USA: Trump International Hotel & Tower Panama To Become JW Marriott Hotel After Dispute

The former Trump International Hotel & Tower Panama is trading the name of one famous hotelier for another.

The sail-shaped tower will be managed by Marriott International Inc. as a JW Marriott hotel, according to a statement from owner Ithaca Capital.

The Miami-based firm, led by managing partner Orestes Fintiklis, took control of the property from the Trump Organization in March after a struggle that included court cases in the U.S. and Panama and the use of a crowbar to strip Trump’s name off the building.

Lawyers for the Trump Organization had asked the president of Panama to intervene in the dispute.

Company executives didn’t know about the letter until after it was sent, the lawyers said.

The owners of former Trump hotels in New York and Toronto also have rebranded their properties to distance themselves from U.S. President Donald Trump.

A spokeswoman for the Trump Organization, Amanda Miller, didn’t immediately respond to request for comment.

Ithaca also owns Marriott hotels in the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica.

The hotel in Panama City will be the 12th JW Marriott property in the region, Laurent de Kousemaeker, Marriott’s chief development officer for the Caribbean and Latin America, said in the statement.


Tourism Observer

INDIA: Highway Liquor Ban

Had the UT administration not dragged its feet over the issue of changing the route of the National Highway-21 for more than two years despite the Union transport ministry’s nod, more than 40 hotels and bars in Sectors 35 and 43, including five-star JW Marriott, would have escaped the Supreme Court ban on serving liquor within 500 metres of state and national highways.

Over 2,000 people are employed in these establishments, with most of them now staring at an uncertain future as many hotels and bars may resort to massive layoffs.

The NH, while coming from the Zirakpur side, passes through Tribune Chowk till the Sector 34-35 roundabout (near JW Marriott Hotel) on Dakshin Marg, turns left to Sector 43.

The Union ministry of road transport and highways had expressed its desire to redesignate the NH, taking left from Tribune Chowk itself till the Sector 47-48 roundabout on Purv Marg and then taking a right till Sectors 39/56.

In June 2001, the ministry had sanctioned around Rs 50 crore under the central road fund to develop NH 21 towards Purv Marg.

However, the project was delayed as a portion of a gurdwara on the stretch was located in the middle of the road.

The wall was removed later and work was completed in March 2015.

UT chief engineer Mukesh Anand said, “I am not aware of this but will look into the matter.” A senior officer from the road transport ministry said, “We have been following up with the UT administration to change the NH route to Purv Marg as this provides load transportation with uninterrupted road communication, which is not possible on the current route.”