Sale of Trump D.C. hotel on ‘indefinite hold’: The Trump Organization has reportedly pressed pause on plans to sell the Trump International Hotel Washington, D.C., because no one has shown interest in paying anywhere near the US$500 million asking price. The company hired a real estate firm in October 2019 to find potential buyers for the 260-room hotel inside a historic post office. Now, efforts to sell the hotel have been put on an “indefinite hold” after no bids came close to the asking price, which comes to roughly US$2 million per room. The real estate firm has said several of the bids have been for less than US$250 million.
Black travelers study: Black U.S. leisure travelers spent US$109.4 billion on travel in 2019, according to the results from the first phase of MMGY Travel’s “The Black Traveler: Insights, Opportunities & Priorities” report. The spend was generated by 458.2 million black U.S. traveler stays last year, which accounts for more than 13% of the U.S. leisure travel market. Stays consider each city a travel party visits as well as the number of people in the travel party. Developed on behalf of black traveler advocacy organizations to identify the needs, behaviors and sentiment of the black travel community, the study includes MMGY data, as well as a 2020 survey of 200 members of the National Coalition of Black Meeting Professionals.
Extended Stay adds seven: Extended Stay America has added seven properties through franchise conversions. The properties are all owned by New York-based Three Wall Capital and will be operated by Dallas, Texas-based Aimbridge Hospitality, the nation’s largest management company. The properties include four in Virginia, two in Georgia and one in Illinois.
Wheelock acquires Hotel Contessa: Greenwich, Connecticut-based Wheelock Street Capital acquired the Hotel Contessa, a 265-room hotel in San Antonio, Texas. The 12-story hotel, built in 2005, has 10,000 square feet of function space, a rooftop pool, restaurant and bar, and spa. Wheelock plans to renovate the ground floor restaurant and bar in the coming months. The hotel currently operates independent of a national brand affiliation.