization rate of roughly 4.6 percent on the hotel’s projected net operating income (NOI) for 2017. The buyer of Fairmont Copley Plaza was not disclosed. The hotel, which is situated within walking distance of Boston Common as well as a variety of shopping and dining destinations on nearby Newbury Street, opened in 1912. Amenities for guests include laundry services, safety deposit boxes, a 3,000-square-foot rooftop health club and on-site restaurant OAK Long Bar + Kitchen. The property also features 23,000 square feet of meeting and conference space. “The disposition of this asset is consistent with our objectives of selling non-core assets and unlocking shareholder value,” says Ross Bierkan, president and CEO of RLJ. Following the sale of Fairmont Copley Plaza, RLJ’s hospitality portfolio consists of 157 hotels totaling 30,800 rooms across 26 states …

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NEW YORK CITY — Thor Equities has purchased The James New York – SoHo, a hotel located at 27 Grand St. in Manhattan’s Soho district, for an undisclosed price. The 18-story, 75,800-square-foot property features 114 guest rooms, three food and beverage outlets, and 1,500 square feet of meeting and event space. Hotel amenities include an outdoor rooftop swimming pool, a fitness center and 24-hour in-room dining. Jeffrey Davis of JLL brokered the deal. The name of the seller was not released.

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NEW BEDFORD, MASS. — Fantini & Gorga has arranged a $5 million loan for the acquisition and redevelopment of a property located at 222 Union St. in New Bedford. The undisclosed borrower is converting the property from office and retail space into a 46,600-square-foot boutique hotel. The new 68-room hotel will be a brand of Ascent Hotel Collection. Keith Wentzel and Despina Hixon of Fantini & Gorga arranged the financing through a New England regional bank.

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WEST PALM BEACH, FLA. — Crane Capital Group Inc., in partnership with Westmont Hospitality Group, has received an $18.7 million construction loan for the conversion of a vacant office tower in West Palm Beach into a 191-room hotel. Scott Wadler and Wesley Hightower of HFF arranged the three-year, fixed-rate loan through Woodforest National Bank on behalf of the joint venture, which acquired the vacant Forum Office tower earlier this year. The redeveloped 10-story hotel, located roughly five miles from the new $150 million Houston Astros Spring Training facility, will serve the public, as well as the Houston Astros players, staff and family. The hotel will feature a restaurant, pool and a gym. Westmont Hospitality Group will manage the property, which is expected to open mid-year 2018.

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WILKES-BARRE, PA. — HREC Investment Advisors has arranged the sale of the Courtyard by Marriott located at 879 Schechter Drive in Wilkes-Barre. Kingston Hotel Partners sold the 106-room hotel for an undisclosed price. Ketan Patel, Mark von Dwingelo and Mark Rousseau of HREC represented the seller in the deal. The name of the buyer was not released.

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CHICAGO — Developer First Hospitality Group Inc. (FHG) and Navy Pier have unveiled the brand for the first hotel on Navy Pier. Slated to open in summer 2019, the 222-room hotel will operate under the Curio Collection by Hilton brand. Construction is expected to begin in January 2018. Situated at the eastern end of Navy Pier, the hotel will feature floor-to-ceiling windows and a 30,000-square-foot rooftop restaurant bar. Acron, a Switzerland-based real estate company, is funding the project. Jackie Koo of KOO LLC is designing the project, and James McHugh Construction Co. is the builder. The project is expected to generate 600 construction jobs and create 300 permanent jobs, according to FHG. Hilton operates more than 40 Curio Collection independent hotels globally.

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ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Frampton Construction Co. LLC has completed construction on the 10,000-square-foot Seely Pavilion and event lawn at The Omni Grove Park Inn in Asheville. The hotel is located roughly four miles from the Biltmore Estate and less than three miles from downtown Asheville. The Seely Pavilion features a Douglas fir timber structure with indigenous dry-stack stone columns, polished concrete flooring, stone fireplace, full-height glass curtain walls and views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The new space will be used for business and social events. Constructed in 1913, The Omni Grove Park Inn includes 513 rooms and features an 18-hole golf course, subterranean spa, indoor and outdoor tennis courts, fitness center and multiple casual and formal restaurants.

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LANSING, MICH. — CBRE Hotels has arranged the sale of the Courtyard by Marriott Lansing for an undisclosed price. The 129-room hotel is located at 2710 Lake Lansing Road near the Michigan State University campus and Capital Region International Airport. Amenities include an indoor heated pool, fitness center and pet-friendly rooms. Nate Sahn of CBRE represented the seller, Lansing-based Wickens Group. Lansing Hotel Owners LLC, an affiliate of the Banyan Investment Group, purchased the property.

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NASHVILLE, TENN. — Safe Harbor Development, in conjunction with Margaritaville Holdings, has broken ground on Margaritaville Nashville Hotel, a 217-room hotel in Nashville’s SoBro district. Inspired by the lyrics and lifestyle of singer/songwriter Jimmy Buffett, the hotel is located at the corner of 5th Avenue South and Peabody Street, steps from Music City Center. In addition to guest rooms, the hotel will feature 52 Margaritaville Vacation Club by Wyndham timeshare units; a rooftop area with a pool, sundeck, fire pits and live entertainment; fitness center; more than 10,000 square feet of function space; Starbucks Coffee shop; and two Margaritaville dining concepts: FINS Beach Bar and JWB Grill. Margaritaville Nashville Hotel is part of Margaritaville’s portfolio of hotels and resorts. To date, the portfolio includes 10 hotels across the Southeast and Caribbean and 23 additional locations under development. The Nashville location is expected to open in summer 2019.

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VISTA, CALIF. — Brighton Management has purchased the 50-room Hyatt Place hotel in the San Diego submarket of Vista for an undisclosed sum. The hotel is located at 2645 S. Melrose Drive. The four-story hotel opened in 2012. It offers 1,200 square feet of meeting space, a 24/7 guest kitchen, gallery market and bakery café. CBRE Hotels represented the seller, an affiliate of Irvine-based CoreCapital that purchased the hotel in 2014. Brighton Management represented itself in the transaction. The company will also manage the hotel.

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