Articles by Patrick Clark

Insurers Continue to Cover Beach Resorts Despite Spate of Caribbean Hurricanes

Frenchman’s Reef, the largest resort on St. Thomas, was smashed by Hurricane Irma, which breached roofs, caved in walls and felled trees across the oceanfront property. Two years later, the hotel remains closed as its owner quarrels with insurers over …

Marriott Faces $124M Fine for Massive Data Breach Under New Data Protection Rules

The massive hacking of Marriott International Inc. reservation databases could lead to a 99 million-pound ($124 million) fine as the U.K. cracked down on privacy breaches with its second major penalty notice in two days. The cyber attack, which Marriott …

China’s Anbang Insurance to Begin Selling Waldorf-Astoria Luxury Condos

China’s Anbang Insurance Group Co. is scouring the globe for condo buyers looking for a little — or a lot — of Park Avenue glamour. Four years after buying the famed Waldorf Astoria for a record $1.95 billion, the insurer …

Doubts About Hotel Industry Cyber Security Pre-Date Marriott Hacking

Long before Marriott International Inc. disclosed a massive security breach, the hotel industry had earned the dubious reputation as a hospitable place for hackers. Thieves have skimmed credit cards, looted loyalty accounts, and mounted complex schemes to trick clerks into …

Marriott CFO Says Too Early to Estimate Cyber Breach Costs

It’s too soon for Marriott International Inc. to estimate the cost of the massive cyber breach that the company disclosed last week, and other companies that have suffered big attacks are imperfect proxies, said Chief Financial Officer Leeny Oberg at …

Marriott Starwood Data Breach Highlights Silent Cyber Risk in Acquisitions

Marriott International’s $13.6 billion purchase of Starwood Hotel & Resorts was a bet that its popular loyalty program would bring more travelers to its Courtyards and Residence Inns. It turns out Marriott was also buying a massive security risk. A …

AIG Is Seeking More Than $200M for Manhattan Hotel

AIG Global Real Estate is seeking buyers for a Manhattan hotel that could fetch more than $200 million, according to a person familiar with the matter. AIG has tapped Eastdil Secured LLC to find prospective buyers for the 310-room Embassy …

Anbang’s Plans for Waldorf Astoria Call for Fewer Luxury Condos

It’s official: Anbang Insurance Group Co. has filed a plan for the luxury condos it’s developing at Manhattan’s Waldorf Astoria, and it calls for fewer apartments than the company initially aimed for. The Chinese insurer’s project to convert many of …

Potential Trump Tax Loophole for Pass-Through Businesses

If exploiting a tax loophole is as much an art as a science, then the tax planning profession is poised for a creative renaissance. The inspiration is the tax law signed by President Donald Trump in December. The patrons are …

$880 Billion of Homes in Danger of Being Underwater, Literally

When talking about housing, “underwater” usually means you owe more on a mortgage than the home is actually worth. If climate change continues apace, that term could take on a much more literal meaning. Rising sea levels could soak homeowners …