STAMFORD, CONN. — A consortium consisting of Anbang Insurance Group Co., J.C. Flowers & Co. and Primavera Capital Limited has increased its bid to acquire Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide (NYSE: HOT) to $82.75 in cash per share of Starwood common stock from the previous non-binding proposal of $81 per share bid, which was made on March 26. Starwood’s board of directors has concluded that this revised, non-binding proposal from the consortium is a superior proposal as defined in Starwood’s merger agreement with Marriott International Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR), according to a press release issued Monday by Starwood. The new proposal is valued at $14 billion versus Marriott’s previous offer of $13.6 billion. The Starwood board, in consultation with its legal and financial advisors, will carefully consider the outcome of the discussion with the consortium in order to determine the course of action that is in the best interest of Starwood and its stockholders, the news release stated. Under the terms of the consortium’s current revised proposal, the consortium will acquire all the outstanding shares of common stock of Starwood for $82.75 per share in cash, an increase of $4.75 per share from its initial binding proposal of $78 per share …
LEXINGTON, MASS. — Rockwood Capital has completed the disposition of two hotels: an aloft and an element, located on a 12.7-acre site at 727 Marrett Road in Lexington, a northwest suburb of Boston. An undisclosed buyer acquired the hotels for $54 million, unencumbered by management. The 136-room aloft features grab-and-go dining, the w xyz bar, an indoor swimming pool, business center, game room, fitness room, meeting room and complimentary shuttle service. The 123-room element features complimentary breakfast, an indoor swimming pool, business center, fitness room, meeting room and complimentary shuttle service. The hotels were developed in 2008 as prototypes for the Starwood brand. Denny Meikleham and Alan Suzuki of HFF represented the seller in the transaction.
MIAMI — Dilido Beach Resort LLC, a joint venture between Lionstone Development and Flag Luxury, has received a $210 million loan for the refinancing of The Ritz-Carlton South Beach. Greenberg Traurig and Eastdil Secured arranged the loan, which will be used for planned capital improvements to the hotel, through lenders Cantor Commercial Real Estate (CCRE) and Societe Generale. The 375-room luxury hotel was originally built in 1953, and has been restored to reflect the original Morris Lapidus design. Located within walking distance of Ocean Drive and Lincoln Road in Miami, the hotel features an oceanfront infinity pool with private day beds, the DiLido Beach Club, two restaurants, a $2 million art collection featuring established and emerging artists, a 16,000-square-foot spa and 20,000 square feet of conference space. The resort underwent a $10 million renovation in 2012, according to reports by the South Florida Business Journal. The restoration, led by Miami-based interior designer Linda Zarifi, included the redesign of its 375 guest rooms. “We are very pleased to secure this financing for our flagship hotel,” says Paul Kanavos, CEO and chairman of Flag Luxury. “South Beach is a vibrant and diverse hospitality market and we are proud to be the leaders …
THE COLONY, TEXAS — Crescent Hotels & Resorts will manage a new Courtyard by Marriott hotel scheduled to open this spring in The Colony. Crescent Hotels & Resorts manages over 100 hotels and resorts in the U.S. and Canada. Jackson-Shaw is the developer of the 100-acre, master-planned development The Cascades at the Colony, which encompasses the hotel campus. The Courtyard will include 128 guest rooms, three meeting areas, a new restaurant with a full bar, a garden with a water feature and fire pit and a trail system.
SAN FRANCISCO — R.D. Olson Development has received a $49.8 million construction loan to build the 204-room Residence Inn by Marriott Silicon Valley in the San Francisco Bay Area community of San Carlos. The new hotel will be situated at Industrial Road and East San Carlos Avenue, halfway between San Francisco and San Jose. The four-story, select-service hotel will feature 1,500 square feet of meeting space, a convenience market, fitness center, outdoor pool and spa, sport court and outdoor patio with fire pit. The hotel is slated for completion in 2017. The three-year, floating-rate loan features two one-year extensions through a diversified financial services company. HFF’s James Fowler secured the financing on behalf of the developer.
ATLANTA — Alpha Alternatives LLC has arranged a $13 million bridge loan for a new 141-room Cambria Suites hotel. The property, currently a vacant office building, is located at 110 Mitchell St. in downtown Atlanta. Alpha Alternatives arranged the loan on behalf of the unnamed borrower, which plans to break ground on the hotel conversion in the near future. Cambria Hotels, a Choice Hotels International brand, invested more than $3 million in equity for the project.
ST. CHARLES, MO. — Cullinan Properties will construct a 180-room Drury Inn and Suites hotel, which will be part of the Streets of St. Charles, a 27-acre mixed-use community. In addition to the seven-story hotel, a second parking deck will be added to the development providing over 300 additional spaces. Construction of the parking deck is already underway, and work on the hotel is expected to start in April. Both projects are slated for completion by the summer of 2017. The Drury Inn and Suites at Streets of St. Charles will feature king and queen suites and deluxe two-room suites. The hotel will offer meeting space, an indoor/outdoor pool, Wi-Fi and hot breakfast. Drury Inn and Suites is the latest of several new tenants to be announced at Streets of St. Charles including Orangetheory Fitness, PF Changs, Firebirds Wood Fired Grill and Noodles & Co. which are all currently under construction and scheduled to open this summer.
MILWAUKEE — Home2 Suites by Hilton has opened a new 110-room hotel in Milwaukee. Raymond Management Co. will own and manage the Home2 Suites by Hilton Milwaukee Airport. The pet-friendly hotel will feature fully equipped kitchens, modular furniture, Internet access, a combined laundry and fitness area, complimentary breakfast, indoor pool and outdoor grill area. The hotel also provides a 24-hour shuttle to and from the General Mitchell International Airport, which is one mile away. The hotel is located at 5880 S. Howell Ave.
ATLANTA — When it comes to successfully operating a full-service hotel there is no silver bullet for achieving success, but there are some smart steps owners and operators should take, say industry experts who spoke at the 28th annual Hunter Hotel Conference. The three-day event at the Marriott Marquis drew 1,300 attendees, up 8 percent from a year ago, according to conference organizers. In a panel titled “The Evolution of Full-Service Hotels,” professionals from Horwath HTL, GF Management, Davidson Hotels and Resorts, Legacy Ventures and Hyatt Hotel Corp. emphasized time and again that full-service hotels are in no way dying. They are simply evolving, and owners and operators must also evolve if they have hopes of being successful. “It’s still a street corner business,” said Thom Geshay, senior vice president of business development for Davidson Hotels and Resorts. “You have to look at the market you’re in, you have to define and profile your customer and give them what they need.” 1. Get Creative in Controlling Costs — Full-service hotels have a slew of amenities, and each amenity presents a new place to create revenues. “Our job is to find something that is broken or not maximized in some way …
HUNTSVILLE, ALA. — RCP Cos. has inked a deal with Marriott International to bring a 150-room AC Hotel to CityCentre at Big Spring, a $100 million mixed-use development in Huntsville. In partnership with Yedla Management Co., Marriott will bring the European-inspired hotel brand to only its 10th market in the U.S. Construction will begin this summer. Located on Williams Avenue, the hotel will feature a lounge area, kitchen with self-serve European fare, complimentary Wi-Fi, mobile check-in and check-out and a 24-hour fitness center. Yedla plans to bring another hotel concept yet to be named to CityCentre at Big Spring, according to RCP.