BUFFALO, N.Y., and ISLANDIA, N.Y. (Sept. 1, 2016) – Delaware North, one of the largest privately-held hospitality and food service companies in the world, has completed its purchase of the 265-room Islandia Marriott Long Island hotel from Columbia Sussex.
The acquisition adds to Delaware North’s lodging portfolio, which includes operating more than 25 hotels, resorts or other types of accommodations across the United States and Australia – representing more than 3,000 rooms.
“Under our operation, we will ensure that the hotel continues to be a preferred option for visitors to 
Suffolk County and the region,” said Brian Hansberry, president of Delaware North’s gaming business. “We are always exploring opportunities to add to our portfolio, and the recently renovated Islandia Marriott was an attractive acquisition.”
Work to renovate the hotel to include a gaming venue is expected to begin sometime this fall. Delaware North expects to initially open the renovated facility with between 250 to 300 video lottery terminal (VLT) machines by year’s end. The full 1,000-VLT operation is expected to open in 2017.
The Village of Islandia earlier this month approved the gaming project, which will bring significant economic benefits to the area, including additional tax revenue, new permanent operational jobs and short-term construction jobs. In addition, Delaware North is retaining existing jobs at the hotel. Delaware North is planning to upgrade the hotel’s security system and install improved fencing around a portion of the hotel’s parking lot that borders a few homes.
“Our facilities have a history of being good neighbors and establishing strong, cooperative relationships with our host communities and neighborhoods,” Hansberry said.
Delaware North has more than 20 years of diverse lodging management experience and owns and/or operates unique lodging properties such as Lizard Island Resort on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, which is consistently ranked by international travel media as among the world’s top resorts; Tenaya Lodge at Yosemite, a AAA Four-Diamond hotel and resort that is the premier lodging destination near Yosemite National Park; and the recently acquired Sea Crest Beach Hotel, a 266-room resort on Cape Cod in Massachusetts.
In New York, Delaware North manages The Gideon Putnam hotel and spa in Saratoga Springs for the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and owns and will operate The Westin Buffalo, a 116-room hotel expected to open in September 2016 in Delaware North’s new 12-story global headquarters building in downtown Buffalo.
The company’s gaming business operates a 205-room hotel as part of its Jumer’s Casino & Hotel in Rock Island, Ill., and a 151-room hotel at its casino in Wheeling, W.Va.
With the hotel in Islandia, Delaware North in the near term will focus on enhancing the food and beverage offerings and integrating its core business systems and processes, such as its highly regarded customer service program, GuestPath®, and its environmental management program, GreenPath®, into the operation.
About Delaware North
Delaware North is one of the largest privately-held hospitality and food service companies in the world. Founded in 1915 and owned by the Jacobs family for more than 100 years, Delaware North has global operations at high-profile places such as sports and entertainment venues, national and state parks, destination resorts and restaurants, airports, and regional casinos. Our 60,000 employee associates are dedicated to creating special experiences one guest at a time in serving more than 500 million guests annually. Delaware North has annual revenue of about $3 billion in the sports, travel hospitality, restaurants and catering, parks, resorts, gaming, and specialty retail industries. Learn more about Delaware North at www.delawarenorth.com.
Acquisition adds to global hospitality company’s lodging portfolio; planned renovations to hotel will add gaming
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