SANTA ANA, CALIF. – The 121-room Santa Ana Hampton Inn & Suites has sold to Trigild, Blu Hotel Investors and Pacifica Real Estate Group (PREG) for an undisclosed sum. The hotel is located at 2720 Hotel Terrace Drive in Santa Ana. It is situated on 1.45 acres near South Coast Plaza and John Wayne International Airport. The hotel will undergo an extensive renovation and will continue operating under the current Hampton franchise agreement.
NEW YORK CITY — Chesapeake Lodging Trust has acquired the newly developed 185-room Hyatt Place New York Midtown South, located at 52 W. 36th St. in New York City, for $76.2 million. The hotel, which opened last week, features 250 square feet of flexible, high-tech meeting/function space, a café and 24/7 Gallery Menu. Real Hospitality Group, the operator of Chesapeake’s other hotel in New York City located on 31st Street, will manage the hotel. Fairfield, N.J.-based Chesapeake funded the acquisition with available cash on hand, a credit at closing equal to the outstanding balance of a construction loan provided to the seller, and a $35 million advance under Chesapeake’s $60 million term loan obtained in July 2012.
NEW YORK CITY — The U.S. Green Building Council has awarded Conrad New York, a luxury waterfront hotel, located in Manhattan’s Battery Park City, LEED-Gold certification for new construction. Some environmentally friendly features at the Conrad include: a green roof and roof garden with vegetables used by Conrad New York’s signature restaurant ATRIO and Chef Floyd Cardoz of Danny Meyer’s restaurant North End Grill; bike racks for public use; and low-flow plumbing fixtures that help the hotel reduce its water consumption by more than 30 percent. Other features include light-emitting diode (LED) lights for more than 60 percent of all lighting at the hotel, low volatile organic compound (VOC) materials to promote indoor air quality, locally sourced materials, Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified wood and Energy Star kitchen equipment.
VICTORIA, TEXAS — Homewood Suites by Hilton has opened the 109-suite Homewood Suites Victoria, located at 6705 N.E. Zac Lentz Parkway in Victoria. Victoria Associates Ltd. owns the four-story hotel and Castle Hospitality manages it. The hotel offers studio, one- and two-bedroom suites, as well as a fitness center, pool, sports court, 24-hour executive business center and meeting space. The new hotel will be led by general manager Dagmar Gomez and supported by director of sales Christina Henry.
TRUCKEE, CALIF. — The Northstar Lodge, a Hyatt Residence Club in Truckee, has sold to Welk Resort Group for an undisclosed sum. The transaction includes the 23 remaining unsold whole-ownership and fractional residential units, as well as two entitled development parcels. The parcels are entitled for an additional 67 units totaling 102,619 square feet. The ski-in/ski-out private residence club is located at the base of Northstar Mountain in Lake Tahoe. The seller, LTMR Properties, LLC, was represented by HFF’s Holden Lim and Scott Hall.
GALVESTON, TEXAS — An 88-room, three-story TownePlace Suites by Marriott hotel has opened along Seawall Boulevard in Galveston. The 67,125-square-foot hotel is the first of two Marriott-branded hotels that will be located at the site. The second hotel is an 85-room Courtyard by Marriott, scheduled to open in two weeks. The adjacent hotels will share outdoor amenities, which include a resort-style swimming pool, restrooms and a bar. Dallas-based Mayse & Associates provided architectural services, San Antonio-based Segment Construction Group is managing the construction process and Cameron-based EBCO General Contractor LTD built the hotels. The construction team worked to open the first hotel in time for spring break.
TRUCKEE, CALIF. — The Northstar Lodge, a Hyatt Residence Club in Truckee, has sold to Welk Resort Group for an undisclosed sum. The transaction includes the 23 remaining unsold whole-ownership and fractional residential units, as well as two entitled development parcels. The parcels are entitled for an additional 67 units totaling 102,619 square feet. The ski-in/ski-out private residence club is located at the base of Northstar Mountain in Lake Tahoe. The seller, LTMR Properties, LLC, was represented by HFF’s Holden Lim and Scott Hall.
AUGUSTA, GA. — Home2 Suites by Hilton, the mid-tier hotel designed for business travelers and extended stay guests, has opened its 15th U.S. hotel at 3606 Exchange Lane in Augusta. The four-story, 123-room hotel is located within the Augusta Exchange, an 87-acre regional power center close to the Augusta National Golf Course. Generation Suites of Augusta owns the property, which is managed by The Generation Cos. The property includes an outdoor saline swimming pool, a three-hole putting green and a walking trail.
AUSTIN, TEXAS — An affiliate of Hyatt Hotels Corp. has acquired the 189-room Driskill Hotel in Austin for $85 million from an investment fund managed by Lowe Enterprises Investors. The hotel will keep its name but be managed under the Hyatt Hotels & Resorts umbrella. The buyer will also invest approximately $8 million for renovations to the hotel. The Driskill Hotel was built in 1886 and was designated a national historic landmark in 1969. Jones Lang LaSalle's Hotels & Hospitality Group represented the seller in the transaction.
SAN ANTONIO — Woodbine Development Corp. will manage the development of the Kimpton Hotel, a 146-room luxury boutique hotel that will be located in downtown San Antonio. The hotel will be part of Pearl, a 22-acre mixed-use development surrounding the historic Pearl Brewery site. The hotel will occupy the former brewhouse, a 119-year-old structure. The hotel will feature two restaurants, a roof-top pool, venue space facing the river and a cocktail bar. New York City-based Roman & Williams Buildings and Interiors is part of the design team, along with Dallas-based three: living architecture, the architect of record. Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants will operate the hotel and its associated restaurants. The hotel is slated for a fall 2014 opening.