Breaking news about deals, development, data and more.
Tariff delay. AAHOA has stated it welcomes President Donald
Trump's decision to delay the scheduled increase in tariffs on upholstered
furniture, kitchen cabinets, and bathroom vanities for an additional year. The
tariff hikes, originally set to take effect on January 1, 2026, were postponed
as the Administration continues negotiations with trade partners to address
trade reciprocity and national security concerns related to wood products. The
existing 25% tariff will remain in place during this period. “Furniture,
fixtures, and equipment can account for 15–20% of a hotel renovation's total
cost, so abrupt tariff increases create real whiplash for small-business
hoteliers,” said AAHOA President and CEO Laura Lee Blake. “We thank President
Trump for delaying the increase and giving owners time to plan, invest, and
keep serving their communities.”
Autograph to Philippines. Marriott International’s Autograph
Collection Hotels has debuted in the Philippines with the opening of The
Farm at San Benito, Autograph Collection. Set across 52 hectares of tropical
landscape in Lipa, Batangas, this wellness resort has been open for 20 years offering
personalized, evidence-based care through an integrative approach led by doctors,
therapists, nutritionists, and healers. The Farm features 70 wellness
accommodations, five dining experiences where each meal is sourced from the
resort's 5,700 square meter organic garden and four core wellness programs
– Pure Body Reset, Resilience & Recovery, The Sanctuary of Self, and
Metabolic Reboot.
Another REIT undervalued. Vancouver, Canada-based American
Hotel Income Properties REIT LP has announced that the Toronto Stock Exchange
has accepted its notice of intention to make a normal course issuer bid that
allows it during the 12-month period commencing December 30, 2025, to purchase
up to 10% of the “public float.” Daily purchases of units will be limited to
10,938, subject to the exception for block purchases. AHIP said it believes
that its units are currently trading, or due to market volatility, may trade,
in a price range that does not adequately reflect their underlying value.
St. Joseph development. A $7.5 million, four-story TownePlace
Suites hotel owned by Altira St. Joe Hotel LLC is now under construction in St
Joseph, Missouri. A 129-room hotel will rise on a 4.7-acre plot of land north
of Stoney Creek Hotel. The hotel is scheduled to be complete in 2026. TownePlace
Suites has more than 500 locations across the United States and Canada.
Currently, three hotel projects are ongoing or planned across St. Joseph,
including a nearby $60 million project for two large hotels and a new
conference center adding close to 250 new rooms and a 90-room WoodSpring Suites
hotel and conference.