SPRING, TEXAS — Woodbine Development Corp., CDC Houston and USAA Real Estate have broken ground on a 337-room Marriott CityPlace hotel in Spring, a northern suburb of Houston. The 10-story hotel will anchor the eastern end of CityPlace, a 60-acre mixed-use development within the master-planned community of Springwoods Village. Amenities of the hotel, which is set to open in November 2018, include a pool with a bar, two ballrooms and an outdoor event area.
SAN DIEGO — A local hotel developer has acquired 1.6 acres of land in Escondido for $3.5 million. The undeveloped parcel is located at 200 La Terraza Blvd. It is entitled for a 105-room SpringHill Suites by Marriott hotel. Terry Jackson and Matt Davis of Cushman & Wakefield represented the buyer. The seller was San Bernardino Hospitality LLC.
IRVING, TEXAS — Preston Hollow Capital, a Dallas-based finance firm, has arranged $115 million in financing for the construction of Westin Irving Convention Center Hotel, a 12-story, 350-room hotel development in Irving. The property will offer 16,000 square feet of ballroom and meeting space, restaurant and retail facilities and a parking garage. Texas-based architecture firm BOKA Powell designed the hotel, which will be situated on a 17-acre tract adjacent to the Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas. Austin Commercial LP is general contractor on the project, which is slated for an early 2018 opening.
BRYAN, TEXAS — William Cole Cos. has completed development of The Stella, a 176-key hotel in Bryan, a city near Texas A&M University in College Station. Located at 4100 Lake Atlas Drive, the property is part of ATLAS, a master-planned development approximately two miles from the school’s campus. Hotel amenities include suites with wraparound balconies, minibars in every room, 20,000 square feet of event and meeting space and an on-site restaurant. The hotel will open April 6.
MIAMI— An affiliate of Hyatt Hotels Corp. has entered into a franchise agreement with Concord Aztec Brickell LLC for Hyatt Centric Brickell Miami, a 208-room hotel that will be situated within the 83-story Panorama Tower in Miami’s Brickell district. Located at 1101 Brickell Ave., Hyatt Centric Brickell Miami will feature a second-floor restaurant and bar, full-service spa, fitness center, swimming pool and 4,000 square feet of meeting and event space. Concord Aztec Brickell LLC is a joint venture between Aztec Group and Concord Hospitality, which will manage the hotel. Hyatt Centric Brickell Miami is expected to open in the third quarter of this year. When completed, the mixed-use Panorama Tower will be the tallest building in Miami and the largest residential building south of New York. The first two floors of Panorama Tower will include more than 50,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space.
I am heartened to see that my projections for 2016 in the Midwest hotel marketplace — particularly Chicago, my home market — held up fairly well. In a column that I authored for Heartland Real Estate Business this time last year, I pointed out “the question of whether supply will outpace demand is changing from if to when in many of these markets.” That trend line has continued, although the momentum of it in some markets has, to some extent, delayed the inevitable. The demand side of the equation exceeded expectations in the fourth quarter of 2016 and so far in the first quarter of 2017. This has helped markets absorb the additional supply. I also wrote in last year’s column that “perhaps the single most important factor to watch with regard to the Chicago hotel market in 2016 is whether and to what extent strong leisure demand will continue to offset the influx of new hotel properties.” Sure enough, we saw strong leisure demand during the traditionally busy part of the year, and Chicago welcomed a record number of visitors during the first three quarters of 2016. Strong leisure and group segment performance during this period helped overall demand …
MCALLEN, TEXAS — Home2 Suites by Hilton has opened a 99-suite location in the McAllen, a city in south Texas near the Mexico border. Amenities include a combined laundry and fitness area, outdoor pool and meeting/event space that can accommodate up to 100 guests. Perspective Hospitality Management Services will manage the property, which is located at 525 S. Ware Road, approximately three miles from McAllen-Miller International Airport.
ROBINSONVILLE, MISS. — Penn National Gaming Inc., a Pennsylvania-based racetrack and casino operator, has entered into a deal to acquire Bally’s Casino Tunica and Resorts Casino Tunica for $44 million in cash, according to the Memphis Business Journal. Bally’s Casino Tunica features a 40,000-square-foot casino and a 238-room hotel; Resorts Casino Tunica features a 35,000-square-foot casino and a 201-room hotel. Both properties are located in Robinsonville, Miss., approximately 30 miles southwest of Memphis.
SEATTLE — Union Investment has purchased the 222-room Hilton Garden Inn in downtown Seattle for $90 million. The hotel is located at 1821 Boren Ave. This is the Hamburg-based real estate investment manager’s first acquisition on the West Coast.
WENTZVILLE, MO. — Hampton Inn St. Louis Wentzville has opened near St. Louis. The $12 million hotel features 64,000 square feet and 109 rooms. The hotel is located at 150 Wentzville Bluffs Drive in the new Wentzville Bluffs development. Amenities include a fitness center, indoor pool, meeting rooms and outdoor grill area. Midas Hospitality is managing the hotel. MC Hotel Construction, the sister company of Midas, was the general contractor.