Latest HITs: Fisherman's Wharf property trades; Canada pipeline; strong Europe GOPPAR

Canada’s pipeline. Canada continued to expand its pipeline at the close of the second quarter with 275 projects/37,359 rooms, up 5% by projects and rooms year-over-year (YOY), according to Lodging Econometrics. At the end of 2Q, projects under construction in Canada stood at 52 projects/7,021 rooms. Projects scheduled to start construction in the next 12 months were at 88 projects/10,086 rooms. Early planning has the most substantial shift in projects YOY, showing a 30% increase by projects and a 42% increase by rooms YOY with 135 projects/20,252 rooms. This sharp increase in early planning is standard late-cycle activity. Ontario dominated the pipeline at 159 projects and a record 22,027 rooms; Toronto had 62 projects/9,166 rooms, claiming 25% of all the rooms in the country’s total pipeline, and Vancouver hit a record-high 23 projects/3,634 rooms. Marriott International led with 75 projects/10,059 rooms, followed by Hilton with 66 projects/8,119 rooms, and IHG Hotels & Resorts (IHG) with 39 projects/4,014 rooms. These three companies make up 65% of the projects and 59% of the rooms in the total pipeline.

Strebel leaves Omni. Long-time Omni Hotels & Resorts leader Peter Strebel has left his current role as chairman of the Dallas-based hotel company to join travel and hospitality technology firm RateGain as president to lead the Americas region. During his 14-year run at Omni, he also served as president, chief marketing officer and svp of sales. Previously, he was president of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts for four years.

New CEO at Barrière. Grégory Rabuel has been appointed chief executive officer at Paris-based Groupe Barrière, which owns and operates hotels, predominantly in France. Rabuel is the former chairman and CEO of SFR and Altice France. He is tasked with spearheading Groupe Barrière towards growth, development and diversification in its activity, both in France and worldwide.

Fisherman's Wharf hotel trades. Los Angeles-based BH Properties has acquired Anchorage Square, a 322,000 mixed-use property in the center of San Francisco’s famed Fisherman’s Wharf, which includes a 128-key Courtyard by Marriott. Published reports indicate the entire property sold for about $65 million. At 2.6 acres, Anchorage Square is one of the largest privately held mixed-use retail sites on the Wharf. BH Properties President Jim Brooks said they see positive signs of tourism in Fisherman’s Wharf returning to its pre-COVID levels with ADR and RevPAR continuing to improve as occupancy hovers over 80%. BH Properties plans an extensive capital improvement program and has engaged CBRE’s San Francisco-based retail team to advise on the repositioning of the property and lead the leasing efforts. Eastdil Secured brokered the transaction.

Mandarin to Sardinia. Mandarin Oriental will development of a resort in Sardinia, located in the northeast of the island in the heart of Costa Smeralda. Set to open its doors in mid-2026, this development marks the group's fifth venture in Italy. The 83-room Mandarin Oriental, Porto Cervo will be developed in partnership with Italian real estate group Gruppo Statuto, which also developed the Mandarin Oriental, Milan.

HE, Maximum align. Hotel Equities, Atlanta, has formed a strategic alliance with developer and operator Memphis-based Maximum Hospitality to provide operational resources and oversight for Maximum’s portfolio of hotels. The alliance will place an emphasis on hiring and retaining employees by granting access to HE’s talent acquisition, training and career development platform as well as enhanced benefits for associates and partners. Maximum’s associates will be able to take advantage of HE’s programs such as a sabbatical program, daily pay option, HE Marketplace, and peer management training initiatives.

Six Senses growth. Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas has announced the development of a property in the Greek Peloponnese with development partners London-based real asset merchant bank CBE Capital, Golden Land Goutos, New York-based Taconic Capital Advisors, and London-based Cedar Capital Partners. The Six Senses Porto Heli is set to open in 2026 and offer around 60 rooms and suites, most with private plunge pools and private terraces or gardens, along with a three-bedroom retreat villa. In addition, there will be 10 branded residential villas for sale, offering five to eight bedrooms.

European GOPPAR for June. Each of Europe’s key hotel markets in June saw year-over-year improvement and their highest 2023 levels in gross operating profit per available room (GOPPAR), according to CoStar’s June 2023 P&L data release. Among the key markets, Paris posted the highest GOPPAR level (US$420.74), which was a 105.8% increase over May. The market also reported the largest year-over-year jump (+40.8%). London’s GOPPAR level reached $161.47, which was a 12.7% increase from June 2022 and up 35.7% month over month. Amsterdam’s GOPPAR (US$149.59) was 4.5% higher than 2022, while Berlin saw an increase of 23.7% in the metric (to US$104.28).

Dallas Tru trades. Affiliates of an Alabama-based developer with multiple holdings in the Sunbelt states has acquired the 98-room Tru by Hilton Rockwall Dallas from the McNeill family for an undisclosed price. Mumford Company represented the seller.

Financing for SC Holiday Inn deal. PMZ Realty Capital LLC, a national boutique real estate investment banking firm, arranged leasehold acquisition financing for the 157-room Holiday Inn Charleston-Riverview located in Charleston, South Carolina. A regional bank provided the $13.5 million acquisition loan for the property.