Latest news: Blackstone buys from Goldman in Japan; voco grows in Australasia; milestone for Hilton

Blackstone buys in Japan. With the hotel business rebounding in Japan, PE giant Blackstone has acquired the 158-room Moxy Kyoto Nijo hotel from Goldman Sachs for ¥8 billion ($54 million). The asset is from a portfolio of Japanese hotels which Goldman Sachs acquired in Japan in 2017 through a joint effort with investment manager Pacifica Hotels KK. The sale comes a few months after Goldman teamed up with the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) and Singapore’s SC Capital Partners to acquire 27 hotels from property giant Daiwa House Industry for $900 million.

Ashford gives back 5 hotels to lenders. Dallas-based Ashford Hospitality Trust has returned five of the 19 hotels it said in July that it would return to lenders. The REIT said on Monday that it had completed the transfer of ownership of its KEYS F loan pool to the mortgage lender, who was not identified. The hotels include the Embassy Suites Flagstaff in Arizona, the Embassy Suites Walnut Creek in California, the Marriott Bridgewater in New Jersey, the Marriott Research Triangle Park in Durham, North Carolina and the W Atlanta Downtown. The company said it is still working with the lenders for its KEYS A and KEYS B loan pool on a “consensual transfer of ownership” of the hotels, and it anticipates the returns could occur by the end of the year or early 2024.

7^th voco in Australasia. IHG Hotels & Resorts has signed the seventh voco in Australasia, partnering with Sydney developer ALAND to open voco Gosford in regional New South Wales in early 2025. The voco Gosford will form part of Archibald by ALAND, a mixed-use development precinct overlooking the Brisbane Water. The hotel will feature guest rooms of up to 41sqm and executive suites of up to 54sqm. The hotel will be the second voco in regional NSW.

Rosewood adds Oceania. Rosewood Hotels & Resorts has assumed management of three New Zealand resorts, adding Rosewood Kauri Cliffs, Rosewood Cape Kidnappers, and Rosewood Matakauri to its collection. Formerly known as Robertson Lodges, these lodges mark Rosewood's entry into the Oceania region.

Kempinski adding ski resort in Romania. Geneva-based Kempinski Hotels is adding a 120-key ski resort in the Carpathia Mountains in central Romania. The €70 million Kempinski Poiana Brasov resort will be the company’s first property in Romania and the first luxury hospitality project for Bucharest-based developer Rock Holding.  

Ritz-Carlton to open in Cairo. Bethesda, Maryland-based Marriott International has signed an agreement with Cairo-based Palm Hills Developments to open The Ritz-Carlton Cairo in 2027. The property is expected to have 150 guest rooms and 50 one-, two- and three-bedroom serviced apartments.

Two hotels for new Epic Universal parks. Universal Orlando will add two hotels that will be located adjacent to its new “Epic Universe” theme parks in Florida: Universal Stella Nova Resort and Universal Terra Luna Resort. Both hotels will have 750 keys and be co-owned and operated by New York-based Loews Hotels & Co. The Universal Stella Nova Resort is expected to open in January 2025, with the Universal Terra Luna Resort opening in February 2025.

Leela adds management. The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts has signed a management agreement for a 140-room hotel in Ranka, Sikkim, northeast India The Leela Sikkim is owned by the SIBIN Group and is scheduled to open in December 2026. The resort will feature 35 luxury villas, including 20 wellness villas, 13 twin villas, and a six-room double-story villa, along with 88 luxury rooms in a hotel block.

Janu prepping for March opening. Aman will open Janu Tokyo in March 2024, the first in a 12-strong global pipeline of projects across city, country, and coastal destinations. It will be located in Azabudai Hills, which features Japan’s tallest skyscraper and more than 258,000 sq. ft. of green space designed by Thomas Heatherwick, alongside offices, residences, educational institutions, galleries and over 150 luxury retail and dining outlets. The only hotel within the development – located in the Residence A Tower designed by architects Pelli Clarke & Partners – Janu Tokyo includes 122 rooms and suites, eight dining venues, two boutiques and a 43,000 square foot state-of-the-art Wellness Centre.

HGI marks 1,000^th hotel. Hilton Garden Inn is marking its 1,000th property with the Hilton Garden Inn San Jose Airport City Mall in Costa Rica. Hilton has more than 300 hotels in the pipeline, including Guilin, China, Panama City, Panama, and Bologna, Italy.