Columbia Sussex Corp. of Crestview Hills Ky, has purchased the Clearwater Beach Hilton from the Blackstone Group for $134 million or $322,115 per room. HFF LP represented the seller of the nine-story 416 room hotel at 400 Mandalay Avenue that sits on 10 gulf-front acres . Renovated in 2006, the property has two beach-side swimming pools, a fitness center and dining facilities. Columbia Sussex Corp., the new owner, operates 41 hotels under eight different brands.
“To say that the Pinellas County lodging market is in the midst of a renaissance would be an understatement,” said Max Comess, director of HHF’s hotel group. “We are seeing the continual transformation of Clearwater and St. Petersburg from a second-tier, regional vacation spot to one of the fastest-growing resort destinations in the U.S. with year-round performance.”
