Seven killed in Mexico hotel blast

Five Canadians are among the seven people killed in an apparent natural gas explosion at a resort in Playa del Carmen, authorities say.
Two Mexican workers were also killed in the blast Sunday morning at the 676-room Grand Riviera Princess Hotel in the tourist region known as the Mayan Riviera, said Francisco Alor, attorney general of Quintana Roo state.
Eight other Canadians were injured, including two who are listed in critical condition. Ten other people, including two U.S. citizens and eight Mexican employees of the hotel, suffered less serious injuries and were listed as stable.

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Hotel to be built Debt Free in New York City

The new hostelry is being developed with financial backing from Brack Capital Real Estate, which was behind the recently opened James New York Hotel in SoHo. The project is being funded with $50 million in equity coming directly from Brack Capital, as well as from private investors. There will be no debt used.
Brack recently purchased 218-222 W. 50th St. for an undisclosed price and entered into a 99-year ground lease with a partner—a company that has developed several hotels in Europe and wishes to remain unnamed—to develop the 78,000-square-foot hotel. The site is currently occupied by a parking garage.

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Ritz comes `home' to Singer Island

The luxury hotel brand this month put its iconic sign on the former 2700 North Ocean condo on Singer Island, transforming the property into the Ritz-Carlton Residences, Singer Island, Palm Beach.
The move follows the June purchase of 146 unsold units by Lionheart Capital, a joint venture between Miami and New York real estate entities. Lionheart paid developer Dan Catalfumo $120 million for the unsold 2700 North Ocean units, making this deal the most expensive bulk condo sale in South Florida history.

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Travelodge Signs GBP24 Million Deal

LONDON -(Dow Jones)- U.K. hotel chain Travelodge said Sunday that it signed exchange of contracts worth GBP24 million for two new hotels next to the MEN arena in Manchester and the NEC in Birmingham, and the company plans further expansion near major venues and stadiums.
The announcement Sunday follows recent deals near London Excel, the Liverpool Echo Arena and the Metro Radio Arena in Newcastle.

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McDonald's and PepsiCo to help write UK health policy

 Photograph: Murdo Macleod
for the Guardian

The Department of Health is putting the fast food companies McDonald's and KFC and processed food and drink manufacturers such as PepsiCo, Kellogg's, Unilever, Mars and Diageo at the heart of writing government policy on obesity, alcohol and diet-related disease, the Guardian has learned.

In an overhaul of public health, said by campaign groups to be the equivalent of handing smoking policy over to the tobacco industry, health secretary Andrew Lansley has set up five "responsibility deal" networks with business, co-chaired by ministers, to come up with policies. Some of these are expected to be used in the public health white paper due in the next month.

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Sahara to buy London's Grosvenor House Hotel for 470 mn pounds

According to the Sunday Times, Royal Bank of Scotland, which took control of the property in 2001 when it paid 1.2 billion pounds for 12 Le Meridien hotels as part of a sale- and-leaseback deal, has agreed to sell Grosvenor House Hotel to Subrata Roy for a knock-down price.

The five-star hotel will be sold for about 470 million pounds, the report said.
Sahara is believed to be taking advice from consultants DTZ and Blandford Goldsmith on the real estate deal.
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Citymax Hotel Bur Dubai opens

Dubai. UAE, 14^h November 2010 - Citymax Hotel, the hospitality arm of the Landmark Group, announces the opening of their second property, Citymax Hotel Bur Dubai.


Having only entered the hospitality market earlier this year with the launch of Citymax Hotel Al Barsha, the Citymax brand is quickly becoming a major market player.
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Qataris in talks on £1 billion hotels bid

Harrods owner Qatar Holding is in talks to add another clutch of trophy assets to its portfolio with a £1billion deal to buy the hotel group behind The Connaught, The Berkeley and Claridge's.
The investment arm of the Qatari royal family has appointed global real estate adviser DTZ to help handle the talks with the Maybourne Hotel Group's board. Negotiations are believed to be at an early stage.

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