Latest news: Adaptive reuse in Minneapolis; first @Home in US for BWH; Long Beach rebrand

Adaptive reuse in Minneapolis. Minneapolis-based CDT Realty is converting a historic downtown Minneapolis building into a 165-key upscale hotel with rooftop bar, restaurants and public spaces intended for cultural events, according to a story in The Minnesota Star Tribune. Local developer Chad Tepley of CDT Realty purchased the six-story Minoru Yamasaki building for $7.1 million in November. Paperwork needs to be finalized before he names his hotel partner, but Tepley said it’s a boutique chain with experience in historical transformations. The hotel is scheduled to open in the summer of 2028.

First @Home opens in US. Phoenix-based BWH Hotels has opened its first @Home by Best Western property in the United States with the opening of the 92-key @HOME by Best Western St. George in Utah. The extended-stay brand hotel was developed in partnership with Indianapolis, Indiana-based Prime Hospitality. With this new hotel development, Prime Hospitality further solidifies its partnership with BWH Hotels in delivering best-in-class hospitality. The project marks BWH’s fourth partnership with Prime, joining Zion Wildflower Resort, WorldHotels Crafted, a luxury glamping experience located just outside Zion National Park (and part of a new glamping brand for BWH announced last week); Best Western Plus Zion Canyon Inn & Suites in Springdale, Utah; and Best Western Mesquite Inn in Mesquite, Nevada.

Rebrand in Long Beach. The 191-key The Maya in Long Beach, California, is rebranding and reopening this summer after $10.5 million in renovations. Debuting as The Maya this summer, Long Beach's waterfront landmark hotel will enter a new chapter with a full-scale $10.5M transformation that reimagines the guest experience throughout the property. The hotel is owned by Kam Babaoff, founding partner of Ensemble, and originally opened in 1975 as the Queensbay Hilton. It has undergone several transformations over the years, including a $20 million renovation in 2009 and a $4 million refresh in 2015.

Refi in Manhattan. Los Angeles-based Gehr Hospitality has secured a refinance for an undisclosed amount for the fee position below the 244-key Four Points by Sheraton Midtown – Times Square Hotel in Manhattan. Gehr bifurcated the land in 2016. The hotel was subsequently renovated and Gehr Hospitality took over management.  Colliers arranged the refinance.

Noble adds in Savannah. Atlanta-based Noble Investment Group has opened the 148-key Hilton Savannah Historic District, a wellness-focused lifestyle hotel in the city’s historic district. The property marks Tempo by Hilton's debut in Georgia and is managed by Tampa, Florida-based McKibbon Hospitality.

Club Med adds in Thailand. Club Med has signed an agreement to build the first Exclusive Collection resort in Thailand, opening in Koh Samui in 2028. The new all-inclusive resort is being built and managed under a hotel management agreement with Central Group Capital. As an Exclusive Collection resort, it'll be the third in Asia and the second Club Med property to open in Thailand. Club Med's Exclusive Collection is the brand's higher-scale luxury all-inclusive resorts.

G6 rejoins AHLA. Dallas-based G6 Hospitality, parent company of the Motel 6 and Studio 6 brands, has renewed its corporate membership with the American Hotel & Lodging Association. G6 Hospitality executives said this renews the company's commitment to industry-wide advocacy and collaboration on behalf of economy hotels and their franchise owners nationwide.

First Tribe in Malta. Accor’s midscale hotel Tribe is set to debut in the Maltese market in 2027. The 98-key hotel will be located on grounds of the Malta International Airport and is being constructed as part of the company's SkyParks 2 development. The hotel will be operated by Claret Group.

First Shilla Stay in China. South Korea-based Hotel Shilla will open a 223-key hotel under its Shilla Stay brand in Yancheng, China, on April 28, marking the overseas debut of its premium business accommodation brand. The move follows Hotel Shilla’s earlier expansions abroad under its upscale lifestyle chain Shilla Monogram, which opened a property in Xi’an, China, in February and in the Vietnamese resort city of Danang in 2020. The Shilla Stay brand was launched in 2013 and currently has 16 properties in South Korea.