Playa sells Capri: Playa Hotels & Resorts has entered into a binding agreement with a third party to sell the Capri Hotel for US$55 million in cash. Upon closing, the company expects to execute a management contract and will operate the resort once it reopens after repositioning and renovation. The third party purchasing the hotel expects to simultaneously sign a franchise agreement with a recognized brand upon closing. Playa also signed a management agreement with the same third party for a 438-room luxury hotel in Riviera Maya, Mexico, that is currently under renovation and expected to open during the third quarter of 2021 as the Hyatt Ziva Riviera Cancun.
Bexhill’s Cooden Beach Hotel sold to international hoteliers: A 4-star hotel in Bexhill on Sea, East Sussex, England, has been sold to Hong Kong-based Grace Leo and her Singapore-based partner, shipping entrepreneur and hotel investor Tim Hartnoll, for a guide price of £6.9 million (US$9.5 million) on a freehold basis. The 41-room Cooden Beach Hotel, which was previously owned by entrepreneur James Kimber and his wife Lesley, was built in 1928 and has sea views and beachside restaurant. Tim Hartnoll is the executive chairman of X-Press Feeders, part of the Sea Consortium group, a global shipping company based in Singapore.
Resorts World Las Vegas to open: Resorts World Las Vegas, the first ground-up resort development on the Las Vegas Strip in more than a decade, will open its doors on June 24. Through a partnership with Hilton, the hotel will offer 3,500 guest rooms and suites from three premium Hilton brands – the largest multi-brand deal in Hilton’s history – including the largest Conrad Hotels & Resorts property in the world, one of the first LXR Hotels & Resorts locations in the U.S., and a marquee Hilton Hotels & Resorts hotel.
Courtyard sells for US$26.8M: The Courtyard by Marriott Edina Bloomington hotel in Minneapolis, Minnesota, has sold for nearly US$26.8 million, according to reporting from the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal. The 209-unit hotel was purchased by an entity linked to BPM & Co. Inc., a Ridgefield, Connecticut-based investment and asset management firm that specializes in hospitality properties. The sellers in the March 23 deal were Coralville, Iowa-based Hawkeye Hotels and Bloomington-based JR Hospitality, hotel developers who are frequent partners on Twin Cities hospitality projects.
Anthony Melchiorri’s new project: Anthony Melchiorri, host of the television show Hotel Impossible and founder of Argeo Hospitality, has partnered with Long Beach, California-based development company Pacific6 to restore and reopen the 185-room Long Beach-based Breakers Hotel nearly 35 years after it closed. Many elements of the hotel will remain original, including the exterior, with areas such as the lobby keeping features like its columns and plaster ceilings. The hotel’s “Sky Room” restaurant will also reopen, with a revamped menu led by Michelin Star Chef Joe Isidori, who will also oversee the hotel’s other dining options. The property has a 2023 anticipated reopening.
Motto by Hilton in Stratford: Hilton is set to operate a Motto by Hilton in Stratford-upon-Avon in England, provided planners approve the proposal. London-based Blue Coast Capital was originally planning to redevelop the site as an 80-room hotel, but is now in the process of submitting a revised application for a bigger 148-room hotel. Blue Coast is planning to submit its revised planning application in the summer.
Hilton Honors’ new promotion: Hilton Honors has launched a global promotion in which members earn double bonus points on every stay of one or two nights, and triple bonus points on every stay of three nights or more, in addition to points earned on eligible hotel spend. The offer is valid from May 3 through September 6, 2021, and includes stays at more than 6,400 Hilton properties worldwide.
‘I Prefer Points for Good’: In honor of Earth Day, Preferred Hotel Group – which operates Preferred Hotels & Resorts – has launched “I Prefer Points for Good,” a way for travelers to donate points they have earned through membership in the brand’s I Prefer Hotel Rewards program. I Prefer members can donate their points at cash value to the Ocean Heroes Network, a global non-profit organization that “supports the potential of emerging youth leaders by equipping them with the tools to transform their passion for ocean health” into careers. Beginning April 22 (Earth Day) through April 30, 2021, members can log on to their personal profiles to redeem and donate points in increments of US$5, US$10, and US$20, with all proceeds going directly to the Ocean Heroes Network.
Oyo’s ‘Partner Prosperity Campaign’: India-based Oyo Rooms has announced the latest updates and features of their Partner Prosperity Campaign, a six-month-long initiative focused on giving its partners new technology features, tools, and policy updates. The April updates are focused on the theme, “Listening and Learning.” Updates also include the creation of the Oyovisory Council and open office hours for partners to speak directly with Oyo’s head of U.S. business, Kasra Moshkani.
France will begin lifting restrictions: France will begin to lift travel restrictions on international travel with non-European Union nations like the United States starting next month, French President Emmanuel Macron told CBS News. The French president added that officials in Paris are working to develop a way for “French, European citizens but also American citizens” who are vaccinated to travel more freely by this summer. Macron said, ideally, travel would be open for U.S. citizens who are vaccinated, with a special pass, suggesting a so-called vaccine certificate or passport would be necessary for travel in France.
HSMAI distributes COVID grants: The Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) Foundation has distributed more than US$130,000 in HSMAI Foundation COVID Relief Fund grants to more than 260 hospitality professionals around the world. The grants represented a mix of educational services and programs: 50% were for membership; 28% were for certification and online education; 22% were for other educational programs.