After revealing in the March issue of Hotel Business that it was focusing on urban lifestyle hotels, White Lodging has closed on the sale of its five remaining suburban hotels. Hotel Business has learned that the properties have been sold to ZMC Hotels, part of the Hall Equities Group family.
The transformational shift for White Lodging’s portfolio focuses the company’s resources on new developments and across concentrated urban destinations with more complex hotels that deliver memorable and elevated guest experiences.
White Lodging’s remaining portfolio consists of more than 50 premium hotels; a private collection of luxury ranches; 40 restaurants; and 10 rooftop bars. The company’s core urban markets include Indianapolis; Austin; Louisville, KY; Chicago; Denver; San Antonio; Nashville; and Charlotte, NC.
“White Lodging’s vision and focus are clearer than ever,” said Jean-Luc Barone, CEO, hospitality management, White Lodging. “In addition to business clarity, our focused portfolio is tailored to support clearer career paths for associates with multiple hotels in concentrated urban markets—most just blocks away from each other.”
In 2021, White Lodging opened four new premium brand urban hotels and nine food and beverage concepts, including the J.W. Marriott Charlotte, Canopy San Antonio Riverwalk, Austin Marriott Downtown at the convention center and Moxy Austin University.
$750 million of growth investments in progress
Ken Barrett, president of White Lodging, recently described the company’s capacity and opportunity for new hotel development as “targeted and robust” following the recent sales. The pipeline includes more than $750 million in planned new hotels in San Antonio, Austin and Nashville.
In San Antonio, White Lodging is transforming an existing 251-room property into The Otis Hotel San Antonio, Autograph Collection. The hotel is the second of its namesake, with The Otis Hotel Austin, Autograph Collection, opening in February 2020 next to the University of Texas. The Otis San Antonio is expected to open in the first half of 2023. Within steps of The Otis San Antonio, another luxury hotel is planned to take shape by White Lodging, with construction expected to start before the end of the year.
Brand and design details of the expected Austin and Nashville builds have not yet been shared. White Lodging recently purchased a large parcel of land in Nashville’s SoBro entertainment district across from the JW Marriott and in Austin near the convention center. The company currently owns and/or operates 12 existing hotels, 10 restaurants and five rooftop bars in downtown Austin and two premium hotels in Nashville.