Latest news: Skyline selling 11 Courtyards; Hyatt select-serve growth; Moxy debut in Spain

Skyline selling 11 Courtyards. Toronto-based Skyline Investments is selling 11 hotels of its Courtyard hotels across the U.S. to undisclosed third parties for $101 million. Skyline has contracted with another financier for a $20 million credit facility, net of a $2 million interest reserve held by the financier, where the company pledged its rights for Courtyard hotels in Tucson, Arizona, and Fort Myers, Florida, hotels. On September 30, Skyline said it fully repaid its two existing loans which were secured against the sold 11 hotels in the approximate amount of $106 million.

Hyatt expands select-service pipeline.  Hyatt Hotels Corp. said it has grown its select-service pipeline, with an approximate 25% increase in the Americas over the past three years. Through the first half of 2024, that segment represents over 50% of Hyatt’s total pipeline in the Americas. The Caption by Hyatt brand had two recent openings in Asia Pacific and more locations are expected to open across the U.S. in 2025. In 18 months since its launch, Hyatt’s first upper midscale extended-stay brand, Hyatt Studios, has expanded with over 4,000 pipeline rooms and 250 deals in various stages of negotiation. The brand had two recent groundbreakings and has four hotels under construction with openings slated for 2025 and 2026.

Moxy debuts in Spain. Marriott International is partnering with Selenta Group to open the first Moxy hotel in Spain. The 414-key Moxy Barcelona set for a 2025 opening has a rooftop pool and an adjacent rooftop bar and restaurant. Selenta Group is part of Brookfield Asset Management. There are 135 Moxys in over 25 countries and territories.

Marriott legal victory over robocallers. Marriott International has successfully concluded a lawsuit in federal court in Virginia against perpetrators responsible for tens of millions of robocalls to consumers, misusing the Marriott name and the names of its portfolio of brands. The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia awarded statutory damages and issued a broad injunction against these defendants. The court found that these defendants owe Marriott $8 million in damages for wrongfully using its trademarks in more than 66 million robocalls between 2018 and 2022. The entities behind these robocalls persuaded consumers to purchase vacation and timeshare promotions, falsely claiming to be agents or employees of, or otherwise affiliated with, Marriott. The volume of illegal robocalls fraudulently claiming to be from Marriott surged dramatically in 2020, peaking at seven million per month, with some consumers often subjected to the harassment of repeated robocalls. On September 23, Marriott secured judgments against two foreign defendants -- Cancun Ink Corp. S.A. de C.V., a Mexico-based telemarketer, and Deep Blue Desarrollos S. de R.L. de C.V., a Mexican timeshare resort that previously conducted business as Vallarta Gardens and has now rebranded to Kovay Gardens.

Dreamscape adds in Denver. New York City-based Dreamscape Hospitality will assume management of the 242-key Sheraton Denver West Hotel. The hotel will undergo a multi-million dollar renovation for its guest rooms, public spaces, meeting areas and the restaurant.

Malta Hard Rock breaks ground. Malta-based db Group and Orlando-based Hard Rock International recently broke ground on the 394-key Hard Rock Hotel Malta, which is scheduled to open in early 2026. The mixed-use development will include an Ora Residences and a 20,000 sq. meter mall. The db Group is investing €250 million in the project, with an additional €50 million from partners and clients.

Marriott establishes new Tech Accelerator. Marriott International is establishing a new Marriott Tech Accelerator, the company’s first global capability center in Hyderabad, India. The Marriott Tech Accelerator expands the company’s global technology team, which will support Marriott’s tech infrastructure, engineering capacity, next-gen solutions, and security capabilities across its global enterprise in 141 countries and territories.

IHCL continues expansion. Indian Hotel Co. Ltd. (IHCL) has continued its rapid expansion with 35 hotel signings and 12 hotels over the last quarter. IHCL has a total portfolio of 345 hotels, with 115 in its pipeline. The new hotel signing over the last quarter includes 12 for Taj, seven for Ginger, six for Gateway, four for Tree of Life, and three for Vivanta and SeleQtions.