ATLANTA — Westin Buckhead Atlanta will begin Phase III of its hotel-wide renovation project — a $9 million upgrade to the 365 guestrooms. The hotel is located at 3391 Peachtree Road N.E. in Atlanta’s Buckhead submarket. The bathrooms in each room will be upgraded with new stone and walnut vanities and illuminated mirrors. Also, each unit will feature a 42-inch TV, LED lights in the headboards for reading and USB ports at each desk. The project will begin in April and wrap up in August. This is the final phase of the hotel’s renovation, which includes upgrades to the lobby and 30,000 square feet of meeting space.
LA QUINTA, CALIF. – The 129-room Homewood Suites By Hilton hotel in La Quinta has sold to a joint venture between Pathfinder Partners, LLC and Vesta Hospitality. The purchase price was not disclosed. The extended-stay property is located at 45-200 Washington Street. Vesta has been managing the property since 2010. The hotel is undergoing a $1.8-million renovation.
ATLANTA — FelCor Lodging Trust Inc. has sold its 232-room Embassy Suites hotel in Atlanta for $17.2 million. FelCor is using the proceeds of the sale to assume an existing $11 million loan on the property. FelCor has also agreed to sell its 218-room Embassy Suites hotel in Bloomington, Minn., for $24 million. FelCor is a publicly traded real estate investment trust.
CHAMPAIGN, ILL. — Associated Bank has provided the developers of Champaign Hyatt Place with $19.4 million in construction financing. Located at 217 N. Neil St. in Champaign, the nine-story hotel will feature 145 rooms, 3,300 square feet of meeting space, a restaurant and lounge, an indoor pool, an exercise room and a business center, as well as a three-story, 145-stall parking garage. The property, which is being developed by a partnership between Campus Acquisition Retail & Hospitality and YG Financial Group, is slated to open in March. Craig Pryzygoda of Associated Bank’s commercial real estate banking division managed the loan closing.
NEW YORK CITY — Chesapeake Lodging Trust is converting its property at 30-32 West 31st St. in New York City to the Hyatt Herald Square. The conversion is expected to occur after the completion of a $6 million renovation. The new property is expected to open in the third quarter of this year. Designed by Paul Vega of New York-based VLDG designs, the transformation will include an all-inclusion renovation to each of the 122 guestrooms and a redesign of the lobby and the food and beverage experience. Chesapeake Lodging Trust has entered into a franchise agreement with a Hyatt affiliate to convert the property.
JEFFERSON CITY, MO. — American Hotel Income Properties REIT LP (AHIP) has completed the renovation of Oak Tree Inn, which is located at 1710 Jefferson St. in Jefferson City. The $1 million renovation included the implementation of Oak Tree Inn’s brand standards at the 77-room property, including noise, light and temperature control features. The property was purchased in 2013, and is now under a long-term railway contract with a leading U.S. railroad customer. Through its wholly owned indirect subsidiaries, AHIP currently owns 38 hotels in 20 states.
NEW YORK CITY — IHG has opened Crowne Plaza JFK Airport New York City hotel in Jamaica. Located at 138-10 135th Ave., the 330-room hotel features Internet access, free parking, extended dining and bar service hours, a fitness center, a zen room for yoga and meditation, and the brand’s Sleep Advantage program. Additionally the hotel offers 5,000 square feet of meeting space, including 10 meeting rooms and a ballroom.
GREENVILLE, S.C. — Windsor/Aughtry Co., a commercial real estate developer and brokerage firm based in Greenville, plans to develop a 156-suite Embassy Suites Hotel in downtown Greenville. The hotel will be located along River Street and the Reedy River within RiverPlace, a mixed-use development featuring residential, office and dining components. The hotel will feature a restaurant and bar at the lobby level, a roof-top deck, board rooms, banquet facilities, an indoor pool, business center and fitness center.
OMAHA, NEB. — Lodging Dynamics Hospitality Group LLC has acquired the Staybridge Suites, located at 7825 Davenport St. in Omaha for an undisclosed price. The 106-room hotel opened in 2011 and is located a short distance from many Omaha attractions. Lloyd Farley of Paramount Lodging Advisors represented the buyer in the transaction.
ELIZABETH, N.J. — Embassy Suites Hotels has opened the 189 two-room Embassy Suites Elizabeth-Newark, which is located at 95 Glimcher Realty Way in Elizabeth. Owned and operated by Sun Development and Management Corp., the property features three all-purpose meeting spaces, an open lobby, complimentary breakfast, a fitness center, an indoor pool, a whirlpool and the Liberty Grille Restaurant.