HUNTSVILLE, ALA. —Blackburn Development/YRG Hotel Group will break ground in January on the 150-room Springhill Suites hotel in Huntsville. Each unit includes a microwave and a mini-fridge, and the property features a conference area, a pool and a fitness center. Forum Architecture & Interior Design serves as the interior designer of the hotel. Delivery is expected in January 2010.
LANCASTER, PA. — Marcus & Millichap has completed the sale of a 78-unit Country Inn & Suites located in Lancaster. Jeff Rake and Gordon Allred of Marcus & Millichap represented both undisclosed parties in the transaction. The acquisition price was not disclosed, but the property traded at a 9 percent cap rate. The property is located in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch Country, and enjoys an 85 percent repeat visitor rate among business travelers, as well as close proximity to the area’s major tourist attractions.
MIAMI — With an eye toward building a 250-room Embassy Suites, HP Hotels has purchased 22,700 square feet of commercial land from an assemblage of three owners for $6.26 million. Brickell Station Associates, 1000 Brickell Ltd. and Metro Brickell Villas Ltd. banded together to sell the land, located at 1001 S.W. 1st Ave. in Miami. Louis Gallo of The Allen Morris Company and Max Puyanic of Commodore Realty brokered the transaction.
PUEBLO, COLO. — Brothers Hospitality Development has completed the disposition of Hampton Inn & Suites in Pueblo. Apple Nine Hospitality Ownership Inc. acquired the property for an undisclosed price. The hotel is located along Interstate 25 on the south side of Pueblo. Larry Kaplan and Mark Darrington of HREC Investment Advisors’ Denver office brokered the transaction.
SUWANEE, GA. —Duluth, Ga.-based Satellite Hospitality Group has signed as franchise agreement with Cambria Suites for development of a 100-room hotel at 1222 Satellite Blvd. in Suwanee. Room amenities include free wireless Internet and LCD televisions. The hotel also features a bistro dining area, a fitness center and a convenience store. No groundbreaking date has been set.
ORLANDO, FLA. —Six Rosen Hotels & Resorts properties in Orlando will undergo a combined $100-$200 million renovation beginning in 2009 and spanning the next 7 years. The 2,700 guest rooms at Quality Inn International, Rodeway Inn International, Quality Inn Plaza and Comfort Inn Lake Buena Vista will undergo refurbishment starting in February. The room renovations will cost $50 million and should be completed by 2011. Rosen will also add 100,000 square feet of meeting space to both the Rosen Plaza and the Rosen Centre, which will deliver in 2012. Finally, officials will build 400-700 additional rooms in Rosen Plaza by 2016. When the renovations are complete, Florida’s Green Lodging status will be pursued for each of the properties.
MIAMI BEACH, FLA. — After an 18-month, $200 million renovation and expansion, the 631-unit Eden Roc is ready for business. The Miami Beach hotel, part of the Renaissance Beach Resort & Spa chain, features a new 21-story Ocean Tower, a renovated lobby with floor-to-ceiling windows and 70,000 square feet of event space. Three new restaurants — the Cabana Beach Club, The Waterfall Grill and Gia Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar — are housed in the property; a fourth restaurant is set to open next year. Lustre, a high-end boutique, has recently opened, and Starbucks Coffee will start serving customers in mid-November. The 21,000-square-foot Spa of Eden will deliver next spring.
MUKILTEO, WASH. — InterContinental Hotels Group is developing a 130-room Staybridge Suites in Mukilteo. Located at the intersection of Mukilteo Speedway and Paine Field Boulevard, the five-story, all-suites hotel will feature 1,900 square feet of meeting space, the brand’s Just Like Home Theater with a 52-inch plasma high-definition television, an indoor pool, a 2-mile nature trail, Wireless Anywhere Internet access, daily breakfast buffet, complimentary 24-hour guest laundry, a workout facility, a complimentary 24-hour business center and BridgeMart®, a 24-hour convenience store. The hotel is owned by Mukilteo Hotel LLC and will be managed by 360 Management Company LLC, under a license agreement with a company in the InterContinental Hotels Group. Completion is slated for fall 2009.
ARLINGTON, VA. — Chevy Chase, Md.-based JBG Cos. has broken ground on the Renaissance Crystal City Potomac Yards and the Residence Inn Crystal City Potomac Yards. The property, which encompasses the two hotels, is being built to LEED standards. Renaissance Crystal City, located on Potomac Avenue in Arlington, will feature 300 rooms, a 10,000-square-foot ballroom and 10,000 square feet of meeting rooms. The 325-unit Residence Inn will feature dishwashers and full-sized refrigerators in each room. Delivery is slated for winter 2010.
EL PASO, TEXAS — San Antonio-based K Partners Hospitality Group has broken ground for the construction of a $24 million, two-hotel complex in San Antonio. The 5–acre, $24 million project is located at Remcon Circle, at the southeast intersection of Interstate 10 and North Mesa Street. Construction will consist of a four-story, 103-room Springhill Suites and a four-story, 95-room Fairfield Inn & Suites, both of which are Marriott brands. The Springhill Suites will feature an outdoor swimming pool, a fitness center, 1,100 square feet of meeting space, an executive boardroom and complimentary Internet access. The Fairfield Inn & Suites will feature an indoor swimming pool and whirlpool, 600 square feet of meeting space, an executive boardroom, a business library, ergonomic work areas and complimentary Internet access. The former hotel is expected to open in the second quarter of 2009, while the latter hotel is expected to open in the third quarter of 2009. Construction financing is being provided by Atlanta-based Specialty Finance Group.