The iconic Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek, whose sale to the family of Hong Kong billionaire Cheng Yu-tung along with four other properties was confirmed today, is all ready for its new owners. In fact, the hotel founded by Dallas heiress Caroline Rose Hunt recently held some “cultural training” sessions to accommodate a growing number of guests from the Far East. Duncan Graham, the Mansion’s managing director, says the staff is learning about the needs and expectations of the various Asian cultures in order to be better hosts.
When, back in June, one of Cheng’s companies said it was snapping up Dallas’ Rosewood Hotels & Resorts–which manages 19 properties including The Mansion and was also founded by Hunt–Rosewood officials here stressed that the sale did not include the hotel properties themselves. What they didn’t say was that this transaction confirmed today must have been in the works as well, way under the radar. Interestingly, the two deals–the $229.5 million one for the management company, and the $570 million one for the five hotels–both closed on Friday, June 29. That’s the same day that Caroline Rose Hunt went to dinner with a friend at … El Fenix, on Northwest Highway. Now, that’s some rich-folks style.
