JOPLIN, MO. — Homewood Suites by Hilton has opened a new hotel in Joplin featuring its latest prototype, Gen9, which enables the extended-stay brand to target more urban locations. The four-story, 97-room hotel is owned by Joplin Hospitality Partners and managed by McHugh Hospitality Group. The building is one of the first businesses to open in Joplin since last year's deadly tornado. The Gen9 plan reduces the land area needed to build a Homewood by approximately 20 percent. Construction costs are reduced 10 to 15 percent, and the overall development cost per-key is reduced 4 to 6 percent. The Joplin hotel is located at 2642 East 32 St.
FORT WORTH — The Admiral Capital Real Estate Fund, a partnership between Admiral Capital Group and USAA Real Estate Co., along with its joint venture partner Franklin Croft, has acquired the 132-room Holiday Inn Express, located at 1111 W. Lancaster Ave. in downtown Fort Worth. Dallas-based Aimbridge Hospitality will manage the hotel, which will have an additional 31 rooms open this year. The hotel is The Admiral Fund's third hotel and sixth property altogether.
TAMPA, FLA. — Interstate Hotels & Resorts and Waramaug Hospitality have completed a $9 million renovation of the 265-room Sheraton Tampa East Hotel, located at 10221 Princess Palm Ave. in Tampa. The renovation included upgrades to all guest rooms, the hotel's 30,000 square feet of meeting space and all public areas, including adapting the hotel's reception area to Sheraton's signature lobby, the Link@Sheraton experience. Additional amenities include Panfilio's Bar and Grille, a fully renovated, full-service restaurant, as well as the Sheraton Club Lounge, an outdoor heated pool, tennis courts and an upgraded fitness facility.
HARRISBURG, PA. — Greenwood Hospitality has acquired the 384-room Hilton hotel in downtown Harrisburg for a reported $22.2 million. Developed in 1990, the property includes 26,000 square feet of meeting and conference space and The Golden Sheaf restaurant. The hotel is connected by an enclosed walkway to the Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts and Strawberry Square, a mixed-use retail and office complex. Greenwood plans to upgrade the hotel's guest rooms and public spaces.
BUDD LAKE, N.J. — Comfort Suites, a 53-room hotel property in Budd Lake, has sold for $1.75 million. Built in 2001, the property is located at 102 Route 46 W. and is approximately one mile from the International Trade Center. Umar Sheikh of Marcus & Millichap represented the seller, a limited liability company, in the transaction. He also represented the buyer, a private investor. The new owners plan to rebrand the property as a Super 8.
ARLINGTON, VA. — Vornado Realty Trust has completed a $7 million renovation at the 343-room Crystal City Marriott, located at 1999 Jefferson Davis Highway in Arlington. The project included the addition of the Bell20 restaurant, 10,000 square feet of meeting and event space, a 1,400-square-foot fitness center and a 1,200-square-foot concierge lounge. Marriott International manages the hotel.
PISCATAWAY, N.J. — 121 Centennial Avenue LLC, a local hotel investment group from Edison, N.J., has purchased the 221-room Embassy Suites in Piscataway for $9.7 million. Embassy Suites is situated off Interstate I-287 and is in close proximity to Rutgers University and the Garden State Exhibit Center. Geoff Davis and Ketan Patel of HREC Investment Advisors represented the seller in the transaction.
WILLIAMSBURG, VA. — A joint venture between Interstate Hotels & Resorts, Waramaug Hospitality and a private investment group has acquired the 295-room Williamsburg Hotel & Conference Center, located at 50 Kingsmill Road in Williamsburg. The hotel will undergo a $7.5 million comprehensive renovation and conversion to the DoubleTree by Hilton brand. The property includes 45,000 square feet of meeting space for up to 1,600 people and an auditorium with the capacity for more than 700 people. Additionally, the hotel features three dining options, an indoor/outdoor swimming pool, tennis courts, a fitness center and business center.
DUBLIN, OHIO — Sonesta International Hotels Corp. will manage the 106-room Residence Inn Dublin/Columbus in Dublin, starting Aug. 10. Sonesta will rebrand the hotel as the Sonesta ES Suites Dublin. The hotel features an outdoor swimming pool, 24-hour fitness center, guest laundry and a 24-hour business center.
NEW YORK CITY — SBE and Moin Development Corp. are teaming up to build a new SLS Hotel in New York, the first in the city for the luxury brand. Crews will convert an existing office building into a 190-room hotel located at 444 Park Ave. South in Manhattan. The hotel will also feature bar venues in the lobby and a restaurant concept on the rooftop. It will be the third SLS Hotel in the U.S. and is slated to open by 2013. The reported cost of construction is $85 million