Latest news: Westgate’s CALA deal; big Atlanta conversion; Peachtree financing equipment

Westgate’s CALA investment. Orlando-based Westgate Resorts is partnering with a multimillion-dollar investment in the luxury Banyan Tree Bimini Resort & Residences development on Rockwell Island in Bimini, Bahamas. Westgate, Orlando-based Gissy Family Investments and others are investing with RAV Bahamas, created by Gerardo Capo, which built the $850 million project. The development offers homes with ocean views in the front and room for 80- to 120-foot docks in back on the bay. Rockwell Island will include an 18-hole golf course with larger homes, a boutique hotel and a nature preserve. This is Westgate’s first venture in the Bahamas and sets the stage for future opportunities in CALA for the company. Westgate has a portfolio of more than 60 resort properties.

More on Atlanta Marriott conversion. A pair of New York City-based companies, Monomoy Property Ventures and Axonic Capital, have selected Louisville, Kentucky-based Schulte Hospitality Group as the property management company after their acquisition of the 462-key Crowne Plaza by IHG hotel at the convention center in Atlanta. The hotel will be renovated and rebranded as the Marriott Atlanta and is scheduled to reopen in late 2027.

APF’s $1.6B in financing. Atlanta-based Access Point Financial (APF) has closed and committed to approximately $1.6 billion in hospitality-specific financings year-to-date. The financings comprise 51 hotel assets and include direct bridge loans, mezzanine loans, construction loans, preferred equity and hotel-specific SASB CMBS investments. APF said its pipeline is robust and has increased noticeably since Labor Day. The company said it has additionally grown its construction loan offerings considerably to include higher-leverage solutions.

Peachtree launches equipment finance division. Atlanta-based Peachtree Group has launched a new equipment finance division, broadening its credit platform and reinforcing its ability to provide flexible equipment lease financing across industries, including commercial real estate and hospitality. The division will be led by Brian Shaughnessy and Roger Johnson, who together bring more than 60 years of experience in equipment finance, specialty finance and portfolio acquisitions. This new platform represents a progression of Peachtree’s established private credit ecosystem. Many of the firm’s commercial real estate clients also require equipment financing, particularly in hospitality, where FF&E plays a critical role in new developments. The new unit will initially focus on financing lease transactions ranging from $500,000 to $10 million with terms generally between 24 and 84 months.

Houston hotel strike ends. Hotel workers at Hilton Americas-Houston, represented by Unite Here Local 23, have ended a 40-day strike after reaching a new contract agreement with the management. The strike, which was the first hotel strike led by union members in Texas, concluded when workers voted to ratify the agreement on October 10. The new contract includes wage increases, with the hotel housekeepers, stewards, and laundry attendants to earn a minimum of $20 per hour.

New brand in Italy. Cernobbio, Italy-based Villa d’Este is presenting Villa d’Este La Collezione, a new brand that represents a strategic step in the brand’s growth, with the aim of consolidating its presence on Lake Como, Italy. The new brand is welcoming two new destinations, Palazzo Venezia in Como and Miralago Luxury Apartments in Cernobbio. Palazzo Venezia will open on December 6, as the city’s first 5-star hotel affiliated with The Leading Hotels of the World. June 2026 will see the opening of Miralago Luxury Apartments in Cernobbio, which has been renovated from the former Hotel Miralago by Droulers Architecture.

Ennismore adds all-inclusive outside Europe. Ennismore is opening the 257-key SO/ Ras Al Khaimah, set to open later this year on the UAE’s Al Marjan Island. The new property will mark SO/’s first all-inclusive resort outside Europe and Ennismore’s debut lifestyle hotel in Ras Al Khaimah. The group’s global pipeline now exceeds 60 resorts with more than 25,000 rooms in development, including upcoming openings in Mexico, Egypt, Dubai and Vietnam.

Leaf adds in the UK. London-based Leaf Hospitality has signed the new 144-key Hampton by Hilton Wigan in the U.K. to its management and operations portfolio. The hotel forms a key element of Fettlers – the transformation of the former Galleries shopping center site in Wigan. This is Leaf’s 10th hotel signing.

Hyatt opens its first Caption in Australia. Hyatt Hotels Corp. is opening the 174-key Caption by Hyatt Central Sydney, marking the debut of the Caption by Hyatt brand in Australia and the Pacific. The hotel joins an expanding portfolio of Caption by Hyatt properties around the world, with locations in Shanghai, Osaka, Nashville and Tokyo.

First Novotel in Malta. Accor’s Novotel brand has opened its first hotel in Malta. The 293-key Novotel Malta Sliema is in Gżira and is managed locally by ST Group under a franchise agreement with Accor.