WEST PALM BEACH, FLA. — New York-based Related Cos. has been selected to develop the 400-room Palm Beach County Convention Center Hotel, which will carry a Hilton brand, in West Palm Beach. The firm will take on the project with assistance from Hilton Worldwide, Coastal Construction, Catafulmo Construction and architect Nichols Brosch Wurst Wolfe & Associates. Related's project will generate 360 construction jobs and 300 permanent jobs. The next steps in the process are contract and financing negotiations, which will take 4 to 6 months.
FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. — Choice Hotels International has opened a 119-unit Cambria Suites hotel in Fort Lauderdale, the first of its kind in Florida. The property, located at 141 SW 19th Court, is owned by Dan Patel of DP Hotels. The hotel features a dining area, a fitness center, a resort-style pool and a 24-hour convenience store.
AKRON, OHIO — Sunstar Akron has purchased a Motel 6 property, which is located at 99 Rothrock Road in Akron. Motel 6 Operating (Accor Hospitality) sold the 103-room property for an undisclosed price. Chris Dewey of Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels represented the seller. The hotel will continue to operate under the Motel 6 brand.
TEXAS — InterContinental Hotels will have opened 13 new Candlewood Suites properties in Texas by the mid-mark of 2010. This will increase the company's Texas holdings to 50 properties. Candlewood Suites locations have already opened in San Antonio, Austin and the Houston metro area. Two more will open in Houston in the coming months, and another San Antonio property is being built. Texas locations are also planned for Abilene, Fort Stockton, Fort Worth and Temple.
ENCINITAS, CALIF. — Shouha Investments Inc. has brokered the sale of the 45-unit Quality Inn & Suites North Coast located on Hwy. 101 in Encinitas. Both buyer and seller were represented by Shouha. Located within walking distance of Moonlight Beach, the property also offers guests an oversized outdoor Whirlpool spa.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Washington-based Braxton Hotel & Condominium has sold the 58-room District Hotel to Cherry Blossom Hospitality for $8.4 million. The seller had converted the property, which is located at 1440 Rhode Island Ave. NW in Washington, from a 1920s-era, 86-room boarding house to a boutique hotel. Cherry Blossom Hospitality plans to add four stories to the original property and build an additional eight-story building. Donohoe Corfac International brokered the sale.
FALMOUTH, MASS. — An investment fund managed by ING Clarion Partners has acquired Sea Crest Resort & Conference Center, a 23-acre, 266-room, oceanside resort located in Falmouth. The new owners plan to complete extensive, multi-phase renovations to the property. Guestrooms, conference facilities, the lobby and the landscaping will be upgraded. Longer-term plans call for the construction of a sports pub, a soda fountain and carry-out food area, and a poolside bar as well as the renovation of the resort's outdoor swimming pool. The first phase of renovations will be complete by June, with the entire renovation complete by June 2011. The seller's name and the acquisition price were not disclosed.
CUERO, TEXAS — A new Best Western hotel has opened in Cuero. The Best Western Park Heights Inn and Suites is located at 308 Park Heights Drive. It contains 52 guestrooms, including 23 suites. Amenities include an outdoor swimming pool, a fitness center, a 24-hour business center and meeting space for up to 15 people. The hotel is owned by Dipak Patel under a licensing agreement with Best Western International.
SAN ANTONIO — Construction has topped out for the Embassy Suites San Antonio Downtown – Riverwalk, a 285-suite hotel located at 125 E. Houston St. in San Antonio. The hotel will feature Luke, a brasserie restaurant operated by John Besh, as well as an environmentally friendly design and a cascading water element that will run from the lobby to the outdoor patio and into the San Antonio River. Completion is slated for August. Sam Friedman of Blanco Rio, Ltd. is the owner of the hotel, and Natchitoches, La.-based Dimension Development will be the operator. The general contractor is Zachry Construction. The new hotel marks the third Embassy Suites in San Antonio.
SAN ANTONIO — The grand opening will be held tomorrow for the new Acuity Hospital of South Texas in San Antonio. The long-term acute care hospital moved from its original location at South Texas Medical Center to a new facility located downtown at 718 Lexington Ave. The new building rises three stories and totals 34,000 square feet. It contains 30 private rooms, a six-bed High Observation Unit, radiology and laboratory facilities and a clinical pharmacy. Austin, Texas-based AcuityHealthcare is the owner of the hospital. Houston-based Professional Construction Services served as the construction management firm for the project, and construction financing was provided by SNB Bank.