Latest news: Hotel Equities adds 13 in Texas; Florida property sells; AHT extends loan

Hotel Equities adds 13 in Texas. Atlanta-based Hotel Equities will manage 13 hotels owned by Lubbock, Texas-based TAJ Hospitality across Lubbock, bringing HE’s Texas portfolio to 29 hotels. Properties include the Aloft Lubbock, Holiday Inn Express & Suites Lubbock South, TownePlace Suites Lubbock West and Fairfield Inn Lubbock Downtown (slated to open in February), among others.

St. Augustine hotel sells. Crawfordville, Florida-based Semianalysis Hospitality St Aug has acquired the 50-key voco St. Augustine-Historic Area by IHG hotel for $9 million from Augustine Development Co., according to the Jacksonville Business Journal. The sales price for the upscale boutique hotel between downtown St. Augustine and St. Augustine Beach was approximately $180,000 per key, with a 6.3% capitalization rate and an estimated ~5.3× room revenue multiple. Kabani Hotel Group brokered the transaction.

Ashford extends loan. Dallas-based Ashford Hospitality Trust has extended its Highland mortgage loan secured by 18 hotels. As a condition to the extension, the loan was paid down by $10 million to a current balance of $723.6 million, or approximately 65% of appraised value, and has a final maturity date of July 9. Additionally, to preserve the company's liquidity position as it evaluates strategic alternatives, preferred dividends have been suspended, including dividends previously declared for recordholders of the company's Series D, F, G, H, I, J, K, L and M preferred stock as of December 31, 2025, and payable on January 15.

AAHOA applauds legislation. AAHOA (Asian American Hotel Owners Association) said it applauds the bipartisan reintroduction of the Credit Card Competition Act in Congress. The legislation was reintroduced in the Senate by Sens. Roger Marshall (R-KS) and Richard Durbin (D-IL), and in the House by Reps. Lance Gooden (R-TX) and Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) and was endorsed by President Trump. The Credit Card Competition Act would introduce competition into a credit card market dominated by Visa and Mastercard, helping to curb excessive swipe fees that continue to drive up costs for small businesses and consumers.

ECE adds 2 in the UK. Hamburg, Germany-based ECE Work & Live has acquired two extended-stay hotels under IHG’s Staybridge Suites brand, located in Liverpool and Newcastle in England. This acquisition lays the foundation for ECE’s planned strategy in the U.K. hotel market, which aims to build an institutional-quality portfolio of mid-sized hotels in the mid- to upscale segment. ECE has partnered with Maya Capital, which has contributed its sourcing capabilities and will also act as asset manager on this transaction.

Wyndham adds in South Korea. Wyndham Hotels & Resorts is stepping up its expansion in South Korea, opening its first managed hotel and adding two new development projects as it seeks to build scale in a market rebounding faster than much of Northeast Asia. The company recently opened the 529-key Wyndham Goseong Gangwon, near Seoraksan National Park, and has signed agreements for Howard Johnson by Wyndham Seoul, expected to open in 2028, and Wyndham Busan, slated for 2030. These additions build on a portfolio of 30 hotels in South Korea with more than 9,200 rooms.

Bob W adds in Copenhagen. Helsinki, Finland-based Bob W has signed a long-term lease with Urban Partners (formerly NREP) to operate 143 units within a new mixed-use development in Copenhagen’s Ørestad district. Developed and built by Skanska, the asset will become Bob W’s third property in the Danish capital. The aparthotel will form part of a broader six-story mixed-use scheme comprising 210 residential apartments. Construction is expected to begin this spring, with completion scheduled for summer 2028.