Latest news: $229M refi in Florida; AmEx-CWT deal done; new Choice CCO

$229M refi in Florida. New York City-based EOS Hospitality has secured $229 million in refinancing for the 199-key Isla Bella Beach Resort in Marathon, Florida, in the Florida Keys. The refinancing includes a $193 million senior loan originated by Brookfield and a $36 million mezzanine loan by Ohana Real Estate Investors.

AmEx GBT completes CWT acquisition. American Express Global Business Travel has finally completed its long-running $540 million acquisition of fellow travel management company CWT, 17 months after the deal was originally announced. The price was reduced earlier this year from the original valuation of $570 million in March 2024. The deal brings together two of Europe’s top three TMCs – Amex GBT was ranked first in the list of Europe’s Leading TMCs 2025, with total European sales of €10.21 billion, while CWT was in third place with estimated sales in Europe of €4 billion. The mega-merger of global TMCs had been delayed by an investigation by the UK Competition and Markets Authority, which started in June 2024 before the deal was eventually given the green light by the CMA in March 2025. The final major hurdle to the acquisition was an antitrust lawsuit filed by the U.S. Department of Justice, which had been due to go to trial in September before the case was suddenly dropped by the DOJ in July.

Palette adds in Pennsylvania. Palette Hotels is adding the Delta Hotels by Marriott Allentown Lehigh Valley in Breinigsville, Pennsylvania, to its management portfolio. This is the 26th hotel for Palette.

Avion adds in Dallas. Plano, Texas-based Avion Hospitality has added the 300-key DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Dallas - Campbell Centre to its management portfolio. This is Avion’s 11th hotel in Texas. Avion will partner with ownership to execute a multi-million-dollar renovation for the guest rooms, public spaces and event facilities.  

Choice names new CCO. Choice Hotels International has appointed Joshua Sloser as chief commercial officer, effective immediately. Sloser brings more than two decades of leadership experience to Choice Hotels, with a career spanning the hospitality, restaurant and travel industries. Most recently, he served as global senior vice president, customer and commercial innovation at McDonald’s. He has also held several leadership positions for airline and travel companies, including America West Airlines, Cendant, Ciber Consulting and Travelocity.

Santa Monica hotel rebrands. The Eden hotel in Santa Monica has relaunched as an independent boutique hotel under a brand new management team. Originally the Hotel Shangri-La built in 1939, the 70-key The Eden stands as one of Southern California’s most notable examples of Streamline Moderne architecture.

CDL rebrands in the Maldives. Singapore-based CDL Hospitality Trusts is rebranding its Maldives resort, currently known as Raffles Maldives Meradhoo, to The Halcyon Private Isles Maldives, Autograph Collection on November 1. This transition involves a new franchise agreement with Marriott International, placing the property under the Autograph Collection brand.

IHG adds 2 in India. IHG Hotels & Resorts has signed a management agreement with Hotel Chetan International to develop two new hotels in Bengaluru: the Crowne Plaza Bengaluru KIADB Aerospace Park and the Holiday Inn Express Bengaluru KIADB Aerospace Park. The hotels are scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2028, and the dual development will add over 420 keys to IHG’s growing portfolio in India. IHG currently has 51 hotels operating across six brands in India with a pipeline of 72 hotels due to open in the next three to five years.

B&B debuts in Luxembourg. B&B Hotels is partnering with Promobe and Nextensa to open the 150-key B&B Hotel Luxembourg Centre Cloche d’Or, located in the Cloche d’Or district, which is its first hotel in Luxembourg. This marks the 18th country for B&B.