Latest news: AAHOA reiterates distaste for Wyndham sale; two deals in Philly

AAHOA “highly concerned” about proposed merger. AAHOA, the world’s largest hotel owners association, has released a statement on Choice Hotels International proposing a full slate of board members for Wyndham Hotels & Resorts and also in response to a Reuters story published on January 22: “While we respect opinions and viewpoints from every side of the issue, the individuals nominated by Choice Hotels and quoted by Reuters do not speak for AAHOA, and they do not represent AAHOA’s viewpoint,” said AAHOA President and CEO Laura Lee Blake. “AAHOA remains highly concerned about the significant impact this proposed merger will have on the industry, and we strive to always represent the best interests of our members. In response to a recent survey, our AAHOA members have raised the alarms that a hostile takeover by Choice Hotels will limit competitiveness, dilute the merged brands in this segment, and decrease the value offered to guests. AAHOA remains resolute in highlighting these grave concerns of its hotelier franchisee members, since they are the stakeholders who have the most at stake if a merger were to occur.” AAHOA said the reported the following results from the survey of its members: Nearly 80% of respondents with either a Choice Hotels or Wyndham property said a merger will have a negative impact on their businesses. And nearly 70% of respondents with either a Choice Hotels or Wyndham property said it is unlikely, or very unlikely, they will consider being a licensee if the Choice Hotels takeover occurs. AAHOA said its member-owners represent roughly two-thirds of all Wyndham and Choice franchise hotels.

Philadelphia Le Meridien sells. New York-based Certares Management has acquired the 202-key Le Meridien Philadelphia hotel in Center City for $32.7 million, according to a story in the Philadelphia Business Journal. The seller was Chicago-based real estate investment trust Walton Street Capital. The story also says the hotel may be switching management from HEI Hotels and Resorts to Hersha Hospitality Management, according to a pending liquor license.

MCR sells Philadelphia hotel. MCR has sold the 100-key Residence Inn Philadelphia Langhorne to Baywood Hotels for an undisclosed amount. Hunter Hotel Advisors advised MCR on the transaction.

Minor plans 200+ hotel openings. Bangkok-based Minor Hotels plans to open more than 200 new hotels worldwide in the next three years. That increase would boost its global portfolio by almost 40% from its current count of 540 and add more than 30,000 rooms to its inventory. The company owns or leases about 70% of its current portfolio.

Moxy debuts in India. Moxy Hotels is opening the 128-key Moxy Bengaluru Airport Prestige Tech Cloud, the Marriott brand’s debut in India. Moxy now has more than 125 properties in 25 countries.

IHG adds in Thailand. IHG Hotels & Resorts is adding its sixth Vignette Collection property in Thailand. The 115-key Phuket Nai Yang Beach, Vignette Collection is scheduled to open in 2028. It will be the third Vignette Collection property with partner Dinso Resort Co. Ltd. 

U.S. performance mixed. U.S. hotel performance decreased from the previous week, while year-over-year comparisons are mixed, according to the latest data from CoStar. For the week of January 14-20, occupancy was at 52% (down 3.8%), ADR was at $142.7 (up 1.6%), and RevPAR was $74.31 (down 2.2%). For the top 25 markets, Seattle saw the largest YOY occupancy rise (+9.6% to 54.1%), while Atlanta saw the biggest rains in ADR (+14.3% to $131.74) and RevPAR (+18.5% to $81.76). The steepest RevPAR declines were in Las Vegas (-19.2% to $108.97) and Nashville (-15.2% to $68.59). 

Grupo adding in DR. Grupo De Valle is expanding its presence with Wyndham Hotels & Resorts in the Dominican Republic with two new projects, the 115-key Days Inn Juan Dolio Beach and 69-key Super 8 Miches. Grupo De Valle has said they want to develop 4,500 rooms and 32 properties in 29 locations in the Dominican Republic by 2030.

Whitbread adds in Dublin. UK-based Whitbread PLC will open a new 150-key Premier Inn following its acquisition of the long leasehold interest of a development site at Sandyford Business Park in Dublin.