Hyatt Announces Franchise Agreement to Rebrand Ocean Resort Hotel Waikiki as Hyatt Place Waikiki Beach
Chartres Lodging and Morgan Stanley Select Kokua Hospitality to Lead Management and Renovation of 425-room Waikiki Destination Hotel
CHICAGO (Jan. 20, 2011) — Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) announced today that a Hyatt affiliate has signed a franchise agreement with The Chartres Lodging Group, LLC, for a Hyatt Place hotel in Waikiki, Hawaii. Under the agreement, the hotel, which is currently operating under the name Ocean Resort Hotel Waikiki, will undergo an extensive renovation and will be re-branded in the fall of 2011 as the 425-room Hyatt Place Waikiki.
CHICAGO (Jan. 20, 2011) — Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) announced today that a Hyatt affiliate has signed a franchise agreement with The Chartres Lodging Group, LLC, for a Hyatt Place hotel in Waikiki, Hawaii. Under the agreement, the hotel, which is currently operating under the name Ocean Resort Hotel Waikiki, will undergo an extensive renovation and will be re-branded in the fall of 2011 as the 425-room Hyatt Place Waikiki.
Kokua Hospitality, LLC (http://www.kokuahospitality.com/), also announced its appointment by Chartres Lodging and Morgan Stanley Real Estate to manage the Waikiki property and oversee its renovation and repositioning. Once the renovation is completed, Kokua will continue to manage the property. The Ocean Resort Hotel Waikiki was acquired in December 2010 by a joint venture of Chartres Lodging and Morgan Stanley.
"We are excited to work with Kokua Hospitality on our first Hyatt Place project in Hawaii," said Chris Ivy, senior vice president, real estate and development for Hyatt Hotels & Resorts. "The Hyatt Place brand has enjoyed great success since its United States debut in 2006 and we continue to look for opportunities, through either new builds or conversions like this one, to introduce the Hyatt Place brand to additional markets. Today, in addition to the 160 Hyatt Place hotels open in the U.S., new Hyatt Place hotels are under development in the U.S., Costa Rica, India, and Panama."
"Kokua Hospitality is delighted to have been selected to operate the Ocean Resort Hotel Waikiki and to oversee a dramatic renovation that will culminate with the introduction this fall of Hyatt Place Waikiki Beach." said Bruce Blum, managing director of Kokua Hospitality. "We look forward to working closely with Hyatt and lodging investment leaders Chartres Lodging and Morgan Stanley to ensure the property's success through its transformation."
Over the next 18 months, the Ocean Resort Hotel Waikiki will undergo an extensive renovation, including a complete redesign of the lobby, guestrooms and public spaces. During the renovation, guest rooms, located in the hotel's 14- and 19-story towers, will be reconfigured under Hyatt brand standards.
"The Ocean Resort Hotel Waikiki acquisition signifies Morgan Stanley's commitment to the lodging investment sector," said Kirk Pederson, executive director at Morgan StanleyInvestment Management. "With close ties to our investment partner Chartres Lodging and a track record of operating successes, Kokua Hospitality and its team of veteran management and turn-around experts were a natural fit to manage this joint venture asset."
Kokua Hospitality's portfolio of managed properties includes the Inn of Chicago, The Allerton Hotel, Double Tree Chicago Magnificent Mile and W Aloft Hotel in Maryland.
Morgan Stanley is a leading global financial services firm providing a wide range of investment banking, securities, investment management and wealth management services. The Firm's employees serve clients worldwide including corporations, governments, institutions and individuals from more than 1,300 offices in 42 countries. For further information about Morgan Stanley, please visit http://www.morganstanley.com/.
About Kokua Hospitality, LLC | Kokua Hospitality, LLC, is a hotel management firm founded by its parent, The Chartres Lodging Group, LLC, with the mandate to become the operator of choice for strategic institutional and select private lodging investors by producing superior results as turnaround specialists. Created by veteran lodging investment and management experts to appeal to an investor's sensibility, Kokua Hospitality blends best-in-class operating practices with an owner's DNA. The name (pronounced "ko-kooh-ah") is Hawaiian for "to serve." Kokua Hospitality manages a growing portfolio of hotels and resorts nationwide. For more information on Kokua Hospitality, please visit http://www.kokuahospitality.com/ and follow us on Twitter @kokuahotels and http://kokuahospitality.wordpress.com/.