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This is Jim Butler, author of www.HotelLawBlog.com and hotel lawyer. Please contact me at Jim Butler at jbutler@jmbm.com or 310.201.3526.

Lifestyle Hotels

Posted On: July 9, 2007 by the JMBM Global Hospitality Group®

Hotel Lawyer -- Eco-friendly lifestyle hotel mixed use project closes financing

By Jim Butler, Hotel Lawyer | Author of www.HotelLawBlog.com
9 July 2007

Hotel Lawyer on eco-friendly hotel financing in Hollywood California. Today, JMBM issued a press release announcing that its Global Hospitality Group® closed the senior debt portion of the capital stack on one of the largest single hotel mixed-use projects in the country -- and one bound to be a "Green" project at that! The complex construction loan transaction was for JMBM client, HSH Nordbank AG, a leading credit institution headquartered in Hamburg, Germany, and particularly renowned for very large construction loans on luxury hotel projects.

This is a significant transaction for several reasons.

Continue reading " Hotel Lawyer -- Eco-friendly lifestyle hotel mixed use project closes financing " »

Posted In: Condo Hotels , Green Hotels , Hotel Finance − Hotel Debt & Hotel Equity , Hotel Mixed-Use , Lifestyle Hotels

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Posted On: June 18, 2007 by the JMBM Global Hospitality Group®

Hotel Lawyer: Get on your feet! Lifestyle and mixed-use resorts getting a boost from Latin pop stars Gloria and Emilio Estefan with a new development in Vero Beach, Florida.

By Jim Butler, Hotel Lawyer | Author of www.HotelLawBlog.com
18 June 2007

Hotel Lawyer in Florida. While Gloria Estefan's fans are anticipating the September 2007 release of her new Spanish-language album, 90 Millas, featuring original music inspired by her native Cuba -- the hotel industry is eagerly awaiting the opening of her new luxury resort, Costa d'Este in Vero Beach, Florida. Gloria and Emilio Estefan are not new to the hospitality industry -- they currently own 5 Cuban restaurants in Florida and Mexico, and the Cardozo Hotel in Miami. Their new mixed-use resort will include 94 hotel rooms, meeting space, a restaurant and spa. The resort is scheduled to open in January 2008, according to Benchmark Hospitality International, which will manage the property.

Continue reading " Hotel Lawyer: Get on your feet! Lifestyle and mixed-use resorts getting a boost from Latin pop stars Gloria and Emilio Estefan with a new development in Vero Beach, Florida. " »

Posted In: Lifestyle Hotels , Outlook and Trends

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Posted On: June 14, 2007 by the JMBM Global Hospitality Group®

Breaking news for "lifestyle" hotels. The Ian Schrager and Bill Marriott "marriage" -- Will it lead to eternal bliss or end in divorce?

By Jim Butler, Hotel Lawyer | Author of www.HotelLawBlog.com
14 June 2007

Hotel Lawyer on the Schrager-Marriott marriage and its impact on lifestyle hotels. One of my steady themes here at www.HotelLawBlog.com, is that lifestyle hotels are the hottest thing going in new hotel development, particularly hotel mixed-use. (See, for example, "The new "LIFESTYLE" hotel brands are changing the hotel industry and hotel mixed-use.") But at a press conference held on the roof of Schrager's Gramercy Park Hotel in Manhattan at 10:00 am on June 14, 2007, Bill Marriott (chairman and CEO of Marriott International) and Ian Schrager (the founder of Ian Schrager Hotels, now known as "Morgans Hotels") surprised most of the hotel industry with their news. Marriott (age 75) and Schrager (now 60) announced formal plans to partner in the creation of a new lifestyle boutique hotel brand. The as-yet-unnamed-brand will provide the high-design, boutique, lifestyle product that Schrager invented, with Marriott's world-class hotel operating resources and development support.

For several years, industry experts have wondered how Marriott International could surrender leadership in the lifestyle boutique area to Starwood's W brand, which some call a knockoff of Schrager's original concept. Only half in jest, some predicted that Marriott would spawn a similarly hip "M" brand (which looks a lot like a "W" turned over). If Marriott is to reclaim its share of this exploding lifestyle segment, it clearly needed to move quickly to make up for lost time. But many think the marriage of Ian Schrager and Bill Marriott is doomed to an early divorce, if it even makes it to the conjugal bed. Doubtful pundits cite fundamental incompatibilities of style and approach. Meanwhile, Schrager and Marriott are projecting that at least five firm development deals will be signed for the new brand before 2008, and are looking for more than 100 hotels to be open within a decade.

Continue reading " Breaking news for "lifestyle" hotels. The Ian Schrager and Bill Marriott "marriage" -- Will it lead to eternal bliss or end in divorce? " »

Posted In: Lifestyle Hotels

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Posted On: April 1, 2007 by the JMBM Global Hospitality Group®

Hotel Lawyer: The new "LIFESTYLE" hotel brands are changing the hotel industry and hotel mixed-use. Miraval: The health and wellness lifestyle brand.

By Jim Butler, Hotel Lawyer | Author of www.HotelLawBlog.com
2 April 2007

Hospitality Lawyer on the new "LIFESTYLE" hotel brands. What is a hotel lifestyle brand? That is a great question and one with some profound implications that we will explore a bit today. I would like to do that using Miraval -- one of the new lifestyle brands -- as something of a "case study."

Continue reading " Hotel Lawyer: The new "LIFESTYLE" hotel brands are changing the hotel industry and hotel mixed-use. Miraval: The health and wellness lifestyle brand. " »

Posted In: Hotel Mixed-Use , Lifestyle Hotels

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Posted On: March 22, 2007 by the JMBM Global Hospitality Group®

Hospitality Lawyer on "LIFESTYLE" hotel mixed-use development. Are Valencia and Miraval the new paradigms for "lifestyle" hotel mixed-use?

By Jim Butler, Hotel Lawyer | Author of www.HotelLawBlog.com
23 March 2007

Hospitality Lawyer on "LIFESTYLE" hotel mixed-use development. Hotel mixed-use has emerged as one of the few ways hotel developers may be able to make a new development economically feasible, with skyrocketing construction costs. It has also become one of the hottest things going as developers of other real estate uses (shopping centers, office, retail, residential and entertainment) discover the big "IRR Premiums" that may be harvested from well-planned and tightly integrated hotel mixed-use projects. (See, my earlier postings on www.HotelLawBlog.com from The Hotel Developers Conference® in Rancho Mirage. about how hotel mixed-use is the pass key to unlocking new development and bigger profits, and the perspectives of the most successful leaders in hotel mixed-use today)

Continue reading " Hospitality Lawyer on "LIFESTYLE" hotel mixed-use development. Are Valencia and Miraval the new paradigms for "lifestyle" hotel mixed-use? " »

Posted In: Hotel Developers Conference™ , Hotel Mixed-Use , Lifestyle Hotels , Outlook and Trends

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Posted On: March 7, 2007 by the JMBM Global Hospitality Group®

Hotel Lawyer Live from The Hotel Developers Conference ™ in Rancho Mirage.

By Jim Butler, Hotel Lawyer | Author of www.HotelLawBlog.com
7 March 2007

Veteran hotel developers, speaking at The Hotel Development Boot Camp - the pre-conference session of JMBM's Hotel Developers Conference™ -- recall the days when the hotel component of a mixed-use development was the "blood donor" of the project. Now, hotels are reaping profits in mixed-use environments and are viewed as essential components for infusing excitement into a mixed-use project. Indeed, mixed-use developers are wooing hotel developers in hopes of striking deals that will provide them with the means for providing a community hub for their projects.

Continue reading " Hotel Lawyer Live from The Hotel Developers Conference ™ in Rancho Mirage. " »

Posted In: Hotel Developers Conference™ , Lifestyle Hotels

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Posted On: October 20, 2006 by the JMBM Global Hospitality Group®

Las Vegas hotel mixed-use development -- Waldorf=Astoria Residences

By Jim Butler, Hotel Lawyer | Author of www.HotelLawBlog.com
20 October 2006

Yesterday, I said that hotel mixed-use developers should pay attention to two breaking news items. One was Barry Sternlicht's "1" Hotel and Residences. The other is Hilton's plans announced October 18, 2006 to add Waldorf=Astoria branded Residences to the top of the Conrad Hotel Las Vegas. Both of these announcements emphasize the importance of brands in the hotel industry and creation of two high end brands by industry power houses in two very different ways. Sternlicht is creating a fresh, new eco-friendly brand from scratch. HIlton is seeking to build its brand from the base of an internationally recognized icon.

But beyond all that, why is this significant?

Continue reading " Las Vegas hotel mixed-use development -- Waldorf=Astoria Residences " »

Posted In: Condo Hotels , Hotel Mixed-Use , Lifestyle Hotels , Outlook and Trends

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Posted On: October 19, 2006 by the JMBM Global Hospitality Group®

Hotel Mixed Use development gets a big boost from Barry Sternlicht's "1" Hotel and Residences brand and Waldorf=Astoria Residences in Las Vegas

By Jim Butler, Hotel Lawyer | Author of www.HotelLawBlog.com
19 October 2006

Hotel mixed use developers should pay attention to two lead items today which I noticed in Hotel-Online and Hotel Business. Barry Sternlicht's Starwood Capital has announced 5 new hotel mixed-use developments -- launching a new hotel brand called "1" Hotel and Residences. At the same time, Hilton announced the Waldorf=Astoria branded Residences for its big hotel mixed-use project in Las Vegas. What are these developments about and what potential significance do they have?

Continue reading " Hotel Mixed Use development gets a big boost from Barry Sternlicht's "1" Hotel and Residences brand and Waldorf=Astoria Residences in Las Vegas " »

Posted In: Condo Hotels , Hotel Mixed-Use , Lifestyle Hotels

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Posted On: October 11, 2006 by the JMBM Global Hospitality Group®

Hotel Mixed-Use -- What does Microsoft's Paul Allen have in common with Donald Trump?

By Jim Butler, Hotel Lawyer | Author of www.HotelLawBlog.com
11 October 2006

"What will it take to solve important problems and improve people's lives?" That's what businessman Paul Allen, a co-founder of Microsoft Corp., asks on the main page of his website, www.paulallen.com. Apparently, one of Allen's answers is: "condo hotels."

Continue reading " Hotel Mixed-Use -- What does Microsoft's Paul Allen have in common with Donald Trump? " »

Posted In: Condo Hotels , Hotel Mixed-Use , Lifestyle Hotels

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Posted On: September 26, 2006 by the JMBM Global Hospitality Group®

Hotel Lawyer: Making the World Ready for Agassi Resorts

By Jim Butler, Hotel Lawyer | Author of www.HotelLawBlog.com
26 September 2006

Yesterday, we noted how Shaquille O'Neal is jumping into a $1 billion joint venture on a hotel-enhanced mixed-use project in Miami. Now it looks like Andre Agassi is looking for a new kind of grand slam.

Continue reading " Hotel Lawyer: Making the World Ready for Agassi Resorts " »

Posted In: Condo Hotels , Hotel Mixed-Use , Lifestyle Hotels

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About the Authors

Jim Butler

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Jim Butler is recognized as one of the top hotel lawyers in the world. He devotes 100% of his practice to hospitality, representing hotel owners, developers and lenders. Jim leads the Global Hospitality Group®—a team of 50 seasoned professionals with more than $60 billion of hotel transactional experience, involving more than 1,300 properties located around the globe.
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Robert Braun

Robert Braun is a partner in JMBM's Corporate Department and a senior member of JMBM's Global Hospitality Group® -- a team of 50 seasoned professionals with more than $60 billion of hotel transactional experience, involving more than 1,300 properties located around the globe. Bob represents owners in both transactional and operational issues. He advises clients with respect to business formation, financing, mergers and acquisitions, venture capital financing, joint ventures and strategic partnerships. He has represented hotel owners in the negotiation of several hundred management agreements, as well as spa management and franchise agreements. Bob also advises hotel owners regarding telecommunications, software, internet, e-commerce, data processing and outsourcing agreements. To read Bob's articles, go to www.HotelLawBlog.com and select "Management Agreements." For more information, please contact Bob Braun at 310.785.5331 or rbraun@jmbm.com.

Marta Fernandez

Marta Fernandez is a partner in JMBM's Employment and Labor Department and a senior member of JMBM’s Global Hospitality Group® -- a team of 50 seasoned professionals with more than $60 billion of hotel transactional experience, involving more than 1,300 properties located around the globe. As a management labor lawyer with more than 20 years of experience, Marta specializes in representing hospitality industry clients in all aspects of labor and employment including labor-management relations such as union prevention, collective bargaining for single as well as multi-employer bargaining units, neutrality agreements and defense of unfair labor practice charges before the NLRB. She defends employers in administrative and litigation claims, such as employee claims of sexual harassment and discrimination and counsels clients in preventative strategies such as executive training, arbitration enforcement, and policies and procedures. To read Marta's articles, go to www.HotelLawBlog.com and select "Labor & Employment." For more information, please contact Marta Fernandez at 310.201.3534 or at mfernandez@jmbm.com.

Catherine DeBono Holmes

Catherine DeBono Holmes is a partner in JMBM's Corporate Department and a senior member of JMBM’s Global Hospitality Group® -- a team of 50 seasoned professionals with more than $60 billion of hotel transactional experience, involving more than 1,300 properties located around the globe. Cathy assists hotel clients with hotel management and franchise agreements, purchase and sale transactions, and condo hotel regime structuring. She has taken hotel owners through complex RFP processes involving all the major hotel brands. She has significant expertise in condo hotels and advises clients in the specific business and legal aspects of condo hotel regime structuring and documentation, including CC&Rs, HOA docs, unit management agreements, shared facilities agreements, rental management agreement programs and securities compliance matters (structuring, documentation and training). To access Cathy's articles on www.HotelLawBlog.com, click on the topics "Condo Hotels" or "Green Hotels" For more information, please contact Cathy Holmes at 310.201.3553 or cholmes@jmbm.com.

Guy Maisnik

Guy Maisnik is a partner in JMBM's Real Estate Department and a senior member of JMBM's Global Hospitality Group® -- a team of 50 seasoned professionals with more than $60 billion of hotel transactional experience, involving more than 1,300 properties located around the globe. Guy's deep and broad transactional practice includes complex real estate finance and venture capital transactions, including project finance, commercial finance, leveraged leasing and real estate acquisitions. He assists clients with development, leasing and disposition, loan portfolio acquisitions, loan and debt restructure, workouts and real estate exchanges. Go to www.HotelLawBlog.com for current information in these areas. For more information, please contact Guy Maisnik at 310.201.3588 or mgm@jmbm.com.

David Sudeck

David Sudeck is of Counsel in JMBM's Real Estate Department and a senior member of JMBM’s Global Hospitality Group® -- a team of 50 seasoned professionals with more than $60 billion of hotel transactional experience, involving more than 1,300 properties located around the globe. David has significant experience in the vacation ownership arena, focusing on the formation and registration of condominiums, timeshares and fractional interest regimes. He negotiates hotel, spa and restaurant management agreements, and assists client in the development, acquisition, sale and leasing of hotels, golf courses and restaurants. For David's take on current issues in the timeshare arena, go to www.HotelLawBlog.com and click on the topic, "Timeshare." For more information, please contact David Sudeck at 310.201.3518 or dsudeck @jmbm.com.

Robert Kaplan

Robert Kaplan is a partner in JMBM's Bankruptcy, Insolvency and Restructurings Group and a senior member of the Global Hospitality Group® -- a team of 50 seasoned professionals with more than $60 billion of hotel transactional experience, involving more than 1,300 properties located around the globe. Bob represents lenders, special servicers, hard money lenders, community banks, national banking associations, distressed debt investors, and equity investors, positioning them for the best possible outcome by acting expeditiously to preserve value and increase cash flow. His industry experience and his knowledge of the current capital markets -- where distressed assets often include complex deal structures and securitized loans -- allows him to bring creative and effective strategies to the table. When aggressive litigation is the best strategy, he is a vigorous and effective advocate for his clients. Bob represented the securitized lender in the Chapter 11 bankruptcy case filed by the Clift Hotel in San Francisco, and in the subsequent negotiations and successful sale of the loan to a third party. The lender -- acting by and through GMAC Commercial Mortgage Corporation as special servicer -- was the holder of a $60 million loan secured by a Deed of Trust on the Clift Hotel. He has also served as counsel to CapMark, J.E. Robert Company, Inc., AMRESCO Management Inc. and Midland Loan Servicer in their capacity as special servicers on troubled hotel loans in CMBS pools. For more information, contact Robert Kaplan at 415.984.9673 or rkaplan@jmbm.com.

Martin Orlick

Martin Orlick is a partner in JMBM's Real Estate Department and a senior member of JMBM's Global Hospitality Group® -- a team of 50 seasoned professionals with more than $60 billion of hotel transactional experience, involving more than 1,300 properties located around the globe. Marty specializes in representing hospitality industry clients in Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance and defense. He has represented more than 300 businesses in ADA issues, many of them hotels and restaurants, as well as hotel mixed-use properties. Marty is a member of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers (ACREL) and a frequent speaker on the ADA and other topics. To read Marty's articles, go to www.HotelLawBlog.com and select "ADA." For more information, please contact Marty Orlick at 415.984.9667 or morlick@jmbm.com.

James Abrams

James Abrams has significant experience in government affairs at the national level, the state level – including the California Legislature and scores of state agencies – and with local governments and agencies. He has authored successful ballot measures and scores of bills for his clients. Jim served as the President and CEO of the California Hotel & Lodging Association from January 1, 1991 through December 31, 2008 and is currently an adjunct professor in the Hospitality Industry Management Program at the University of San Francisco. He is a frequent speaker and writer on all aspects of the law relating to the lodging and hospitality industries, and he is the author of the book Laws Pertaining to the California Innkeeper, which is published by the California Hotel & Lodging Association. To read Jim’s articles, go to www.HotelLawBlog.com. For more information, please contact Jim Abrams at 415.398.8080 or jabrams@jmbm.com.

Eudeen Chang

Eudeen Chang is a lawyer in the Litigation Department of JMBM's Orange County office and a member of the Global Hospitality Group®. He represents hotels in a variety of litigation matters, including ADA defense. He is well-versed in all aspects of litigation, from pre-lawsuit strategizing to trial, post-judgment collection and through appeal. He also serves as outside general counsel for a number of small and mid-sized companies and high net-worth individuals. Contact Eudeen at EChang@jmbm.com or 949.623.7232.

Victor Shum

Victor Shum is a corporate and securities partner in JMBM's Corporate Department and a member of JMBM's Global Hospitality Group® and Chinese Investment Group™. He has advised clients on EB-5 matters since 1999 andassists hotel developers on EB-5 financing as well as public and privatesecurities, mergers and acquisitions, cross-border issues, and otherstrategic business transactions, including real estate transactions andintellectual property and technology licensing matters. For moreinformation, contact Victor Shum at 415.984.9611 or vshum@jmbm.com.

Scott Brink

Scott Brink is a senior member of JMBM's Global Hospitality Group® anda partner in JMBM's Labor & Employment Law Department. Scott is amanagement labor lawyer with more than two decades of experiencerepresenting employers in all aspects of labor relations and employmentlaw including union prevention, collective bargaining negotiations,defense of unfair labor practice charges before the NLRB, wrongfuldischarge litigation, individual and class action employmentdiscrimination and wage-and-hour claims, sexual-harassment litigation,arbitrations, personnel policies, California wage and hour law, andemployee discipline and discharge. An experienced trial attorney, Scotthas litigated a number of high-profile and complex cases involving awide range of labor and employment law matters. For more information,contact Scott Brink at RSB@jmbm.com or 310.785.5365.

Global Hospitality Group®
1900 Avenue of the Stars
7th Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90067
Direct: (310) 201-3526
Direct Fax: (310) 712-8526
E-mail: jbutler@jmbm.com

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Ask The Hotel Lawyer ™

Ask the Hotel Lawyer™ is a quarterly column that I write for JMBM's Global Hospitality Advisor®. If you have a question you would like to submit to Ask the Hotel Lawyer™ please use the comments box below. While your question may not be of sufficient general interest for the column, I will try to respond to you individually if you leave your contact information below. Jim Butler.