John Khoury’s Best Investments In The World Of Homes, Hotels, And Mortgages

In Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc (NYSE:HOT), Long Pond Capital increased its stake by 82% to 2.83 million shares with a value of $236.37 million during the first quarter. Starwood Hotels & Resorts has also experienced a slow spring on the exchange, having returned 2.1% year-to-date. Earlier in June, Starwood’s subsidiary St. Regis Hotel & Resorts reported that it was about to launch its St. Regis Mumbai location during the third quarter this year. The luxury hotel St Regis Mumbai is currently kept by Pallazzio Hotels & Leisure Ltd. The opening of St Regis Mumbai is in line with the earlier announced strategy of the company to open more luxury hotels. For fiscal 2015, Starwood Hotels & Resorts plans to open at least 43 hotels.The strongest brand is still the Sheraton Hotel, which lately has gained popularity among Chinese clients, at least according to Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc (NYSE:HOT) itself. An increased share in Starwood was also taken by Doug Silverman and Alexander Klabin‘s Senator Investment Group. After the 152%  increase to their positions, the fund now holds 5.65 million shares with a value of $471.78 million.

In real estate finance company Blackstone Mortgage Trust Inc (NYSE:BXMT), John Khoury increased his stake by 2% to 4.69 million shares with a value of $133.18 million. Blackstone, which originates and acquires senior loans collateralized by real estate in Europe and North America, has increased 1.5% on the exchange year-to-date and slightly more, a modest 1.9%, for the last year. The stock leapt on April 10 when it was announced that Blackstone Mortgage Trust Inc (NYSE:BXMT) was about to buy a $4.60 billion mortgage loan portfolio from GE Capital Real Estate (NYSE:GE) but has since fallen back, even despite the first quarter earnings of $0.54 that were announced on April 28 meeting analysts’ expectations. Other shareholders of the company are hoping it will meet their own expectations, including Joshua Kaufman and Craig Nerenberg‘s Brenner West Capital Partners, which increased its stake in the REIT by 2% to 1.04 million shares during the first quarter.

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