This article comes to us from the Orlando Sentinel.

One of the official partner hotels of Walt Disney World has been sold by the building’s longtime owner for $127.2 million.

Tishman Hotel & Realty LP said Tuesday it “decided to take advantage of pent-up demand” for well-performing properties and sold the Hilton Walt Disney World Resort to Hilton Worldwide, which has been managing the hotel for nearly three decades.

“During our nearly 30-year ownership of the hotel, the Hilton posted strong returns and consistently outperformed its competitors,” Tishman stated. “We maintain a strong presence in the Orlando hospitality market and continue to own the Walt Disney World Swan and the Walt Disney World Dolphin.”

The sale price for the 814-room property, which was built in the early 1980s, equates to about $156,000 a room.

It’s not a steal, but given the hotel’s prime location near Downtown Disney and its popularity with meeting planners, it was probably deemed a good buy by Hilton’s owner, the Blackstone Group, said Scott Smith, a lodging professor in the University of Central Florida’s Rosen College of Hospitality Management.

“That’s definitely on the high side, but the thing to remember is it’s got the best location almost in the world,” Smith said.

Most hotel-management companies have typically shied away from being property owners, preferring instead to put their resources toward developing and managing hotels, he said. But he added: “I think, with Blackstone at the helm of Hilton, they’re looking for good investments.”

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Chip (6720 Posts)

Chip is owner of and webmaster of Chip and Co - Your source for Disney Park News, Planning Tips, Giveaways, and More. When he is not writing about Disney News, or Planning Tips, you will find him counting down the days to his next Disney World Vacation. Watch for him at the 2013 D23 Expo or over on the Chip and Co Facebook Page.