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New
Reverb in Alabama. Orlando-based Hard Rock International is partnering with New York City-based
Sak Capital Partners on a new-build hotel project in Alabama that is scheduled
for an early 2028 opening. The 155-key Reverb by Hard Rock in Florence,
Alabama, will have about 2,000 sq. ft. of
meeting space. There are six Reverb properties worldwide, including in
Atlanta, Germany, Mexico and the Dominican Republic with seven in development, including a property
in Pensacola, Florida, that is scheduled to begin construction next year.
Dreamscape
adds 3 in Houston. Dallas-based Dreamscape Hospitality is adding three hotels in Houston to its
management portfolio. The hotels, which Houston-based New Horizons Hospitality
owns, include the Hilton Garden Inn Houston/The Woodlands, the Homewood Suites
by Hilton Houston NW at Beltway 8 and the Hyatt Place Houston/The Woodlands.
Senior leaders for HE. Hotel Equities has named Albert Smith as chief
operating officer and Rob Robinson as president of Springboard Hospitality. Based
in Atlanta, Smith now leads enterprise-wide operations for Hotel Equities, with
responsibility for optimizing performance across hotels, resorts, and outdoor
hospitality destinations throughout the United States, Canada, the Caribbean,
and Latin America. Smith most recently served as president of Hotel
Operations at Hotel Equities. Based in Honolulu, Robinson now oversees all
aspects of the Springboard Hospitality platform and portfolio, with a focus on
driving financial performance, executing long-term growth strategies, fostering
a strong company culture, and expanding the portfolio across high-growth
markets. Previously executive vice president of Springboard
Hospitality, Robinson originally joined OLS Hotels & Resorts in 2018 as
part of its new ownership group and played a key role in the company’s
transformation into Springboard.
Hilton’s
500th Florida hotel. Hilton has surpassed 500 open hotels in Florida, marking a new chapter of
growth fueled in part by its expanding portfolio of lifestyle brands, including
the upcoming debut of Tempo by Hilton. Looking ahead,
Hilton has nearly 140 properties in the statewide pipeline, across 15
brands, including luxury developments
like Waldorf Astoria Miami and Signia by Hilton Diplomat Beach Resort, and the
full-service Hilton Miami Bayfront.
Historic
St. Louis hotel to be demolished. The historic Millennium Hotel in St. Louis will be
demolished in the near future after new owners closed on the property. The
hotel was a key part of the city’s skyline next to the Arch after it opened in
1969, but the property has been closed since 2014. The Gateway Arch Park
Foundation closed on the 4.2-acre site to create a $670-million project
transforming the site into a 1.3 million sq. ft. mixed-use development with
residential, office, retail, and public spaces, including an amphitheater and
public plaza. The nonprofit didn’t say how much it paid for the site, but it’s
appraised by the city of St. Louis for $8.1 million. Baltimore-based The
Cordish Companies, which created the nearby Ballpark Village next to the St.
Louis Cardinals’ Busch Stadium, will redevelop the area.
Leonardo
acquires 2 in Germany. Leonardo Hotels, the European division of Israeli owner-operator Fattal
Hotel Group, has acquired the 112-key Mercure Hotel Hannover Medical Park and
the 96-key Ibis Hannover Medical Park in Germany, from French owner-operator
Essendi (formerly AccorInvest). The two properties are adjacent to each other
and both hotels will be rebranded and merged into the new Leonardo Hannover
Medical Park. The Mercure section is scheduled to reopen this month, while the
Ibis portion will be refurbished and is expected to reopen in the fourth
quarter of 2025.