Latest news: New Auberge partners; Marriott to Turks and Caicos; travel intent data

Auberge Resorts gets minority investment. Mill Valley, California-based The Friedkin Group has a strategic partnership with BDT & MSD Partners for an investment in its Auberge Resorts Collection. BDT & MSD’s affiliated hospitality investment vehicle will make a minority investment in Auberge, which manages 27 boutique luxury properties in the U.S., Latin America and Europe. Auberge became part of The Friedkin Group in 2013.

U.S. performance up. Hotel performance in the U.S. increased from the previous week, according to CoStar. For the week of January 21-27, occupancy was down 0.3% to 56.2, ADR was up 5.1% to $149.76, and RevPAR was up 4.8% to $84.13. Among the top 25 markets, Las Vegas saw the largest year-over-year increases in occupancy (+28.9% to 83.4%), ADR (+46.3% to $228.37), and RevPAR (+88.5% to $190.42). The steepest RevPAR declines were in Atlanta (-17.6% to $75.46) and Dallas (-13.4% to $84.06).

Financing for new Marriott in California. EKN Development Group and Garn Development have secured $67.1 million in construction financing for a 215-key dual-branded hotel in Sand City, California. The Marriott Courtyard Residence Inn was secured with a mortgage loan of $39 million from HALL Structured Finance, while Nuveen Green Capital provided a CPACE loan of $28.1 million. JLL represented the borrower.

Marriott adds first in Turks, Caicos Islands. Marriott is adding its first property in the Turks and Caicos Islands with the Salterra, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, Turks & Caicos. The hotel will be located on the beaches of South Caicos Island and is scheduled to open in early 2025.

Minor expands in Oman. Minor Hotels is expanding its luxury Anantara brand in Oman by opening a 121-key property in Bandar Al Khairan, Muscat. The property will be owned by Musstir, the real estate and development arm of the MB Holding Co., which also owns Al Baleed Resort Salalah by Anantara on Oman’s south coast.

SI Resorts pulls Ann Arbor proposal. Following criticism, Sports Illustrated Resorts has pulled its proposal for one of its projects in downtown Ann Arbor, Michigan, home of the University of Michigan. Citizens at the Ann Arbor City Council meeting voiced opposition to the project’s appropriateness for the downtown area. According to the report, SI Resorts CEO Chris Schroeder has said the company will pick another location in town. The company is opening resorts in college towns and other locations in the U.S., with the first location in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

Nearly 60% expect more travel in 2024.  A majority of travel buyers report increases in bookings and spending for 2023 and expect that trend to continue, according to new Global Business Travel Association poll. Nearly 60% of travel buyers expect more travel in the coming year, with two-thirds anticipating increases in business travel spending. And almost half of travel buyers say adopting remote and hybrid workplaces has prompted them to revamp employee travel policies and programs. The results and summary of the poll can be downloaded here.

Travel intent remains steady. Research from MMGY Global shows that travel intent remains steady despite rising costs, defying many predictions. The report says travelers are no longer driven simply because they can travel and are looking to elicit specific feelings when they select a destination or plan an experience. The full report can be downloaded here.

Drury adds in Nebraska. St. Louis, Missouri-based Drury Development Corp. is building an eight-story, 252-key hotel in Lincoln, Nebraska, which would be one the largest in the city. It is being built on the former Lincoln Journal Star production building site, which Drury purchased for $9.6 million in 2020.

Choice breaks ground in Texas, Arizona. Choice Hotels International is breaking ground for six extended-stay Everhome Suites in Texas and Arizona. The hotels in Texas (Amarillo, Bastrop, Brownsville, El Paso, and Waco) and Yuma, Arizona, are being developed in conjunction with Denver-based HighSide Companies. The hotels are scheduled to open in late 2024 or 2025.

Dimension adds in Nashville. Fort Lauderdale, Florida-based Dimension Hospitality will manage the 214-key Hilton Garden Inn Nashville Downtown/Convention Center.