Editor's Note: Some linked articles may be behind subscription paywalls.
1. Blackstone to buy Florida hotel for $200 million
Blackstone Real Estate will buy the 785-room Sunseeker Resort Charlotte Harbor for $200 million, CoStar News' Bryan Wroten reports. Allegiant Travel Co. is the seller of the resort. The deal is expected to close during the third quarter of 2025.
The resort opened in 2023 and has 22 waterfront acres on the Gulf Coast of Florida. It has multiple food-and-beverage outlets, two pools, a spa, a championship golf course and more.
"The acquisition of this brand-new, highly amenitized resort demonstrates our strong conviction in hospitality and travel and the continued growth in group-oriented destinations," said Scott Trebilco, senior managing director at Blackstone Real Estate, in a news release.
2. Trump announces new tariffs on Japan, South Korea
U.S. President Donald Trump announced new 25% tariffs on goods from Japan and South Korea on Monday, along with additional tariffs on 12 other nations that will go into effect Aug. 1, the Associated Press reports.
South Korea and Japan both plan on negotiating with the U.S. on a deal to taper back the sanctions prior to them going into effect. Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba called Trump's decision "extremely regrettable."
The other nations affected by new tariffs from the U.S. include: Myanmar; Laos; Cambodia; Thailand; Serbia; Bangladesh; Indonesia; South Africa; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Kazakhstan; Malaysia; and Tunisia.
3. The biggest hotel deals of 2025 so far
Despite an overall slow hotel transactions market, some big deals have been completed in the first half of 2025, CoStar News' Wroten reports.
The top five deals by price so far this year include: the Silver Sands Beach Resort ($205 million), the Kimpton Hotel Eventi ($175 million), The Stanley Hotel ($163.24 million), the Courtyard Boston Downtown ($123 million) and the Hilton Atlanta Airport ($111.3 million).
4. Pete Sams named president of Highgate
Hotel management, investment and development company Highgate named Pete Sams as its new president. Sams most recently served as chief operating officer at Peregrine Hospitality and Davidson Hospitality.
Highgate has a portfolio of 500 properties with more than 87,500 hotel rooms under management, according to the company's website.
"I am honored to step into the role of President of the premier operator in our space," Sams said in a news release. "Highgate's mission to build a future-ready organization anchored in operational excellence, guided by strategic foresight, and driven by a relentless focus on value creation is deeply inspiring."
5. TSA to allow travelers to keep shoes on through security
The days of wearing slip-on shoes to the airport will soon be no longer.
The Transportation Security Administration is planning on rolling out new procedures that include allowing passengers to keep their shoes on while passing through airport security screenings, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Since 2006, TSA has required travelers to remove their shoes in response to threats in the early 2000s from passengers hiding objects near their feet.