
Tampa Waterfront Hotel Secures $53M Floating-Rate Loan
August 24, 2018
TAMPA, FL–An iconic Tampa waterfront hotel that was once the spring training camp for Major League Baseball’s New York Yankees landed a $53-million non-recourse ramp loan that was structured by Mission Capital Advisors. It was secured by the Godfrey Hotel and Cabanas Tampa, a newly renovated, 276-key, waterfront hotel located at 7700 West Courtney Campbell Causeway.
The Mission Capital team of Jordan Ray, Ari Hirt, Alex Draganiuk and Justin Hunt represented an affiliate of Oxford Capital Group in securing the loan from Marathon Asset Management. The financing will be used to repay the property’s construction loan and return additional capital to the sponsor.
In 2015, Oxford acquired the hotel with plans for a comprehensive redevelopment that would include top-of-the-line amenities and the recently opened WTR Pool & Grill. The result was an upscale pool, cabana club, bar and corporate event space in a poolside area overlooking Tampa Bay.
“Oxford bought this property with the vision to create a unique hotel that has the best poolside venue in the Tampa market,” said Ray. “Just a month after the WTR Pool & Grill opened, there is a lot of action at the hotel and the pool, and we were able to repay the construction financing and replace it with a ramp loan with earn-outs at very attractive terms.”
Repositioning Program Created Added Value
In addition to the pool and cabanas, Oxford’s comprehensive repositioning campaign included the addition of 15 guest rooms; complete renovations of existing guestrooms, with hardwood flooring and other top-of-the-line amenities.
“Ramp loans are based in large part on projecting the property’s path to stability, and that adds a wrinkle of complexity that not all lenders can underwrite,” said Hirt. “However, Oxford’s long standing track record, as well as the incredible product they’ve created at the property, gave capital providers extreme confidence in the sponsor’s business plan.”
Added Hirt: “The loan we ultimately closed is structured with an immediate return on equity as well as an additional earn-out once certain benchmarks are reached, which will bring the total proceeds to the full $53 million.”
Oxford Capital Group, LLC is a national hospitality focused real estate investment, development and management firm. Oxford Hotels and Resorts, LLC is its wholly owned hotel operating and branding affiliate. Oxford, its affiliates, and principals have been involved in approximately $3 billion of real estate and private equity investments, including approximately 13,000 hotel rooms and over 2,000 senior housing units.
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