NEW YORK CITY — The New York Supreme Court has denied a petition submitted by Soho Alliance, Inc. that challenged the status of the new Trump SoHo project as a lawful hotel condominium. The ruling sustains an earlier resolution of the New York City Board of Standards and Appeals in May 2008 that upheld the New York City Department of Buildings’ approval of the construction of Trump SoHo as a “Use Group 5 transient hotel.” The project is currently scheduled for a fall completion. Rising 46 stories and 449 feet, Trump SoHo is being developed by a joint venture between The Trump Organization, Bayrock Group and The Sapir Organization. The building was designed by Rockwell Group, and will feature 400 hotel condominium units, including 10 penthouse suites and one Presidential suite on the top four floors. Other amenities include the restaurant Quattro, a luxury rooftop venue, a more than 11,000-square-foot luxury spa, a ground-level bar and 12,000 square feet of meeting space.
Hospitality
ST. AUGUSTINE, FLA., AND AUGUSTA, GA. — Orlando-based D&D Construction Services is expected to complete vertical construction on two 82-room Fairfield Inn & Suites hotels this month. The properties, which are being developed by State College, Pa.-based Shaner Hotels, are located in St. Augustine and Augusta. Both hotels feature meeting space and an outdoor pool and spa. The three-story St. Augustine hotel is slated for delivery in May, and the four-story Augusta hotel will be completed in July.
MILWAUKEE — West Bend, Wis.-based American Design-Build and North Liberty, Iowa-based Kinseth Hospitality Cos. have completed construction of a Sleep Inn & Suites located at the intersection of Layton Avenue and South 6th Street in Milwaukee. The three-story property, which is situated 1.5 miles from the west entrance of General Mitchell International Airport, houses 82 guest rooms. Amenities at the property include an indoor pool, a fitness center and a meeting room capable of hosting up to 35 people. Kinseth Hospitality Cos. will manage the Sleep Inn & Suites on behalf of Choice Hotels International.
SAN MARCOS, TEXAS — The grand opening has been held for the Embassy Suites San Marcos – Hotel, Spa & Conference Center, a $50 million hotel and spa located in San Marcos. The 10-story hotel features 283 suites, and the adjacent conference center totals more than 80,000 square feet. The conference center is owned by the city of San Marcos and managed by John Q. Hammons Hotels & Resorts. The hotel and spa is privately owned by John Q. Hammons and managed by his Springfield, Mo.-based hospitality company.
MINNEAPOLIS — The New Jersey and Minneapolis offices of NorthMarq Capital have arranged an $11.65 million loan for the construction of a hotel, which will be located in Minneapolis. A local hotelier has plans to build a 124-room extended-stay hotel representing one of the Hilton family brands. NorthMarq has secured 70 percent loan-to-cost financing for the client. Additional terms of the loan were not disclosed.
HOLTSVILLE, N.Y. — Construction has been completed for The Crowne Plaza Long Island-MacArthur Airport, located at 1730 N. Ocean Ave. in Holtsville. The hotel underwent an approximately $7 million renovation that converted it from a Radisson-branded hotel. The Crown Plaza features 188 rooms, 5,500 square feet of flexible meeting space, including a 3,000-square-foot ballroom, and a YOGI’S Grill & Sports Bar restaurant. The hotel is owned by Holtsville Hospitality and managed by Om Hospitality, under a license agreement with Atlanta-based InterContinental Hotels Group.
PLYMOUTH MEETING, PA. — RockBridge has secured $11.7 million in first-mortgage financing for a 150-suite Hyatt Summerfield Suites located in Plymouth Meeting. The all-suite, extended stay hotel features rooms with fully equipped kitchens, walk-in closets and dedicated work space. The owner-operator of the property, Wichita, Kan.-based LodgeWorks, plans to complete a $1.3 million renovation to the property in the future. The lender, as well as the terms of the loan, were undisclosed.
BEVERLY HILLS, CALIF. — Newmark Realty Capital Inc. has arranged $30 million in permanent financing for the fee interest in the Beverly Hills Four Seasons Hotel. The hotel, which is located at 300 S. Doheny Dr., offers 285 rooms. George Mitsanas and Monique Monzon of Newmark Realty Capital arranged the financing. Specific terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
CHEVY CHASE, MD. — Grosvenor has begun a $35 million renovation of a 214-unit Holiday Inn hotel, located at 5520 Wisconsin Ave. in Chevy Chase. The property will be rebranded as a Courtyard by Marriott. The project also calls for adding 1,500 square feet of retail space to the adjacent Chevy Chase Plaza and will be complete by spring. Renovations include expanding the hotel’s capacity to 226 rooms and pursuing a Silver LEED rating. Low-flow shower heads and toilets, energy-efficient windows and a reflective roof are some of the planned environmental features. Grosvenor bought the 112,500-square-foot Holiday Inn and the 40,000-square-foot Chevy Chase Plaza in 2004. Tenants at the plaza include Saks Jandel, Brooks Brothers, Sylene’s and Bank of America.
DETROIT — After undergoing a $90 million restoration, the Doubletree Guest Suites Fort Shelby/Detroit Downtown has opened at the intersection of Lafayette Boulevard and First Street in Detroit. The site formerly housed the Hotel Fort Shelby, which first opened in 1917, and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Hilton Hotels Corp. will manage the Doubletree Guest Suites, which is owned by MCP Development. The 203-room facility is one of the only all-suite hotels in downtown Detroit. Additionally, the property features 21,000 square feet of conference and event space that was designed to achieve certification by the International Association of Conference Centers. Amenities of the conference and event component include hard-surface meeting tables, ergonomic conference seating, built-in audio/video and computer networking systems, and a comprehensive business center. Renovations also included the addition of the Finn & Porter restaurant, the Finn & Porter Sushi Bar, the Finn & Porter Round Bar lounge and a Bearclaw Coffee shop.