Strategic Hotels & Resorts, Inc. Signs Agreement To Sell The Hyatt Regency La Jolla

CHICAGO, April 28, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Strategic Hotels & Resorts, Inc. (NYSE: BEE), along with its joint-venture partner, today announced it has signed an agreement with affiliates of Walton Street Capital, L.L.C. and JMA Ventures LLC to sell a 100 percent interest in the 417-room Hyatt Regency La Jolla for $118.0 million. The Company currently owns a 53.5 percent interest in the asset. At closing, the joint venture will retire $89.2 million of debt secured by the hotel, which is currently consolidated on the Company's balance sheet. The transaction, which is subject to certain closing conditions, is expected to close in the second quarter of 2015. "The sale of the Hyatt Regency La Jolla is consistent with our disciplined capital allocation strategy to divest of non-core assets and deleverage the company's balance sheet," said Raymond L. "Rip" Gellein, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Strategic Hotels & Resorts, Inc. 

About the Company

Strategic Hotels & Resorts, Inc. is a real estate investment trust (REIT) which owns and provides value-enhancing asset management of high-end hotels and resorts in the United States. The Company currently has ownership interests in 18 properties with an aggregate of 8,325 rooms and 875,000 square feet of meeting space. For a list of current properties and for further information, please visit the Company's website at http://www.strategichotels.com.

About Walton Street Capital, L.L.C.

Walton Street Capital, L.L.C. is a private equity real estate firm based in Chicago, Illinois that focuses on value-added and opportunistic real estate related investments. Since its founding in 1994, affiliates of Walton Street Capital have received total equity commitments of over $8.4 billion from public and corporate pension plans, foreign institutions, insurance companies and banks, endowments and foundations, trusts, and high net worth individuals. The firm employs over 110 professionals through its offices in Chicago, Mexico City and Mumbai.

About JMA Ventures LLC

JMA Ventures LLC is a full service San Francisco based investment and real estate development company with in-house acquisition, development, finance, leasing, marketing and management capabilities. The company has compiled a 20-year track record of successful projects, both residential and commercial, combining investment and development expertise currently serving as general partner and master developer for in excess of $1.5 billion of real estate related investments across the western United States. For more information, please visit www.jmaventuresllc.com.

This press release contains forward-looking statements about Strategic Hotels & Resorts, Inc. (the "Company"). Except for historical information, the matters discussed in this press release are forward-looking statements subject to certain risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements include statements regarding the likelihood of closing conditions to be satisfied,  the Company's future financial results, positive trends in the lodging industry and the Company's continued focus on improving profitability. Actual results could differ materially from the Company's projections. Factors that may contribute to these differences include, but are not limited to the following: the effects of economic conditions and disruption in financial markets upon business and leisure travel and the hotel markets in which the Company invests; the Company's liquidity and refinancing demands; the Company's ability to obtain, refinance or extend maturing debt; the Company's ability to maintain compliance with covenants contained in its debt facilities; stagnation or deterioration in economic and market conditions, particularly impacting business and leisure travel spending in the markets where the Company's hotels operate and in which the Company invests, including luxury and upper upscale product; general volatility of the capital markets and the market price of the Company's shares of common stock; availability of capital; the Company's ability to dispose of properties in a manner consistent with its investment strategy and liquidity needs; hostilities and security concerns, including future terrorist attacks, or the apprehension of hostilities, in each case that affect travel within or to the United States, Germany or other countries where the Company invests; difficulties in identifying properties to acquire and completing acquisitions; the Company's failure to maintain effective internal control over financial reporting and disclosure controls and procedures; risks related to natural disasters; increases in interest rates and operating costs, including insurance premiums and real property taxes; contagious disease outbreaks; delays and cost-overruns in construction and development; marketing challenges associated with entering new lines of business or pursuing new business strategies; the Company's failure to maintain its status as a REIT; changes in the competitive environment in the Company's industry and the markets where the Company invests; changes in real estate and zoning laws or regulations; legislative or regulatory changes, including changes to laws governing the taxation of REITs; changes in generally accepted accounting principles, policies and guidelines; and litigation, judgments or settlements.

Additional risks are discussed in the Company's filings with the SEC, including those appearing under the heading "Item 1A. Risk Factors" in the Company's most recent Form 10-K and subsequent Form 10-Qs. Although the Company believes the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, it can give no assurance that its expectations will be attained. The forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release, and the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

SOURCE Strategic Hotels & Resorts, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.strategichotels.com