Davidson will manage in Miami: Atlanta, Georgia-based Davidson Hotels & Resorts is adding Eden Roc Miami Beach and Nobu Hotel at Eden Roc to its portfolio. Operated by Davidson’s lifestyle and luxury division Pivot Hotels & Resorts, the 415-room Eden Roc has three pools, a spa and beachfront cabanas. The 204-room Nobu Hotel at Eden Roc has two dining experiences: Nobu Miami, which has traditional Japanese dishes with Latin American influences; and the South Florida outpost of Helene Henderson’s Malibu Farm, which serves organic, local food.
Massive data breach for reservation platform: A hotel reservation platform has been exposing highly sensitive data from millions of hotel guests worldwide, dating as far back as 2013 and including credit card details for 100,000-plus people, according to reporting from Website Planet. Based in Madrid and Barcelona, Prestige Software sells a channel management platform called Cloud Hospitality to hotels that automates their availability on online booking websites like Expedia and Booking.com. The company was storing years of credit card data from hotel guests and travel agents without any protection in place, putting millions of people at risk of fraud and online attacks.
Baird/STR hotel stock index mostly flat in October: The Baird/STR Hotel Stock Index was mostly flat in October, down just 0.2% to a level of 3,323. Year to date through the first 10 months of 2020, the stock index was down 36.9%. “Hotel stocks outperformed modestly in October despite heightened stock market volatility during the month as investors focused on rising nationwide coronavirus case counts and uncertainties regarding the upcoming election and timing of additional stimulus,” said Michael Bellisario, senior hotel research analyst and director at Baird. “Going forward, we believe clarity surrounding the election outcome should be a near-term boost to broader investor sentiment and travel-related stock prices.”
Newport Beach Marriott sells: Eagle Four Partners acquired the Newport Beach Marriott Hotel & Spa in Newport Center, California, for US$200 million, US$375k per key. The hotel has 532 guest rooms and 32,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor venues. Marriott International will continue as the operator.
Morningstar founder buying Waldorf Astoria Chicago: Billionaire Joe Mansueto, founder of investment research firm Morningstar, is buying the Waldorf Astoria Chicago hotel, paying around US$54 million for the 215-room luxury hotel, according to sources familiar with negotiations. The pending transaction would be one of the first Chicago hotel sales since the COVID-19 pandemic began and demonstrates the decimation of hotel property values during the worst crisis the modern hospitality industry has ever seen.
Read the story in Crain’s Chicago Business
Six Senses opens in Brazil in 2021: Bangkok-based Six Senses will have its first opening in the Americas, with the Brazil-based Six Senses Botanique. The resort is located in the Mantiqueira area and was constructed in 2012 by regional architects and designers using indigenous materials such as jacaranda wood, natural stone and chocolate slate. The hotel will offer seven suites in the main hotel, ranging from 645 to 970 square feet, as well as 13 private villas, from 1,184 to 3,230 square feet. A further 14 villas are planned and will be constructed off-site in a modular manner using local materials. Six Senses signature venues such as the Experience Centre, Alchemy Bar and out-of-the-ordinary dining spots will also be added next year.
Sage adds Wyoming boutique: Denver, Colorado-based Sage Hospitality Group added Continuum, an independent boutique hotel in Teton Village, Wyoming, at the base of the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, to its portfolio of managed properties. The 90-room property, owned by Molokai Hospitality, underwent a renovation and expansion and reopened 2019. Sage Restaurant Concepts will oversee F&B operations at Continuum, bringing their specific operational expertise to the property.
CoralTree managing in Orlando: Denver, Colorado-based CoralTree Hospitality will manage the Lake Nona Wave Hotel in Orlando, Florida. The 234-room luxury lifestyle hotel, The Wave, is scheduled to open fall 2021. On the second floor, the hotel will offer a three-meal restaurant, bar and lounge that overlooks a pool deck.