FORNEY, TEXAS — NAI Partners represented Forney Innkeepers in the disposition of three acres for a hotel site located in Forney, 21 miles east of Dallas. Forney is a secondary market and transportation corridor to downtown Dallas. The buyer is approved for a 72-room Holiday Inn Express development for the site. Lisa Hankamer of NAI Partners in Houston represented the seller in negotiating the sale to Bhavi Hospitality.
ANN ARBOR, MICH. — The Residence Inn Ann Arbor Downtown, part of the Marriott brand of hotels, has opened its doors. The six-story, 110-room hotel is located at 120 W. Huron St. First Martin Corp. developed the property, and First Hospitality Group Inc. is the management firm. According to Crain’s Detroit Business, the hotel anchors a $20 million mixed-use project. The hotel consists of 75 studio units, 20 one-bedroom units and 15 panoramic suites. The project also includes 6,000 square feet of retail space, which Colliers International is in charge of leasing up. The Residence Inn Ann Arbor Downtown is situated on the former site of the Ann Arbor Area Convention and Visitors Bureau building and the neighboring Greyhound Bus Depot. Amenities include in-suite kitchens, an indoor heated pool, a fitness center, complimentary breakfast, grocery delivery, shuttle service and Wi-Fi.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Apple Hospitality REIT has closed on the acquisitions of the 102-room Courtyard by Marriott Syracuse Downtown at Armory Square and the 78-room Residence Inn by Marriott Syracuse Downtown at Armory Square for a combined purchase price of $42 million. The Courtyard and Residence Inn hotels, both located at 300 West Fayette Street within the historic Armory Square area of Downtown Syracuse, are approximately two miles from Syracuse University as well as the State University of New York Upstate Medical University and Upstate University Health System. Both hotels opened in 2013.
HOUSTON — The Hyatt Regency Houston Galleria has opened at 2626 Sage Road in Houston. The 14-story hotel, managed by Aimbridge Hospitality, marks the ninth Hyatt-branded hotel to open in the Houston area. The hotel is part of the 7.6-acre Galleria Plaza development, which includes retail, apartments and office towers. The development will also include Hyatt Place Houston Galleria, adjacent to Hyatt Regency Houston Galleria. The Hyatt Place hotel is under construction and is expected to open in early 2016. Hyatt Regency Houston Galleria features 325 rooms, including 20 suites and eight accessible rooms. The hotel features more than 11,000 square feet of functional space and an additional 7,800 square feet of lobby and gathering space. On the third floor is a heated, outdoor swimming pool and sun deck.
PITTSBURGH — Laurus Corp. has acquired the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel – Green Tree in Pittsburgh for an undisclosed price. The 460-room property recently underwent a $20 million top-to-bottom makeover and Laurus plans to invest $7 million to improve customer experience at the hotel by enhancing operations, delivering top-tier culinary experiences across the hotel’s existing restaurants and opening Asado Grill restaurant. The hotel features 40,000 square feet of flexible, multi-functional meeting space and a 13,000-square-foot indoor athletic training center. The hotel will be managed by TPG Hospitality. The name of the seller was not disclosed.
ALLEN, TEXAS — Starwood Hotels & Resorts plan to open a new Aloft hotel in the Dallas suburb of Allen. Located within the Watters Creek at Montgomery Farm mixed-used development, Aloft Allen is set to open in March 2018. Watters Creek Hospitality will own the property and Aimbridge Hospitality will manage the hotel. The property will feature 136 rooms. Facilities at Aloft Allen will include an outdoor pool, gym and bar. In addition, the hotel will offer 2,000 square feet of meeting space for business meetings and social gatherings. Guests will also be able to use their smart phone as a key. The technology is available at all Aloft, Element and W hotels.
LEXINGTON, KY. — Huff, Niehaus & Associates Inc. has arranged the $5.9 million sale of the Clarion Hotel Lexington Conference Center in Lexington. The seller, Dogwood Hotels LLC, recently invested $1.2 million to renovate the 149-room hotel. The property sits on a 5.9-acre site off an I-75 exit. Lexington Hospitality Group LLC purchased the hotel from Dogwood and plans to add a restaurant. Brandt Niehaus, president of Huff, Niehaus and a member of Hotel Brokers International, represented the seller in the transaction.
SACRAMENTO, CALIF. — Autograph Collection Hotels has added The Citizen hotel in Sacramento to its portfolio. The hotel is situated inside the California Life Insurance Building. It contains the Grange Restaurant and Bar, as well as 9,000 square feet of meeting space. Autograph is part of the Marriott International brand. Its global portfolio consists of 93 hotels worldwide.
ATLANTA — Grove Street Partners has closed financing for and will soon break ground on Renaissance Atlanta Airport Gateway Hotel in Atlanta. The 204-room hotel will be one of three hotels connected to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The other two, a Marriott and SpringHill Suites, were developed by Grove Street Partners in 2010. Marriott International will manage all three hotels, which are located adjacent to the Georgia International Convention Center and the ATL SkyTrain, an elevated train that connects the airport’s passenger terminal to the rental car center. Upon completion in March 2017, the hotel will feature 6,500 square feet of meeting space, a 3,200-square-foot ballroom, restaurant and bar.
COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS — Marcus & Millichap has arranged the sale of Aggieland Inn (formerly Ramada), a 167-room hospitality property located in College Station. Chris Gomes of Marcus & Millichap’s Dallas office, along with Allan Miller of the firm’s San Antonio office and Jake Gaddy of the Austin office, marketed the property on behalf of the seller, a limited liability company. Gomes procured the buyer, a private investor. Nick Fluellen and Bard Hoover of Marcus & Millichap’s Dallas office referred the seller to Gomes. Fluellen and Hoover previously represented the seller during the acquisition and disposition of student housing apartment assets. Aggieland Inn is located at 1502 Texas Ave. S., one block from the Texas A&M University campus. Built in 1972, the hotel is situated on roughly four acres. The hotel includes an outdoor swimming pool, a banquet hall and a restaurant and lounge. The buyer is planning a multimillion-dollar renovation before reopening in the first quarter of 2016.