DES MOINES, IOWA — The Weitz Co. has been selected to build the $101 million Iowa Events Center Hotel at Fifth Avenue and Park Street in Des Moines. The Iowa Events Center Hotel will include a build-out of a 330-room convention hotel, which will be connected to the Iowa Events Center, a multi-venue convention center and entertainment complex. Weitz will work with Des Moines-area architectural and engineering firms to complete the project.
DALLAS — Hilton Worldwide and Dallas-based Centurion American Development have signed a franchise license agreement to open The Statler Hotel & Residences in Dallas. Opening in October 2016, the refurbished hotel will be part of Curio by Hilton, a brand of upscale and luxury hotels for travelers. The original Dallas Statler Hilton was located at 1914 Commerce St. in downtown Dallas. Centurion American Development Group’s master plan includes 161 hotel rooms on the lower five floors and 219 residences on the top 11 floors. The building will include meeting space, retail and office space, four restaurants and a hotel lounge. A new music venue is also planned in the 14,500-square-foot ballroom. Development of the building is set to start at the beginning of May. Plano-based Aimbridge Hospitality will manage the hotel.
ATLANTA — The Atlanta Braves and Omni Hotels & Resorts have partnered to develop a new Omni hotel in the mixed-use development adjacent to SunTrust Park in Cobb County. Known as the Omni Atlanta Northwest Hotel, the property will span 16 floors and feature 260 guest rooms. The hotel will comprise 12,500 square feet of meeting space, a signature restaurant and an elevated pool deck and bar overlooking the plaza and ballpark. Groundbreaking for the Omni Atlanta Northwest Hotel is expected to occur later this year. The Dallas-based hospitality company has 60 hotels and resorts in the top markets across the U.S., including the Omni Atlanta Hotel at CNN Center. SunTrust Park is set to open by April 2017 and will be the new home to the Atlanta Braves.
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. — Hilton Worldwide has acquired the 150-room Boulders Resort & Spa near Scottsdale for an undisclosed sum. The 1,300-acre resort is located at 34631 N. Tom Darlington Drive in the Sonoran Desert foothill town of Carefree, just north of Scottsdale. The property will soon undergo a significant remodel and upgrade. Hilton announced the hotel will now operate under the “Curio – A Collection by Hilton” portfolio. Curio is a global brand of upper-upscale and luxury hotels that focus on delivering travel experiences tailored to the local attractions and culture. Boulders Resort & Spa offers one-, two- and three-bedroom guest casitas, or small houses, in addition to a five-bedroom, 5,000-square-foot villa retreat. The resort also features two 18-hole, Jay Morrish-designed championship golf courses, a terraced tennis garden, four swimming pools, six restaurants, a 33,000-square-foot spa, a fitness center and a variety of outdoor adventure activities. The renovation will upgrade the casitas. The lobby bar, front desk and Palo Verde restaurant will also be remodeled. The redesign will be carried out by DiLEONARDO. The seller, an affiliate of Blackstone Group, was represented by Hodges Ward Elliott in this transaction. There are six hotels currently under the Curio brand, including the …
WICHITA, KAN. — Value Place, a value extended stay hotel brand, has changed its name to WoodSpring Suites, effective immediately. In addition, the Wichita-based company is developing a brand extension with a more enhanced offering, WoodSpring Suites Signature, designed to appeal to less price sensitive guests. “Our new brand strategy will foster our ability to further expand our network, gain access to new markets and customer segments, and further drive RevPAR growth for our company owned hotels and development partners,” says Bruce Haase, CEO of the brand. “Leveraging our highly profitable operating model and history of product innovation, we believe that our rebranding strategy will be the catalyst to take the company to the next level of growth and profitability. We are building from a strong foundation.”
AUSTIN, TEXAS — Home2 Suites by Hilton Austin North/Near the Domain is now open. The mid-tier, all-suite hotel brand is designed for business travelers and extended stay guests. Home2 Suites now has nearly 200 hotels in its property pipeline, with another 30 locations scheduled to open by the end of this year. Home2 Suites’ portfolio expansion into Austin, which brings 135 new hotel rooms to the state of Texas, comes on the heels of a major spike in demand for the extended-stay hotel product. Esperanza Hospitality LLC owns Home2 Suites Austin North/Near the Domain, which is located at 2800 Esperanza Crossing.
HANOVER, MD. — MCR Development LLC has completed the renovation of the TownePlace Suites by Marriott Arundel Mills BWI Airport in Hanover, roughly four miles from the Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport. The 109-room hotel is located at 7021 Arundel Mills Circle. The renovation included updating the lobby with new furniture and carpeting, installing new lighting fixtures and updating the hotel’s signage. This is the eighth hotel in the metro Baltimore area that MCR Development has renovated in the past 10 months.
LONG ISLAND CITY, N.Y. — Hilton Worldwide has opened Hilton Garden Inn New York Long Island City/Manhattan View in Long Island City. As the city’s first Hilton Garden Inn, the hotel features 183 guestrooms, four meeting rooms totaling more than 1,410 square feet of flexible meeting space, and a presidential suite with a view of the Manhattan skyline. The guestrooms feature the brand’s signature bedding, a work desk with an ergonomic desk chair, mini fridges, microwaves and Keurig coffee makers. Additional hotel amenities include complimentary WiFi, 24-hour business center, fitness center and an indoor pool. The hotel is owned by CVR Hotel LLC and managed by Crescent Hotels and Resorts.
INDIANAPOLIS — Hilton Worldwide has signed a franchise license agreement with PK Partners to develop the 125-room Hampton Inn & Suites Indianapolis/Keystone. The five-story hotel will be located at 8980 River Crossing Blvd. in Indianapolis. PK Partners will own the property and Schahet Hotels Inc. will operate the hotel. Located in the heart of Keystone at the Crossing, adjacent to the River North at Keystone, Hampton Inn & Suites Indianapolis/Keystone will be part of a mixed-use development and within walking distance to the Fashion Mall at Keystone. The new hotel is set for completion in late 2016.
ALLEN, TEXAS — The Allen City Council has approved a development agreement with TCH Altera LLC for the construction of The Convention Center at Watters Creek, an $85 million facility. The convention hotel will contain 290 guest rooms, a 64,500-square-foot convention center and a 1,000-car parking garage on seven acres at Bethany Drive and North Central Expressway. Projected to open in January 2017, the center will become the largest convention and exhibition space in the north Dallas suburbs. The multi-entity agreement provides for the city, Allen Economic Development Corp. (AEDC) and Allen Community Development Corp. to jointly contribute $12.3 million toward the capital investment in the project and to provide additional operational support over time. The AEDC also will contribute the land, which it has owned since the 1990s. TCH Altera has arranged construction financing and anticipates breaking ground by the end of this summer.