Carlsbadistan’s 145-unit Homewood Suites by Hilton (located right across the street from McClellan-Palomar Airport) has been purchased by Palm Beach, Florida’s Chatham Lodging Trustfor approximately $32 million, according to a press release from the company.
“This is Chatham’s first acquisition in California, a market we know very well and where we have extensive experience,” said Jeffrey H. Fisher, Chatham’s chief executive officer. “We continue to seek other West Coast properties and have an active acquisition pipeline of premium-branded upscale extended-stay and select-service hotels in areas with high barriers to entry.”
The hotel will be managed by Island Hospitality Management, a company of which Fisher owns 90 percent. See, the publicly traded company buys the property, then the CEO’s privately owned company manages it. What a wonderful way to get paid. [click to continue…]
Carlsbadistan’sWitch Creek Winery currently has a deal on the dogpiling bargain site Groupon.com. The current offer is $35 worth of wine and wine tastings for $15 (5-7 in store tastings). Not bad at all.
The way Groupon works is that a deal is presented to the public, along with a minimum number of buyers required to turn the deal live. If that “tipping point” is not reached, then no one buys anything. If the minimum is reached, then the deal goes live and everyone gets a piece of the discount.
In Witch Creek’s case they said they’d only do the bargain if 100 people bought in. And buy in they did. So far it appears that Witch Creek has sold 630 of their $15 wine deals. Seems to be working quite alright.
The Village of Carlsbadistan already has Oceana Massage, but it looks like the City has another new massage location in the form of Massage Heights thanks to businessman Deon Goldschmidt and his business partner Mike Aron, according to a story in the North County Times.
“Looking at the other massage-type franchises operating at the moment, they’re operating at profitable levels, even in this economy,” Goldschmidt said. “This is because many people … are looking for places where they can find a spa but at prices they can afford.”
Goldschmidt, who is originally from South Africa, says they plan to open 18 locations in San Diego County. Stressful times apparently require stress relief. Massage Heights is located at 6965 El Camino Real #101.
Our favorite Carlsbadistan based life sciences company Life Technologies Corporation just purchased a Connecticut based DNA sequencing company for $375 million in cash and stock.
Ion Torrent has revolutionized DNA sequencing by enabling a direct connection between chemical and digital information through the use of proven semiconductor technology. The result is a sequencing system that is simpler, faster, less expensive and more scalable than other sequencing technologies. As previously announced, the first product using this technology will be the Personal Genome Machine (PGM) sequencer, which will launch in the fourth quarter of 2010.
The reports that the purchase will be two cents dilutive to the Life Tech stock in 2010, neutral in 2011, and will start brining in the cash in 2012. Guess we have to play a bit of a longer game on this one. Follow the jump for all the details. [click to continue…]
In a story for the San Deigo Reader writer Don Bauder does a very thorough round-up of all the “network marketing” companies founded in Carlsbadistan in recent years. Names like Who’s Your Daddy, Gia Wellness, and Cal Nutrisciences, are all covered, but the story hinges mostly on Actis Global Ventures‘ Roy Grimm and the slew of companies he has started, closed, and/or sold all based right here in Carlsbadistan.
Makes us wonder why Carlsbadistan is such a hot-bed of MLM? Is it the weather? The cheap office space? Or, do people love living her so much that they’ll do almost anything to get paid?
What other Carlsbadistan business can magically transform a $120 Spaulding basketball into a $899.99 limited edition sports collectible with a Sharpie (and LeBron James, of course)?
The first four newly signed LeBron James products from UDA are currently on sale at www.upperdeckstore.com. An autographed Spalding basketball, limited to 100 with a specially stamped Miami Heat logo on one of its panels, retails for $899.99, while an autographed 16″ X 20″ “Welcome to Miami” photo showing LeBron wearing his new No. 6 Heat home uniform sells for $699.99. In addition, a signed 36″ x 18″ “Witness Miami” photo of LeBron, limited to 100, sells for $749.99, while an open edition Spalding basketball signed by James retails for $799.99.
Our favorite Carlsbadistan based life sciences company, Life Techonologies Corporation, has created the new position of Chief Medical Officer and named Dr. Paul R. Billings as the first to fill it.
Dr. Billings has had a distinguished career as a physician and researcher. He has been a founder or chief executive officer of companies involved in genetic and diagnostic medicine, including GeneSage, Omicia and CELLective Dx Corporation. Previously, he was senior vice president for corporate development at Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings (LabCorp). He has held academic appointments at some of the most prestigious universities in the United States, including Harvard Medical School, Stanford School of Medicine and the University of California, Berkeley, and has served as a physician at a number of medical centers throughout the country, including the University of California, San Francisco. He is the author of nearly 200 publications and books on genomic medicine. Dr. Billings holds an M.D. from Harvard Medical School and a Ph.D. in immunology, also from Harvard University.
Sounds like a nice addition to the team and to Carlsbadistan in general. Welcome, Dr. Billings. Follow the jump for all the details. [click to continue…]
A State of California Alcoholic Beverage Control notice posted near the front door of Carlsbadistan’sLa Costa Grill says the “Alcoholic Beverage License Issued for these premises has been suspended. . . for violation of the Alcoholic Beverage Control act.”
The suspension, which went into effect on September 29, 2010, is listed as “indefinite” according to the posted sign. The California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control website, however, says the license owned by JRO Restaurant Group LLC (#469390) expired on August 31, 2010.
A flyer posted next to the suspension notice informed would be customers that the “La Costa Grill will be temporarily closed due to a pending transfer of our liquor license. We apologize for the inconvenience and look forward to serving you again in the near future.”
No one answered our calls at the La Costa Grill, but we did get a phone message that said, “Happy Holidays. The La Costa Grill will be closed Christmas Day.”
Sounds like updating their phone message is not high on the current priorities list. [click to continue…]
We love Senior Grubbys fish tacos so we’re going to go easy on them for this series of “commercials” staring a slightly disguised Justin Jachura. To watch the rest click one of these links: Commercial 2#, Commercial #3 (featuring City Council Candidate Jon Wantz), Commercial #4, Commercial #5.
According to the RealPoint LLC credit rating company, the loan is a month delinquent and has been transferred to a special servicer. . . . Horsham, Penn.-based Realpoint said the 329-room resort, which up until recently was known as the Four Seasons Aviara, had $382,910 in negative cash flow for the 12 months ended March 31. The hotel reportedly had posted $3.1 million in net earnings in 2009 and $11 million in 2008.
We thought the Battle of Aviara was over, but looks like the Park Hyatt is still in the trenches.
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Carlsbadistan’s 145-unit Homewood Suites by Hilton (located right across the street from McClellan-Palomar Airport) has been purchased by Palm Beach, Florida’s Chatham Lodging Trust for approximately $32 million, according to a press release from the company.
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