AMARILLO, TEXAS — HFF has secured $28.2 million in construction financing to develop a 225-room Embassy Suites hotel to anchor the Civic Center redevelopment in Amarillo. HFF worked on behalf of the developer, NewcrestImage, to secure the financing through Southwest Bank, the largest locally owned bank in Fort Worth. Located at the intersection of 6th Avenue and Buchanan Street, the 200,000-square-foot Embassy Suites hotel will be part of planned improvements in downtown Amarillo surrounding Amarillo’s Civic Center, a multi-purpose convention center that will also include retail, a parking garage and an entertainment venue/ballpark. Amarillo is the 14th-largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Texas Panhandle. The all-suite, Hilton-branded hotel will feature 30,000 square feet of meeting and function space, 300 parking spots in an adjacent garage, lounge and lobby bar, pool, fitness center and full-service restaurant for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The hotel is expected to be complete in 2017. Travis Anderson and Jim Curtin led the HFF debt placement team representing the borrower.
Hospitality
AUSTIN, TEXAS — Marcus & Millichap has arranged the sale of Rodeway Inn & Suites Downtown North Austin, a 49-room hospitality property located in Austin. Chris Gomes of Marcus & Millichap’s Dallas office, Allan Miller of Marcus & Millichap’s San Antonio office and Jake Gaddy of the firm’s Austin office marketed the property on behalf of the seller, a limited liability company. Michael Yu, Rahul Bijlani and Agrama Mannapperuma of Marcus & Millichap’s Houston office procured the buyer, an individual/personal trust. Rodeway Inn & Suites Downtown North Austin is located at 6201 E. Highway 290, less than one-half mile east of the I-35 intersection. Originally constructed in 1963, the recently renovated hotel is situated on 1.6 acres. Amenities include an outdoor pool, picnic area and breakfast bar.
MIAMI BEACH, FLA. — Stantec’s Miami office has begun renovations of the Berkeley Shore Hotel, a historic hotel located at 1610 Collins Ave. in Miami Beach. The 45,100-square-foot redevelopment will comprise 96 guestrooms, a restaurant and the addition of a new 10-story tower with a rooftop Zen garden and pool. The tower will sit behind the existing structure and will resemble the original Art Deco exterior of the Berkeley Shore Hotel that opened in 1940. The hotel renovations are scheduled to wrap up in spring 2016.
SAN ANTONIO — Marcus & Millichap has arranged the sale of the 122-room Holiday Inn San Antonio Northwest. Allan Miller and Chris Gomes of the firm’s Dallas office represented the seller. Marcus & Millichap’s National Retail Group procured the buyer. Both buyer and seller are Texas-based private investment groups. The hotel is located at 5535 University Heights near I-10 and Loop 1604, two miles from the University of Texas at San Antonio and three miles from Six Flags Fiesta Texas. Constructed in 2012, the Holiday Inn San Antonio Northwest is a four-story interior-corridor, full-service hotel.
WOBURN, MASS. — The Davis Cos. partnered with The Rubicon Cos. to acquire the Hilton Hotel at Two Forbes Road in Woburn for an undisclosed price. Situated on eight acres, the full-service hotel features 344 rooms and ample on-site parking. The partnership is working with CBT Architects and hotelier Robin Brown to reposition the property. The renovations will include a reimagined atrium featuring an inviting, contemporary restaurant and lounge; an indoor pool; state-of-the-art fitness center; executive lounge; and an 18,000-square-foot function room and ballroom. The renovation work, which includes a $15 million property improvement plan to meet Hilton brand standards, is scheduled to start in the fourth quarter of 2016. Managed by Pyramid Hotel Group, the hotel will remain operational throughout the renovation process.
BUENA PARK, CALIF. — Golden Capital Venture has purchased the 200-room Radisson Suites Buena Park for an undisclosed sum. The hotel is located at 7762 Beach Blvd. in the Orange County submarket of Buena Park. It is situated within the Buena Park Entertainment Zone. The buyer plans to make improvements to the hotel and rebrand it as Radisson Suites Anaheim-Buena Park. Golden Capital Venture is a subsidiary of INVOBAL Corporation. Daniel Shaunt of Reeco represented the company. CBRE’s Bob Kaplan and Rod Apodaca represented the seller, Khanna Enterprises Ltd.
BRASELTON, GA. — Winter Construction has completed a 33,000-square-foot, two-level addition to the Chateau Elan Winery & Resort, a four-diamond hotel in Braselton. The addition includes a ballroom with partitions, pre-function and service space, restrooms, storage and office space. The new Paris Ballroom features 20-foot ceilings, French chandeliers and an outdoor terrace. The addition is the largest construction project at the hotel in recent years, according to Winter Construction. The Atlanta-based general contractor worked with architect Chapman, Griffin, Lanier, Sussenbach Architects on the addition.
LAS VEGAS — The owner of the SLS Las Vegas has partnered with Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide to open the first W Hotel in Las Vegas. The hotel will occupy an existing 289-room tower that is currently operated under the SLS LUX brand. The new W Hotel is scheduled to open in the third quarter of 2016. The SLS Las Vegas will also become part of Starwood’s Tribute Portfolio, as part of the agreement. The hotel will include a dedicated entry and reception area for W Hotel guests, an Away Spa, and an outdoor pool and bar known as WET. It will also feature the signature W Living Room, which is the brand’s unique take on the traditional hotel lobby. Starwood will manage W Las Vegas, while Kreeger will continue to manage the remainder of the SLS property. The SLS Las Vegas is owned by Las Vegas Resort Holdings LLC. SLS Las Vegas will join Starwood’s four existing hotels in the market, including the Westin Las Vegas Hotel, Casino & Spa, the Westin Lake Las Vegas Resort & Spa, Four Points by Sheraton Las Vegas East Flamingo and Element Las Vegas Summerlin.
TREVOSE, PA. — HREC has arranged the sale of Radisson Philadelphia Northeast located at 2400 Old Lincoln Highway in Trevose. Haverford Hotel Partners LP sold the 274-guestroom hotel to TJM Properties for an undisclosed sum. The property is in close proximity to the Sesame Place Theme Park, Parx Casino & Racetrack, Philadelphia Mills Shopping Mall, and The Sportsplex. Ketan Patel and Geoff Davis of HREC’s New York City office represented the seller in the transaction.
SAN DIEGO — Bartell Hotels has purchased the 211-room San Diego Airport Hilton on Harbor Island for $37.7 million. The hotel is located at 1960 Harbor Island Drive. The property is situated along San Diego’s waterfront, less than a mile from San Diego International Airport. It underwent an extensive renovation in the early 2000s when the hotel joined the Hilton Worldwide brand. Bartell plans to make an additional $5 million in upgrades. The company now owns eight properties in San Diego.