Latest news: 9,000 for Hilton; Azul's dual-brand in Phoenix; Rowe new CEO of KHP

Hilton’s 9,000th hotel. Hilton has reached the milestone of 9,000 hotels globally, representing nearly three openings per day since reaching 8,000 hotels just a year ago. The opening of Signia by Hilton La Cantera Resort & Spa marked the milestone, introducing the luxury brand to Hilton’s portfolio in Texas. Hilton has more than 3,600 hotels currently under development.

Azul adds a dual-brand in Phoenix. San Diego-based Azul Hospitality Group will manage the under-construction dual-branded Marriott hotel at City North in Phoenix. The project, comprising the 142-key AC Hotel by Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge and the 98-key Element by Westin Phoenix Desert Ridge, is expected to open in January 2027. The development is a joint venture between LaPour Partners and Holualoa Companies.

MIAMH adds in South Florida. Miami-based MIA Hospitality Management (MIAHM) has expanded its South Florida portfolio with the Courtyard by Marriott Fort Lauderdale Airport & Cruise Port, a 174-key hotel located near the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and Port Everglades Cruise Terminal. Owned by Fort Lauderdale CY LLC and initially developed by Robert Finvarb, the hotel becomes the sixth property to join the MIAHM’s management portfolio since its launch earlier this year, bringing the company’s managed room count to over 900.

Union Investment sells in Berlin. Frankfurt-based Union Investment has sold the 169-key Park Plaza Wallstreet hotel in Berlin to the German Civil Service Association for around €36 million. According to CRE Media Europe, the price significantly exceeds recent valuations, partly due to the expiring lease offering value-add potential. The building originally opened in 1910 as a commercial property and was converted to offices in 1995 and was then turned a hotel in 2005. 

Rowe new CEO of KHP. San Francisco-based KHP Capital Partners announced that co-founder and managing partner Ben Rowe has formally assumed the role of CEO as part of a planned succession process. Rowe co-founded KHP with Mike Depatie and Joe Long in 2015, with the three former Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants executives initially serving as co-managing partners. Together, they have grown KHP to $1 billion of equity under management with a current portfolio of 20 lifestyle hotel investments. Rowe originally joined Depatie and Long at Kimpton in 2003 and served as CFO of Kimpton from 2008 to 2015.

JB Hotel Group launches. Jon Blanchard has launched JB Hotel Group, a Los Angeles-based real estate development, investment and asset management firm, which was formerly known as BLVD Hospitality. Over nearly two decades, Blanchard’s portfolio has included more than $1 billion in transacted real estate and over 1,400 hotel keys developed to date. Notable projects include the Ace Hotel in Los Angeles, an adaptive reuse of the historic United Artists Building, as well as The Hoxton, Soho Warehouse and the city’s first modular high-rise hotel for citizenM. Blanchard also created The Georgian in Los Angeles and he is opening a 125-key hotel in Anaheim in 2027.

Crestline adds in Arizona. Fairfax, Virginia-based Crestline Hotels & Resorts has added the 101-key Hampton Inn & Suites Scottsdale at Talking Stick, Arizona, to its management portfolio. The hotel is situated 10 miles from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

New South Carolina hotel. Lexington, South Carolina-based Lexington Hospitality has broken ground on a 111-key Courtyard by Marriott hotel in Lexington, South Carolina. Lexington Hospitality is led by brothers Ajay and Raj Champaneri, who have over 25 years of hospitality experience across South Carolina.

First Luxury Collection in Singapore. Marriott International is adding its first Luxury Collection property in Singapore with the opening of the 183-key The Laurus, a Luxury Collection Resort. The resort is situated inside Singapore’s first integrated resort – Resorts World Sentosa.

Pandox acquires in Sweden. Stockholm, Sweden-based Pandox has completed the previously announced acquisition of Elite Hotel Frost Kiruna in Sweden for approximately MSEK 347. Pandox has a portfolio of 163 hotels and approximately 36,000 rooms across 11 countries in Northern Europe.

Caledonian Leisure acquires in the UK. Leeds, U.K.-based Caledonian Leisure has acquired the 104-key Broadway Park Hotel, marking its sixth property in the hotel portfolio, from an undisclosed seller for an undisclosed amount. The hotel will be renamed The Caledonian Island Hotel and is scheduled to reopen in February.