NEW YORK—The Trump Organization is scrapping plans for its Scion and American Idea Hotels brands.
“The Trump Brand is the hottest real estate brand in the world,” said Eric Trump, EVP of The Trump Organization, in a statement to Hotel Business. “When my father took office, we made countless voluntary sacrifices as a family and as a company, turning down hotels and projects from almost every corner of the globe. We walked away from billions of dollars’ worth of deals and ceased virtually all expansion. We continue to make tremendous sacrifices and understand the bigger picture more than anyone.
“Our father has the most important and powerful job in the world. We live in a climate where everything will be used against us, whether by the fake news or by Democrats who are only interested in Presidential harassment and wasting everyone’s time, barraging us with nonsense letters. We already have the greatest properties in the world and if we have to slow down our growth for the time being, we are happy to do it.”
In June 2017, at a cocktail party at Trump Tower in Midtown Manhattan during the 39th annual NYU Hospitality Investment Conference, Trump Hotels CEO Eric Danziger revealed the plans for American Idea Hotels and the first location for the Scion brand, which was supposed to be in Cleveland, MS.
In a joint statement to Hotel Business, Dinesh and Suresh Chawla, the developers of the project in Cleveland, MS, said the following: “We are honored to have had the opportunity to work with the Trump Organization. Don, Eric and the entire Trump Hotels Team are fantastic people, and their family helped launch our path to the American Dream 30 years ago. Our product is far superior today to when we started and that is because of the time and expertise that Trump Hotels dedicated to us. We understand their position completely and are grateful for their professionalism. We hope that when the time is right, we can work with Trump Hotels again.”
The Trump Organization is no longer pursuing the brands due to today’s political climate.
“When politics are over, we will resume doing what we do best which is building the best and most luxurious properties in the world,” said Donald Trump Jr., SVP of The Trump Organization, in a statement to Hotel Business. “The interest in the Trump brand has never been stronger.”