Latest news: Waldorf to Finland; US hotels down; Jacksonville sale

First Waldorf Astoria in Finland. Hilton has signed a management agreement with M&L Group for The Hotel Maria, a 116-key property in Helsinki, which will be rebranded as Waldorf Astoria Helsinki. This marks the first hotel to operate under the Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts brand in Finland. The hotel will join the Waldorf’s 67 other hotels that are open or in its pipeline.

New COO at Davidson. Atlanta-based Davidson Hospitality Group has appointed Jason Reader as COO. His functional oversight encompasses all Davidson operating verticals, including Davidson Hotels, Davidson Restaurant Group, Pivot, and Davidson Resorts, as well as select platform services departments such as strategic operations and marketing. Reader has more than 25 years of hospitality industry experience, with his journey beginning as a dishwasher at a Perkins Restaurant in Pennsylvania. Most recently, he held the role of COO at Remington Hospitality. He also worked at Magna Hospitality and spent 15 years with Pyramid Hotel Group in various leadership roles.

US hotels down for the week. The U.S. hotel industry for June 22-28 reported mostly negative year-over-year comparisons, according to CoStar data. Occupancy was 71.9% (-0.1% YOY); ADR was $163.30 (unchanged YOY) and RevPAR $117.45 (-0.1% YOY). Among the top 25 markets, Philadelphia saw the largest increases across each of the three key performance metrics: occupancy (+10.7% to 80%), ADR (+14.5% to $173.43) and RevPAR (+26.7% to $138.66). Las Vegas recorded the steepest declines in ADR (-10.5% to $172.28) and RevPAR (-20.5% to $122.22). 

Butler acquires in Jacksonville. Butler Lodging has acquired the 67-key Candlewood Suites Jacksonville-Mayport in Florida from Mayport Lodging 2, Inc. for an undisclosed amount. DSH Hotel Advisors represented the buyer and seller in the transaction. The hotel was built in 2019.

Sotherly defaults on Atlanta loan. Williamburg, Virginia-based Sotherly Hotels said it received a notice of default from the special servicer of its CMBS loan on the Georgian Terrace Hotel in Atlanta. The notice said Sotherly’s subsidiary, Soho Atlanta LLC, is in default of approximately $38 million from Wilmington Trust NA. Sotherly said it has engaged a consultant to negotiate for an extension of the mortgage loan with the special servicer, and proposed extension terms have been provided to the special servicer. In the interim, the company intends to continue making interest payments, as well as real estate tax escrow payments and required reserve payments.

Charlestowne adds in DC. Charleston, South Carolina-based Charlestowne Hotel is adding the 106-key Hotel Nell in Washington, D.C., to its management portfolio. The hotel has three F&B outlets and 10,000 sq. ft. of event and meeting space.

First citizenM in Ireland. Marriott International is opening its first citizenM hotel in Ireland with the debut of the 245-key citizen Dublin St Patrick’s hotel in Dublin. CitizenM operates more than 30 hotels globally.

Kleindienst adds in the UAE. Dubai-based Kleindienst Group is set to open the 96-key Hygge Hotel, a new property scheduled to debut in the first half of 2027, as part of its flagship destination, The Heart of Europe, on The World Islands in the United Arab Emirates.

Cristal Life acquires in Spain. French fund manager Inter Gestion REIM, on behalf of the Cristal Life SCPI, has acquired the 190-key Playamojácar Hotel in Mojácar, Spain, in a sale-and-leaseback deal with Spanish owner-operator Senator Hotels & Resorts for €18.37 million, according to HVS. The hotel was renovated between 2019 and 2022. Following the transaction, Senator Hotels & Resorts will continue to operate the property under a 20-year triple-net lease agreement.

PGIM adds in Italy. PGIM, the investment management business of Prudential Financial Inc., Italian real estate investment management company Dekus and Italian operator HNH Hospitality have acquired the 190-key Hotel Leon d’Oro in Verona, Italy, from an Italian family for an undisclosed amount, according to HVS. The hotel will undergo renovations and be rebranded as a DoubleTree by Hilton.