Wynn drops some shares: Steve Wynn, the former chief executive of Wynn Resorts, has lowered his stake in the casino operator to about 7.8% from 11.7%, a regulatory filing showed Thursday. Wynn sold 4.1 million shares of Wynn Resorts at US$180 per share, which now makes him the third-biggest shareholder in the company, behind his former wife Elaine Wynn and The Vanguard Group.
Auberge in Punta Mita: Auberge Resorts Collection announced plans for Susurros del Corazon in Punta Mita, Mexico. With an anticipated opening in late 2019, the hotel is being developed by SV Capital of Denver, led by Mark Cooley. The ownership group consists of The Friedkin Group, led by Dan Friedkin, in partnership with Serendipity Land Holdings, owned and led by Tim Koogle, and Engles Development, led by Gregg Engles.
Appex Alliance develops in Bucharest: A group of Lithuanian investors, including Nerijus Numavicius – the country’s richest man, will invest in the development of four new hotels in Romania’s capital Bucharest. The investments will be carried out by Appex Alliance, a hotel management company controlled by Arunas Beleska, a former owner of the Europa hotel chain. With a total of over 1,000 rooms, the four hotels will be completed by 2022 and will be operated by Marriot and Hilton Worldwide.
MGM’s show goes on: MGM Resorts has relaunched a slightly tweaked version of its “Welcome to the Show” branding campaign, which the company suspended in the days following the October 1 massacre at the Mandalay Bay. “It’s a new year. It’s a fresh start. We have to move forward,” MGM Resorts Chief Experience Officer Lili Tomovich told Travel Weekly.
Two Roads managing in Lake Tahoe: Two Roads Hospitality has assumed management of The Landing Lake Tahoe Resort & Spa, the region’s boutique lakeside resort, as part of its Destination Hotels collection. The property originally debuted in 2013 and features 77 luxury guest rooms and suites and a full-service spa.
Dublin fire: The rapid spread of fire through the upper floors of a hotel and apartment block building in Dublin poses “serious questions”, a local politician has said. More than 60 firefighters from eight crews were needed to battle the major blaze Wednesday night. The Metro hotel building comprises hotel rooms on the lower floors and residential apartments on the upper floors. There were no reports of injuries or missing people from the building, which is owned by a Swiss multi-millionaire who has spent at least €80 million (US$98 million) on Irish hotel properties in recent years.
Cough it up Disney guests: Walt Disney World visitors staying at any of the 30-odd Disney Resort hotels in Orlando, Florida must now pay for overnight self-parking. Previously, parking at the properties was complementary. Prices vary per resort category. The fee is US$13 per night at Value resorts, US$19 at Moderate resorts and US$24 at Deluxe and Deluxe Villa resorts.
STR data, Middle East/Europe: Hotels in the Middle East reported negative February 2018 performance results, while hotels in Africa posted growth across the three key performance metrics, according to data from STR.
U.S. dollar constant currency, February 2018 vs. February 2017
Middle East
- Occupancy: -0.7% to 70.5%
- ADR: -7.3% to US$161.96
- RevPAR: -7.9% to US$114.26
Europe’s hotel industry reported increases across the three key performance metrics during February 2018, according to data from STR.
Euro constant currency, February 2018 vs. February 2017
Europe
- Occupancy: +2.1% to 65.5%
- Average daily rate (ADR): +2.5% to EUR99.87
- Revenue per available room (RevPAR): +4.7% to EUR65.43