Swamplot Archives by Tag: Hotels

Friday, March 12, 2010

The Hilton Americas-Houston Hotel, Where Everybody Knows Your Face

March 12, 2010 – 12:32 pm

From a hotel press release:

Hilton Americas-Houston is the first hotel to utilize 3VR [Security, Inc.]’s facial recognition, license plate recognition and advanced motion analytics to provide the ultimate in guest security. In the hotel security business since 1990, John Alan Moore, director of security and life safety for Hilton Americas-Houston says “I’ve never seen anything that is able to do the things this technology does; it’s light-years ahead of the system we previously used.” . . .

Another use for the system that Hilton Americas-Houston has found useful is recognizing repeat customers. According to Moore, “We will be able to tie in with front office systems to flag our Gold Card members in order to be able to blow them away with service. This is another tool to be used to keep Hilton as the leader in the industry.” With 90% accuracy, the system registers few false positives, even picking up good facial info on cameras not specifically designated as facial-recognition. On a humorous note, the system is so sensitive that it has recognized faces that were not actually guests; they were photos of the t-shirts of guests. Moore said “President Obama made an appearance on our skywalk, on a guest’s clothing. That’s how bad the system wants to recognize a face.”

Photo: Urban Jungle Survivalist

12:32 pm | Add a Comment | Read more about Hotels, Neighborhoods: Downtown, Security
Read more about: , , ,
Monday, February 8, 2010

Slipping a Hotel Under the Slipcover: Plans from the New Owner of 806 Main

February 8, 2010 – 2:21 pm

The Houston Business Journal’s Jennifer Dawson is reporting that a hotel developer out of Fort Worth is purchasing the 22-story office building at 806 Main St. Downtown with plans to gut it, renovate it, and reopen it as a hotel. The building is approximately 100 years old, but its top 10 floors were added in the 1920s. The stone, terra cotta, and brick structure was dressed in a marble-and-glass slipcover about 60 years later. Directly across Rusk St. from the tower is the construction site of Hines’s MainPlace development.

The city has designated 806 Main as a landmark. It’s connected to the Downtown tunnel system, but has remained mostly empty in recent years. The last of 40 recent tenants is scheduled to move out this week. Building manager Betty Brown tells Dawson that only the Christian Science Reading Room and Domino’s Pizza on the ground floor will be left — their leases run out in 9 to 12 months.

With the exception of the Embassy Suites in downtown Fort Worth featured prominently on its website, Pearl Real Estate has built or redeveloped mostly suburban-style hotels. The 10-year-old company typically operates its own properties and serves as its own general contractor.

What kind of hotel is Pearl planning underneath this slipcover?

Continue Reading This Story >

2:21 pm | 7 Comments | Read more about Hotels, Houston Landmarks, Neighborhoods: Downtown, Office Buildings, Proposed Developments, Redevelopment
Read more about: , , , , , ,
Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Comment of the Day: Ready for a Flood of Guests

February 3, 2010 – 2:48 pm
   

“The Tremont House issued the following statement on this incident:As reported by the Galveston Police Department, there was an unfortunate incident on Saturday at The Tremont House which resulted in some slight damage to the hotel. Although the hotel still has two guest rooms out of service, the general operation of the hotel has not been disrupted. The hotel is currently determining the final cost of damages but estimates are approximately $25K, significantly lower than initial estimates. The hotel is operating as usual and is taking reservations for the upcoming Mardi Gras celebration including its 26th Annual Mardi Gras Ball scheduled on Saturday, Feb. 13. . . .” [Christine Hopkins, commenting on We Shall Rebuild! The Great Downtown Galveston Hotel Flood of 2010]

2:48 pm | Add a Comment | Read more about Comments, Flooding, Galveston, Hotels, Quicklink
Read more about: , , , ,
Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Downtown Sheraton-Lincoln Redo: Too Many Reservations

January 5, 2010 – 5:06 pm
   

Hey, how about those plans to renovate the vacant 1962 Sheraton-Lincoln Hotel on Polk St. Downtown between Louisiana and Milam, and turn the once-swank 28-story hulk into an all-suites hotel with meeting spaces and restaurants? “More than two years later, it doesn’t look like much work has been done at all. ‘Omni is not involved in the project,’ Caryn Kboudi, a representative for Omni Hotels, told Hair Balls. ‘I believe Songy still is.’ . . . The Harris County Appraisal District lists the owner of the building as Downtown Houston Hospitality LP, which is based out of Atlanta, the same place as the Songy corporate headquarters. That could be a sign that Songy still owns the property, but it’s impossible to say, because no one from Songy has returned our phone calls or e-mails.” [Hair Balls]

5:06 pm | Add a Comment | Read more about Cancellations and Delays, Commercial Real Estate, Hotels, Neighborhoods: Downtown, Quicklink
Read more about: , , , ,
Friday, September 25, 2009

Galveston’s Flagship Hotel: No Sale

September 25, 2009 – 1:14 pm

Those rumors earlier this summer that Galveston’s Flagship Hotel would soon be sold to an unnamed buyer didn’t pan out. And now it looks like Landry’s Restaurants may also be backing away from its earlier backup plan to tear down the hotel and build a “pleasure pier” in its place. A Landry’s official tells the Galveston County Daily News’s Laura Elder the company now plans to repair and reopen the hurricane-ravaged hulk-on-a-pier at 25th Street and Seawall Blvd.:

The city built the Flagship in 1965 as a show of confidence after Hurricane Carla struck the coast.

If Landry’s developed an entertainment complex, it would return the 25th Street pier to its roots. In 1943, the city built the Galveston Municipal Pleasure Pier.

At 1,130 feet long, the pier held a dance hall, a 2,000-seat open air arena, restaurants and concessions, according to the “Galveston Architecture Guidebook.”

Landry’s officials declined to divulge what their specific plans were.

The company is assessing the price of repairs, [Landry’s VP Steve] Greenberg said.

Photo: Ellen Yeates

1:14 pm | 3 Comments | Read more about Uncategorized
Read more about: , , , , , ,
Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Roller Coaster on the Pier: Crunch Time for the Flagship Hotel

June 30, 2009 – 11:59 am

There may be a buyer for Galveston’s Flagship Hotel, reports Laura Elder in the Galveston County Daily News. The hotel suffered about $7 million in damage from Hurricane Ike last year. But Landry’s Restaurants, the current owner, has a fallback plan in case the sale doesn’t go through:

If the 225-room property at 25th Street and Seawall Boulevard doesn’t sell, Landry’s likely would demolish the hotel and develop a “pleasure pier” with amusement rides, officials say. . . .

Landry’s is pricing demolition for the hotel, built in 1965 as a show of confidence after Hurricane Carla, Jeff Cantwell, senior vice president for development, said.

Perched on a pier overlooking the Gulf, the Flagship fell into disrepair on its own after 1990, when The Flagship Hotel Ltd. took over management.

Landry’s paid the city $500,000 for the hotel in 2004, saying it planned to spend $15 million transforming the property into an entertainment plaza with amusement rides, including a roller coaster.

Landry’s attempted to move ahead, but was stymied by agreements that gave Daniel Yeh, head of The Flagship Hotel Ltd., control of the hotel until 2031.

Continue Reading This Story >

11:59 am | 15 Comments | Read more about Demolitions, Disaster Aftermath, Galveston, Hotels, Proposed Developments, Redevelopment
Read more about: , , , , , , , ,
Wednesday, June 17, 2009

The Federal Reserve’s Extended Stay in Houston

June 17, 2009 – 1:49 pm
   

Extended Stay Hotels, which operates 21 extended-stay hotels in Houston under the Homestead Studio Suites, StudioPLUS Deluxe Studios, Extended Stay America, and Crossland Economy Studios brands, declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy earlier this week. How is the Fed involved? “The Federal Reserve holds $744 million of various junior classes of debt and $153 million in the senior debt that the central bank assumed after the collapse of Bear Stearns, which held a sizable amount of the hotel chain’s debt. The losses are mounting for the Fed on those Bear Stearns assets, which continue to sour. Extended Stay loans were held on the Fed’s balance sheet via a company called Maiden Lane that the central bank lent $29 billion in June 2008 to purchase $30 billion of Bears’ assets.” [Deal Journal; more at Calculated Risk]

1:49 pm | 4 Comments | Read more about Bankruptcies, Financing, Hotels, Quicklink
Read more about: , ,
Monday, April 13, 2009

Out of Their League: Victory Lakes’ Battle of the Freeway Flank

April 13, 2009 – 4:00 pm

Some residents of 9-year-old Victory Lakes have been demonstrating against a La Quinta Inn proposed for the commercial strip that separates the recent master-planned community from the Gulf Freeway in League City, reports Rhiannon Meyers in the Galveston County Daily News:

[Developer Roy] Mease turned what was supposed to be an upscale suburb and high-end offices into a hub for big box retailers, fast food restaurants and hotels, Victory Lakes residents claimed.

“I’m opposed to these hotels,” resident John Calebrese said. “It’s just another step in the wrong direction of the promises made to the original homeowners of Victory Lakes … (The subdivision) is nothing like what was promised.”

But Mease said the subdivision, with its 14 big box retailers, brings in an “ungodly amount” of sales tax revenue for League City. There is no reason to oppose a hotel plotted for land far away from any Victory Lakes homes, he said.

A Hampton Inn and Candlewood Suites are already under construction. What’s wrong with La Quinta?

Continue Reading This Story >

4:00 pm | 14 Comments | Read more about Hotels, Neighborhoods: League City, New Construction, Proposed Developments, Sprawl
Read more about: , , , , , , ,
Monday, April 6, 2009

A Few Reservations About a Downtown Hilton Garden Inn

April 6, 2009 – 12:13 pm

That 11-story, 240-room Hilton Garden Inn the WEDGE Group International was planning to build next to the company’s Downtown tower has been put on hold — at least until September — a source tells Swamplot. Financing apparently wasn’t the issue. Our source says that Hilton’s executive board is being cautious, and “wanted to watch the Houston market conditions to see if it would be a wise placement.”

The hotel was planned to fit directly to the north of the WEDGE tower at 1415 Louisiana and cover the blank parking-garage wall facing Clay St.

Rendering of Proposed Hilton Garden Inn: Mitchell Carlson Stone

12:13 pm | 1 Comment | Read more about Cancellations and Delays, Hotels, Neighborhoods: Downtown, Proposed Developments
Read more about: , , ,
Friday, March 13, 2009

This Time with Fair Warning: Galleria Bank Collapse

March 13, 2009 – 11:45 am

This weekend’s Galleria-area bank implosion won’t be televised nationally, but you should be able to watch it happen live if you wake up early enough on Sunday. Preparations for the dynamite-fueled takedown of the Compass Bank building at 2200 Post Oak are just about complete.

A notice sent out last month to area businesses by Cherry Demolition says the implosion is scheduled for approximately 7:45 am on March 15th — which happens to be the 2,053rd anniversary, give or take a calendar adjustment, of the Julius Caesar demo. A few details:

Adjacent streets will be closed at approximately 6:00 am and re-open at 9:15 am. Streets to be closed are Guilford and Post Oak Boulevard between Westheimer and Ambassador Way.

So where’s the best vantage point for viewing this cathartic form of timely public theater gonna be?

Continue Reading This Story >

11:45 am | 5 Comments | Read more about Demolitions, Neighborhoods: Galleria, Office Buildings, Proposed Developments, Redevelopment
Read more about: , , , , , , , , , ,
Thursday, March 12, 2009

Comment of the Day: Downtown Hilton Garden Inn Furniture Plan

March 12, 2009 – 8:45 pm
   

“Financing? WEDGE’s principal can find the money for this project in his couch cushions. According to ArabianBusiness.com, Issam Fares is currently the 32nd richest Arab on the planet with a net worth of $2.4 Billion.” [Bernard, commenting on Downtown Wallflower: A New Hilton Garden Inn?]

8:45 pm | 2 Comments | Read more about Comments, Financing, Hotels, Neighborhoods: Downtown, Proposed Developments, Quicklink
Read more about: , , , , ,
Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Downtown Wallflower: A New Hilton Garden Inn?

March 11, 2009 – 10:39 am

Schemers at over- capitalized WEDGE Group International appear to have hatched a complicated plot to cover up that 11-story blank parking-garage wall at the base of the company’s Downtown tower at 1415 Louisiana. The plan: slide a new building of equivalent height — say, a Hilton Garden Inn — right next to the tower’s north base, then add a suburban-style porte-cochere entrance along Clay St.

HAIF user lockmat unearthed this small rendering of the hotel (above), which was hiding in plain view on the WEDGE Real Estate Holdings website. It shows how the completed wallcovering would look from Louisiana St., just north of Clay — if WEDGE’s separate 12-story Clay Garage wasn’t there to block the view. The tall buildings shown in the background are the WEDGE tower and the ExxonMobil building just behind it to the left.

How far along are these plans?

Continue Reading This Story >

10:39 am | 6 Comments | Read more about Hotels, Neighborhoods: Downtown, Parking, Proposed Developments
Read more about: , , , ,
Friday, October 24, 2008

Hanover Uptown Apartment Tower: Officially on Hold

October 24, 2008 – 3:49 pm

Proposed 37-Story Hanover Apartment Tower at Boulevard Place, Uptown, HoustonFrom Jennifer Dawson in today’s Houston Business Journal comes confirmation of part of Swamplot’s report earlier this week on the two highrises planned for Boulevard Place. The Hanover Company’s planned 37-story apartment tower isn’t moving forward anytime soon:

Construction was supposed to start this month, but that’s not going to happen because it’s too difficult to get a construction loan right now, says Hanover President John Nash.

He says it would be impossible to predict when the credit market would allow the project to move forward, but it could be delayed as much as a year.

Tower rendering: Solomon Cordwell Buenz, via the Houston Chronicle

3:49 pm | 1 Comment | Read more about Apartments, Financing, Neighborhoods: Galleria, Proposed Developments, Redevelopment
Read more about: , , , , , , , , , ,
Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Putting Off the Ritz: Boulevard Place Towers Stalled

October 21, 2008 – 11:22 am

Aerial View of BLVD Place, Showing Proposed Ritz Carlton and Hanover Apartment Towers

Remember the two 30-plus-story towers planned for Boulevard Place on Post Oak — the Ritz Carlton Hotel and the Hanover apartment tower? How have they been surviving the rumbling credit crunch?

A HAIF user last week

got slight confirmation that both the hanover tower and the ritz are going to be delayed at least slightly… they still expected both to happen, but they will be phased in.

Then yesterday came another comment:

i can confirm this in regards to hanover.

dont expect their tower to be built anytime soon.. i would consider it postponed indefinitely rather than slightly.

Followed by this:

As a sub on this project I will also confirm this. We have been told at least 6 months of delays.

But they still look great on paperscreen!

Continue Reading This Story >

11:22 am | 1 Comment | Read more about Apartments, Financing, Hotels, Mixed Use, Neighborhoods: Galleria, Proposed Developments, Redevelopment
Read more about: , , , , , , , , , ,
Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Discovery Tower Discovery Green Discoveries

September 3, 2008 – 11:55 am

Aerial View of Discovery Green and Discovery Tower, Downtown Houston

Never mind the virtual obstacles: The website for Discovery Tower has a new promotional video that pays silent homage to Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride. Also: more fancy renderings of the office building, now under construction.

More interesting to Discovery Green fans, though, will be a few new aerial renderings that depict the Downtown park in urban glory, surrounded by a crowd of real, planned, imagined, and soon-to-be-axed new projects. But . . . uh, which is which?

That orangish tower perched on Discovery Green’s southwest corner: the stalled 22-story Embassy Suites hotel. That sorta-identical but mirrored Hilton Americas on the north side of the park? The Convention Center Hotel Part Two!

So . . . what’s going on behind Discovery Tower?

Continue Reading This Story >

11:55 am | 1 Comment | Read more about Neighborhoods: Downtown, New Construction, Office Buildings, Parks, Proposed Developments, Real Estate Marketing
Read more about: , , , , , , , , , ,