MINOR HOTELS TO DEBUT IN ZIMBABWE: Minor Hotels is expanding its presence in Africa and has announced the addition of Anantara Stanley & Livingstone Victoria Falls Hotel. Slated to open in Zimbabwe on December 1, the hotel marks the debut of both Minor Hotels as well as the Anantara Hotels & Resorts brand in the country. The hotel will also be the seventh Anantara property to open in Africa and its Indian Ocean islands. Located in a conservation area close to Victoria Falls, the all-suite hotel features 16 rooms. Each room can be configured as a double or twin, while two sets of suites are interconnected to create a private two-bedroom unit. Overlooking an active waterhole, the family-friendly hotel includes a gourmet restaurant, a lounge and bar, spa and a garden pool. Guests can enjoy game drives and a black rhino conservation experience at the nearby Victoria Falls Private Game Reserve. Anantara currently has more than 50 properties across Asia, Europe, the Middle East, the Indian Ocean and Africa. The brand will be further expanding its portfolio in Africa with the Anantara Kafue River Tented Camp in Zambia scheduled to open in mid-2025.
OAKTREE-BACKED FORMIDA CAPITAL ENTERS THE MARKET: Formida Capital, a real estate capital solutions provider backed by Oaktree Capital Management, has entered the market. Looking to bridge gaps in middle-market real estate financing, Formida offers flexible solutions across the entire capital stack, providing debt, mezzanine financing and equity for real estate projects throughout the U.S. The Dallas-based company is led by President Wade Hundley, formerly CEO of Starwood/TPG-backed venture ST Realty. Hundley is joined by Jeffrey Giudice, managing partner and head of lending, who leads the firm’s direct lending business. Formida has also brought Jordan Kirkbride on as managing director of the loan originations team. Loans range from $5 million to over $75 million, specializing in higher leverage stretch senior financing (up to 85%+ LTV), selective mezzanine loans, preferred equity and participating debt. Formida holds all investments in-house, eliminating reliance on securitization or third-party partnerships.
LANGHAM HOSPITALITY HEADS TO MALAYSIA: Langham Hospitality Group (LHG) and Artisan Hospitality, a joint venture led by a subsidiary of Singapore’s Oxley Holdings, will be opening The Langham, Kuala Lumpur in 2027. Part of the Oxley Towers KLCC complex, a development situated in Kuala Lumpur’s Golden Triangle neighborhood, the hotel will be housed in the upper half of a new structure. The hotel will have 198 rooms and suites along with a sky pool, an outpost of The Langham, Hong Kong’s three Michelin-star restaurant, T’ang Court, a destination bar, spa, event spaces and a new branch of The Langham, London’s Palm Court eatery. The project is the second Southeast Asia hotel to be announced by LHG this year, following the announcement of The Langham hotel in Bangkok. With the addition of the Kuala Lumpur property, LHG will have three properties in Southeast Asia.
GRAND MERCURE OPENS IN INDIA: Grand Mercure Hotels & Resorts, the hotel brand under Accor, has announced the opening of Grand Mercure Goa Candolim in Goa, India. Located in Candolim, the hotel sits close to the famed beaches. The hotel features 87 rooms, a restaurant, spa, fitness center, an outdoor pool, sevral recreational options and conference and banquet spaces. Globally, Grand Mercure’s portfolio includes more than 70 hotels.
