Maine
The Wardman Group acquired Ocean Gate Resort and also announced Scout Hotel & Resort Management as the resort’s operator. The 65-room waterfront resort is located two-and-a-half miles from the tourist town of Boothbay Harbor. A New England favorite for special events, the resort opened in the mid-1950s; group buyouts are available. The hotel features standard guest rooms, one- and two-bedroom suites, and two standalone cottages, with almost all guest rooms featuring waterfront views. The 33-acre resort is open seasonally from May through October and offers access to recreational facilities that include a heated pool and hot tub, a floating dock with kayaks and canoes, a nine-hole miniature golf course and tennis and basketball courts. In the off-season, Wardman plans to selectively upgrade its guest rooms; modernize its dining room, including the creation of a separate private dining room that can serve small group meetings; and will also convert its under-utilized fitness center into a second meeting room.
New York
The Donald has been replaced by The Dominick after a rebranding initiative was completed at the site of the former Trump SoHo New York. The Trump Organization announced the buyout of the remaining term of the management and license agreement of the Trump SoHo Hotel in late November 2017. The 46-story, 391-room luxury hotel is the only Five Diamond property in New York City’s SoHo neighborhood and The Dominick is now part of Preferred Hotels & Resorts’ Legend Collection. The hotel’s largest meeting space is the 3,900-square-foot SoHo Hotel Ballroom, with a capacity for receptions of up to 400 guests. The Dominick is located where SoHo meets TriBeCa and the West Village at 246 Spring St. The luxury hotel features a high-end spa, outdoor pool, three F&B venues and additional banquet and event space.
Tapestry Collection by Hilton added Tailwater Lodge in Altmar, 38 miles from Syracuse, to its portfolio of original upscale hotels. Known for its salmon and steelhead fishing, the 42-room Tailwater Lodge specializes in fly fishing, and winter months lead to heavy snowfalls resulting in prime conditions for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling and fishing, among other activities. The Tailwater Bar & Restaurant serves comfort food with a contemporary twist, and the on-property bar, The Tasting Room, offers 24 beers on tap, an extensive wine list and spirits. The hotel also offers an event space, The Barn, that can host up to 450 guests. By the end of 2018, the lodge will add additional guest rooms, a fitness center, an indoor pool and other leisure amenities for visitors, and will remain open during enhancements to the property.
Pennsylvania
Boyd Gaming Corporation announced it intends to buy Valley Forge Casino Resort for $280.5 million. The King of Prussia casino will be Las Vegas-based Boyd’s first property in Pennsylvania, which is the second-largest commercial gaming state in the U.S., according to the company. Located 20 miles west of downtown Philadelphia and two miles north of King of Prussia Mall, the 500-room Valley Forge Casino Resort offers a 40,000-square-foot casino with 600 slot machines and 50 table games, as well as 100,000 square feet of meeting, convention and exhibit space. The casino earlier announced plans to expand its gaming capacity with the addition of 250 slot machines in early 2018, following the passage of Pennsylvania’s gaming expansion legislation.