AUSTIN, TEXAS — Merrillville, Ind.-based White Lodging has broken ground for the construction of a 145-room Courtyard by Marriott in Austin. Individual rooms will include flat-screen televisions; the hotel will also contain kiosk reception stations and an interactive go-board that displays local traffic, weather and other information. Completion is scheduled to open in late 2009. White Lodging is Austin’s largest hotel owner/operator with a local portfolio of 16 hotels.
NORMAN, OKLA. — Springfield, Mo.-based John Q. Hammons Hotels & Resorts is advancing construction for the 283-room Embassy Suites Norman Hotel & Conference Center located at 2501 Conference Dr. in Norman. The 10-story building will be part of the new University North Park mixed-use development, which is located two miles away from the University of Oklahoma. In addition to the suites, the hotel will feature 75,000 square feet of flexible meeting space. The new hotel will mark John Q. Hammons’ fifth hotel in Oklahoma. The grand opening is scheduled for late October.
NEW YORK CITY — Philadelphia-based Hersha Hospitality Trust (HHT) has opened The Nu, a 93-room hotel located inside Boymelgreen Development’s condo project at the corner of Smith Street and Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn, New York City. HHT purchased an interest in the building for $17.24 million, and has spent an additional $6 million completing the hotel. Rates are expected to range from $200 to $400 per room once the hotel is fully operational.
JACKSON, MISS. — Jones Lang LaSalle has brokered Humble Hospitality’s $6.8 million sale of a 107-room Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites in Jackson to Jackson Express Hotel Investment. The property features 35 suites, a business center and a fitness center.
NORMAL, ILL. — Atlanta-based InterContinental Hotels Group has begun renovations for a 160-room Crowne Plaza hotel located at 8 Traders Circle in Normal. The former Holiday Inn will undergo $11.5 million in renovations before opening in the fourth quarter of this year as the Crowne Plaza Bloomington-Normal. Renovations include a new guest tower roof, new exterior surfaces and all-new guestroom soft goods. Amenities at the five-story facility include an indoor pool, a 24-hour fitness center, and restaurant and lounge. The hotel will feature more than 9,000 square feet of meeting and banquet space. Normal Hospitality LLC owns the facility; Global Hotel Management of Normal manages the property.
ALISO VIEJO, CALIF. — Renaissance Hotel & Resorts has opened Renaissance ClubSport Aliso Viejo Hotel & Fitness Resort within Summit Office Campus, a 1.7 million-square-foot mixed-use business complex in Aliso Viejo. The boutique-style hotel, sports and fitness resort offers 174 guestrooms, a 75,000-square-foot world-class fitness facility, 5,500 square feet of flexible meeting space and a restaurant and lounge. Managed by Marriott for Leisure Sports Inc. and R.D. Olsen, the property is a world-class hotel, sports and fitness concept that caters to both business and leisure travelers. The fitness center features a 12,000-square-foot fitness area, an outdoor aquatic area with two swimming pools and a splash ‘n play area for children, a whirlpool and a garden patio area for dining or special events.
GLEN ELLYN, ILL. — This month, Atlanta-based InterContinental Hotels Group will open the Crowne Plaza Glen Ellyn-Lombard located at 1250 Roosevelt Rd. in Glen Ellyn. The 148,000-square-foot hotel, which has been renovated from a Holiday Inn, contains 119 rooms, including nine two-room suites. Environmentally sound aspects of the facility include a guest recycling program, low-emissivity windows and the Glen Prairie Restaurant, which supports sustainable farming practices. Additionally, the hotel offers 9,400 square feet of meeting space in seven meeting rooms. Glen Ellyn Hospitality LLC owns the property; F & F Realty manages the facility.
VALENCIA, CALIF. — Noble Investment Group has acquired Hyatt Regency Valencia, which is located within master-planned Valencia Town Center at 24500 Town Center Dr. in Valencia. The 244-room hotel also houses the Santa Clarita Conference Center, which features 16,000 square feet of meeting and event space including three outdoor garden areas overlooking the Valencia Country Club. The guestrooms feature upscale amenities and finishes, including the new Grand Hyatt bed, i-Home systems, high-speed Internet access and views of the surrounding Santa Susana and San Gabriel Mountains. Additionally, the hotel offers an outdoor heated swimming pool, a whirlpool and a sundeck area. Noble will operate the hotel under a long-term license agreement with Hyatt Hotels Corp.
RICHMOND, VA. — RMS Airport Hotel, an affiliate of Sandhu Management & Investments, has purchased the 155-room Wyndham Richmond Airport from BRE/Richmond Airport, an affiliate of the New York City-based Blackstone Group, for $7.5 million. Tom Hamm and David Butchello of Sperry Van Ness represented both parties in the transaction. The hotel includes a bar and grill, an indoor pool and Jacuzzi and 7,000 square feet of office and banquet space. The buyers are planning a $3 million renovation.
PHOENIX — Strategic Hotels & Resorts Inc. has completed the disposition of Hyatt Regency Phoenix, a 696-key hotel located in downtown Phoenix. Los Angeles-based DiNapoli Capital Partners acquired the property for $96 million. The hotel features oversized guestrooms, 48,000 square feet of meeting space, three food and beverage outlets, and a six-story grand atrium. The buyer plans to renovate and reposition the hotel. Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels represented the seller in the transaction.