Riu’s “urban line”: RIU Hotels & Resorts has signed a joint venture with Baraka to own and renovate the Edificio España in Madrid in to a Riu Plaza. RIU holds a 25% share. The agreement includes management of the 650-room, 4-star hotel, which is expected to open in two years and will occupy 24 floors of the building.
Hyatt Place purchases: Phoenix American Hospitality, a Dallas-based hotel fund manager, purchased six Hyatt Place Hotels, located in Kansas, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia, for US$87 million. The acquisition, in partnership with an institutional investor, totals 754 rooms.
YTL hotels join Autograph: YTL Hotels’ Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur joined Marriott International’s Autograph collection, the first in Malaysia, in January. The Hotel Stripes Kuala Lumpur will join the collection in February.
XOJET joins Mandarin Oriental: Private jet charter service XOJET announced its first global hotel partnership with Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group. XOJET preferred customers will get VIP status and other perks when they stay at the hotel company’s properties.
TripAdvisor subscription: TripAdvisor has announced new subscription services aimed at helping restaurant and hotel businesses promote their presence on the travel booking site.
Pullman in SF: AccorHotels added Pullman San Francisco Bay to its Pullman portfolio. The hotel, currently operating, is the second Pullman in the North America.