This Former Trump Hotel Is Turning Into a JW Marriott
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Marriott is expanding, and that's not just because of its merger with Starwood. The former Trump International Hotel & Tower Panama will soon be rebranded as a JW Marriott.
The Trump Hotel resided in the tallest building in Panama — and actually in Central America. In March, it became embroiled in a legal battle as the hotel owners evicted the Trump Organization and removed the the Trump brand from the hotel. At one point they actually did, physically prying "Trump" from the building and renaming it the Bahia Grand Panama. The owners poked fun at the President by creating sarcastic Trump-themed cocktails like the Stormy Jack Daniels, Fire and Fury and Little Rocket Man.
The Trump Organization pursued legal methods to restore the name and even asked the Panamanian president to intervene on behalf of their cause.
Ithaca Capital, a Miami-based real estate investment firm, took control of the property in March and announced that it would be transformed into a JW Marriott, a luxury brand controlled by Marriott. The firm predicts the rebranding will be complete in September 2018. Ithaca owns Marriott properties in the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica.
This isn't the first instance of hotel owners trying to distance themselves from US president Donald Trump. Trump would regularly lease his name to properties, but not actually operate the hotel or apartments himself. Former Trump Hotels in New York and Toronto removed the Trump brand last year although neither joined a hotel chain.
The five-star hotel is 932 feet tall and sits right on the Pacific Ocean. It features 369 rooms, four restaurants and five swimming pools. Once the hotel officially becomes part of the Marriott brand, you'll be able to redeem points at the property — although it's unclear what category the property will fall into.
H/T: Bloomberg
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| 10X | Earn 10x points on eligible hotels and car rentals booked through the Credit One Bank travel partner site |
| 5X | Earn 5x points on eligible travel, dining, and gas |
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Why We Chose It
The revamped Wander Card from Credit One Bank earns cardmembers up to 10 points per dollar spent on eligible travel purchases. With no foreign transaction fees, the card is also great for international travel. However, points earned from this card can only be used at a fixed value, so it may not be the best option for those striving to get maximum value from their rewards.Pros
- This card has no foreign transaction fees and earns up to 10 points per dollar on travel purchases through the Credit One Bank travel partner site.
Cons
- While cardholders can earn a significant amount of points on travel purchases, there isn't any way to redeem points from the Wander Card for maximum value (beyond 1 cent per point).
- Earn 10,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on eligible purchases in the first 90 days and redeem for a $100 statement credit, gift cards, or travel
- Earn 10x points on eligible hotels and car rentals booked through the Credit One Bank travel site
- Earn 5x points on eligible travel, dining, and gas
- Earn 1x points on all other purchases
- Redeem your reward points for statement credits, gift cards, merchandise, flights, hotels, and more
- With $0 Fraud Liability, you won’t be responsible for unauthorized charges
- Free Online Credit Score and Credit Report summary, terms apply
- If you are a Covered Borrower under the Military Lending Act, you may get a different offer
- See Rates & Fees