INTERNATIONAL REPORT—Whether it’s celebrating an anniversary, receiving an award, earning a certification, debuting a new product or expanding the business, hotel companies and vendors achieve new milestones on a daily basis. Here’s a look at recent accomplishments:
PMZ Realty Capital LLC Reports Record 2019
PMZ Realty Capital LLC reported a record-breaking amount of deals in 2019. It reported total dollar volume of more than $700 million representing financing for 40 hotels.
“We had another year of robust growth, having completed more than $700 million in financing for our clients. The macroeconomic factors are in place for 2020 to be an even stronger year as interest rates remain at historic 40-year lows, low unemployment, and a healthy GDP growth number,” said Peter Berk, president, PMZ – Hotel Finance Group. “With construction lenders remaining disciplined in terms of allocation of funds for new projects, and appropriate loan-to-cost ratios preventing overleveraging in the hospitality sector, PMZ remains extremely optimistic about the industry fundamentals in 2020.”
Hunter Hotel Advisors Achieves $1.2B in Transaction Sales Volume
Hunter Hotel Advisors revealed its 2019 year-end results will come in at $1.2 billion in transactions, with a total of 137 properties sold by the firm.
The record year represents a net increase of 35% in total transaction volume, and 20% increase in the number of properties handled for the year. The properties were located across the U.S., with 10 or more property transactions each in Florida, Georgia, Texas, Colorado and California.
“2019 was an adaptive year for hotel owners. Hunter saw our seller mix change to 55% institutional firms, 20% private firms and 25% brand owned,” said Teague Hunter, CEO, Hunter Hotel Advisors. “We take this as an indication that both buyers and sellers see opportunities in the current transaction market and expect the trend to continue in 2020.”
Thompson Zihuatanejo Leverages Curant Mobile POS
Curant, a mobile service platform that helps hotels lower costs and improve the guest experience, is now being employed by the Thompson Zihuatanejo in Mexico.
The Curant mobile service platform puts an assortment of inclusions literally at a guests’ fingertips through their mobile product. These include room service, poolside and beachside ordering, the ability to schedule spa and other on-property amenities, and on-demand communication with the concierge and operations teams. Food and beverage ordering becomes seamless without the need to flag down a server or wait for a bill, while management enjoys an easy setup and seamless integration with their POS and other back-end systems. Curant also keeps staff connected with updates and notifications in real time.
NewcrestImage Opens Starbucks At AC Hotel
A Starbucks coffee shop became a hot new amenity at the 195-room AC Hotel in downtown Houston when it opened in December 2019. Both the coffee shop and the hotel are operated by NewcrestImage.
The 900-sq.-ft. coffee shop is the first Starbucks inside any AC Hotel in the United States, although NewcrestImage did open a Starbucks in November in downtown Dallas that is adjacent to three of its properties—a dual-brand AC Hotel and Residence Inn, plus a Hampton Inn & Suites.
Dallas-based NewcrestImage reached agreement earlier this year with Starbucks to add coffee shops at four of its AC Hotels—the properties in downtown Dallas and downtown Houston, along with properties in Amarillo and in the Dallas suburb of Frisco, where coffee shops are scheduled to open in 2020.
Hotel Karel de Stoute Selects VingCard Essence by Assa Abloy
Assa Abloy Global Solutions has added the VingCard Essence with Mobile Access and VingCard C100 door locks to the Hotel Karel de Stoute in Gorinchem, The Netherlands.
By implementing mobile access along with the Flexipass Certified Partner app, hotel leadership can also reduce the strain on labor resources, while providing each guest with secure and convenient access to their rooms using their own personal smart device as a digital key, according to the company.
Leveraging the lock’s minimalistic design that consists of only a sleek RFID/BLE reader and door handle visible to guests, VingCard Essence is able to blend in seamlessly with the hotel decor, while still providing security protocols that protect against unauthorized keycard cloning. By also implementing C100 E-cylinder locks in specific areas, Assa Abloy Global Solutions was further able to ensure a secure environment throughout the property, despite doors that are not suited to traditional door lock designs.
