Latest news: Waldorf to debut in Texas; JW to Costa Rica; Raffles adding Lake Como

Waldorf debuts in Texas. Hilton has signed a branding and management agreement with San Antonio-based Wine Country Hospitality Partners LLC for the new build Waldorf Astoria Texas Hill Country and Waldorf Astoria Residences Texas Hill Country, marking the debut of Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts in Texas. The project will include a 60-key resort (with 37 branded multi-bedroom villas) and an 87-key residence that is scheduled to open in 2027. The property will be Located less than one mile from downtown Fredericksburg, Texas. Waldorf Astoria Texas Hill Country will join the brand’s portfolio of more than 30 properties globally with more than 30 in the pipeline.  Hilton has nearly 600 open properties in Texas with nearly 240 in various stages of development.

Marriott adding JW in Costa Rica. Marriott International has signed an agreement with Newton Square, Pennsylvania-based Mullen Real Estate Capital to bring the JW Marriott brand to the shores of Costa Elena, a resort-residential community located in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. The hotel is expected to be one of the first JW Marriott all-inclusive resorts to open globally and is scheduled to begin its conversion in July and open in the spring of 2026.

Accor adding Raffles to Italy. Accor is partnering with CL Hotel SPA to add a Raffles to the Lake Como region in Italy with the 84-key Raffles Lake Como, which will be the brand’s first property in the country. The Raffles Lake Como will be a full renovation and conversion of the former Grand Hotel Imperiale and is scheduled to debut in 2027. The hotel will be the brand’s fifth in Europe.

Hyatt Centric in Sarasota. Palm Beach County, Florida-based Kolter Group is developing a new Hyatt Centric hotel on the site of a former Hyatt Regency hotel in Sarasota, Florida. The 174-key Hyatt Centric Harborside will share a building with 117 luxury condominiums as part of the 1000 Boulevard of the Arts development. The Hyatt Regency Sarasota opened 50 years ago.

IHG debuts Garner in Scotland. IHG Hotels & Resorts is partnering with Toronto-based Palm Holdings to develop the 195-key Garner Hotel Haymarket Edinburgh, which will mark the brand’s debut in Scotland. The hotel is expected to open in the second half of 2025. Garner has a growing European portfolio, with 10 open and 51 in the pipeline.

Bradford Allen acquires in Indiana. Chicago-based Bradford Allen has acquired the 130-key SpringHill Suites Indianapolis Fishers hotel in Indiana, adjacent to the new Cadillac Formula 1 headquarters, which Bradford Allen is also developing. The seller and price of the property were not disclosed. The hotel opened in 2007 and was renovated in 2016. Bradford Allen has acquired seven hotels since launching its hospitality platform in 2022.

Dual-brand Marriott in New York. Corning, New York-based Visions Hotels is developing a $24.1 million, 162-key dual-branded Marriott hotel close to a new Micron Technology semiconductor plant in Clay, New York, according to Syracuse.com. Construction of the Fairfield Inn & Suites and Residence Inn is expected to take about 18 months.

Dreamscape adds in Houston. Dallas-based third-party management firm Dreamscape Hospitality is adding the Hyatt Regency Houston West to its portfolio. The 400-key hotel will soon undergo a complete renovation.

Royal Group acquires in London. Singapore-based Royal Group of Companies has acquired the former Westminster Bank building in London for £65 million, with plans to turn the property into a luxury all-suite hotel. The company plans to spend another £45 million for an adaptive reuse of the building into a 50-key boutique hotel.

Fattal acquires in Liverpool. Tel Aviv, Israel-based Fattal Hotel Group has acquired the 310-key Leonardo Hotel Liverpool in the U.K. from an undisclosed buyer for an undisclosed amount. This acquisition marks Fattal’s third lease buyback since the fourth quarter of last year, following the acquisitions of Leonardo Hotel Derby and Leonardo Hotel Newcastle Gateshead. JLL brokered the deal.

One REIT adds in Japan. Tokyo-based One REIT Inc. has acquired the 240-key Comfort Inn Nagoya Sakae Ekimae in Japan from an undisclosed seller for JPY7.7 billion, according to HVS. This price translates to approximately JPY32.1 million per key.

Hong Kong hotel sells. The 100-key MK Stay Hotel in Hong Kong has been sold to an undisclosed seller for HKD188 million to an undisclosed buyer, according to HVS. This translates to approximately HKD1.88 million per key. The property was originally acquired for HKD150 million in 2009.