Meliá grows portfolio in Malaysia: Meliá Hotels International will add two hotels in Malaysia. The addition of theMeliá Iskandar Malaysia and Innside Iskandar Johor increases Meliá’s footprint in Asia Pacific to a total of 28 properties, which includes open hotels and hotels slated to open in the near future.
Hilton rolls our GED assistance: Hilton Worldwide announced its GED assistance program that will give eligible team members the opportunity to earn their high school equivalency diploma. The GED assistance is available to all full-time US team members at owned and managed hotels and corporate offices with six months of service or greater. The new benefit will provide one-on-one advising and test preparation support. It will be free of charge for team members, and will also cover the cost of taking the GED tests.
Gatehouse Capital to develop Dallas hotel: Baylor Scott & White Health and Gatehouse Capital have executed a long-term ground lease for the development of a 132-room hotel on Baylor Scott & White Health’s Dallas campus. The hotel will open in early 2017.
Lendlease closes on US Army Lodging Privatization Program: Lendlease has achieved operational and financial closing on the final phase of the Department of the Army’s Privatization of Army Lodging (PAL) program by securing US$250 million in additional project debt, for a total of US$715 million in senior debt financing. Focused on improving the condition of on-post hotel facilities for military members, their families and all government travelers, this latest closing includes 2,058 hotel rooms located on Fort Lee, Virginia, and Fort Benning, Georgia. IHG is the PAL hotel operator.
New Castle closes in New Orleans: New Castle Hotels & Resorts has closed on Baronne Inn and Suites in downtown New Orleans ahead of a US$10 million, eight-month total transformation to convert the historic building to a Fairfield Inn and Suites. The hotel is expected to re-open in 2016.
Courtyard Springfield Downtown purchased: Waramaug LS Hotels bought the Courtyard Springfield Downtown in Ohio. This is third Courtyard by Marriott property in Waramaug’s portfolio.