Latest news: Certares, HHM buy in San Diego; no more 'junk' in California; IHG adds in India

Certares, HHM acquire in San Diego. New York City-based Certares partnered with Harrisburg, Pennsylvania-based HHM Hotels to acquire the 246-key Carté Hotel San Diego Downtown from Carté Hotel Partners for an undisclosed amount. The hotel opened in 2019 and is part of the Curio Collection by Hilton. Certares and HHM Hotels negotiated directly with Carté Hotel Partners, which will reinvest in the new ownership entity as part of the transaction. Certares has acquired 13 hotels with almost 3,000 keys since launching its real estate platform in 2021, including the Courtyard San Diego Downtown. In April, Certares acquired the 390-key Hilton Back Bay for $171 million from Ashford Hospitality Trust.

California's “junk fees” law takes effect. California’s new state laws targeting “junk fees” at hotels and other venues took effect on Monday. California Senate Bill No. 478 includes the Unfair Competition Law, which makes various unfair competition practices unlawful, including any deceptive or misleading advertising, which includes full disclosure of mandatory hotel fees in the booking process. If customers feel the law has been violated, they must make a claim and give the property a 30-day notice and an opportunity to adjust the fees. California’s law is the first to go into effect after various calls from the federal government and consumer groups to end the practice of adding hidden “junk fees.” But last year, hoteliers told Hotel Investment Today that they’ve already found a solution — transparency, and they insist the playing field must be equal with third-party booking sites required to do the same. They say if bad actors are still not transparent in the hotel world, they are already in the minority.

IHG adds in India. IHG Hotels & Resorts has signed a management agreement with Geelan Residency for the 95-key voco Srinagar, which will be IHG’s first hotel in Kashmir, India. The hotel is scheduled to open in the fourth quarter of 2026 and also marks the sixth voco hotel being developed in India following the opening of the first voco in Jim Corbett National Park. IHG currently has 45 hotels operating across five brands in India, with a pipeline of 50 hotels due to open in the next three to five years.

First Zleep hotel opens in Switzerland. Frankfurt, Germany-based H World International has opened the first Zleep hotel in Switzerland with the 120-key Zleep Hotel Lausanne-Chavannes. Switzerland is the fourth country where Zleep Hotels operates, followed by Denmark, Spain, and the Czech Republic.

Scandic refinances credit facilities. Stockholm-based Scandic has refinanced the company’s credit facilities, which will help its growth strategy and financial position. The credit facility amounts to 3,250 million SEK, possibly increasing it to 3,750 million SEK upon agreement with the lenders. The new agreement went into effect on July 1 and will run for three years, with the possibility of being extended for an additional two years. The financing is linked to Scandic’s overall sustainability strategy and certain objectives. Scandic is publicly listed and is the largest hotel company in the Nordic countries, with about 280 hotels and 58,000 rooms in operation.

Luxury hotel proposed for Belfast. U.K.-based Glendola Leisure Group and Carlton Hotel Collection propose turning a Belfast, Northern Ireland bar into a 145-key luxury hotel as part of a £50 million development of the site. The Tipsy Bird on Ann Street is part of the proposed project’s location. Glendola Leisure Group and Carlton Hotel Collection are divisions of U.K. and Benelux-based Foundation Group of Companies divisions. Glendola is a family-owned hospitality company with 18 venues in the U.K., including hotels, while The Carlton Hotel Collection has 11 hotels across Europe and the U.K.