W to enter Morocco: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide announced it will launch the W brand in Marrakech in 2017 with the opening of the 148-room W Marrakech owned by Morocco-based Menatlas 14 S.A.
Read more at Starwood’s website
Hyatt reaches agreement with housekeepers in Boston: Hyatt Hotels Corp. agreed to pay US$1 million to 98 Boston-area housekeepers who were fired five years ago and replaced by lower-paid, outsourced workers. The settlement could give some workers as much as US$40,000, depending on their years of service. In exchange, the hospitality workers’ union that brokered the deal agreed to call off its five-year boycott at the three full-service Hyatts in the area.
Transcorp to use IPO funds for expansion: Transcorp Hotels, the hospitality arm of Transnational Corporation of Nigeria, said that proceeds of its initial public offering would be used to build two new hotels in Ikoyi, Lagos, and Port-Harcourt, Rivers State.
Four Points by Sheraton to grow in Nigeria: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide announced the signing of Four Points by Sheraton Ikot Ekpene, a new build, 146-room owned by the Akwa Ibom state government scheduled to debut in 2015.
Read more at Starwood’s website
Dallas office tower to become hotel: Boxer Property has sold the 21-story 1700 Commerce building at Commerce and Ervay streets in Dallas to NewcrestImage, which plans to convert the property to a hotel.
Read more at Dallas Morning News
R Hotels expands in Dubai: R Hotels, the hospitality management division of R Holding, acquired its fifth property in the United Arab Emirates, a new 192-key hotel in Dubai set to open in the second quarter of 2015.
Read more at Yahoo Maktoob News
Alibaba buys stake in Chinese hotel-tech company: Alibaba Group Holding bought 15% of Chinese hospitality technology provider Beijing Shiji Information Technology Co. for 2.81 billion yuan (US$458.66 million).
Dalata drops plans to buy stakes in Zrko, Qulpic: Dalata Hotel Group said it will no longer buy 25% stakes in Qulpic and Zrko after existing shareholders in the companies exercised their preemption rights and bought the shares from Durance Investments.
Read more at London South East