Hotel industry and travel news from around the Asia Pacific region; Qatar airways buys Heathrow hotel, Steigenberger announces a second hotel for its new Jaz, Wyndham debuts Tryp in the Middle East and more...
Cerberus Capital Management Purchases UK Holiday Inn Portfolio
New York-based Cerberus Capital Management has acquired a portfolio of 18 Holiday Inn hotels across the UK for £225 million (2,443 rooms, £92,000 per room) from a joint venture between Lehman Brothers Real Estate, Canadian property company Realstar and Singapore-based investor GIC Real Estate. HVS advised Cerberus on the transaction. All of the hotels will continue to operate as Holiday Inn properties under a long-term franchise agreement withInterstate Europe, part of US-based hotel management company, Interstate Hotels & Resorts.
Qater Airlines Buys Sheraton Skyline Hotel
Qatar Airways recently announced that it has purchased the 350-room Sheraton Skyline Hotel, close to London's Heathrow Airport in the UK, for an undisclosed sum. This is the airline's first hotel acquisition outside of Qatar (the group currently owns the 400-room Oryx Rotana Hotel in Doha). The Sheraton Skyline will reportedly be renamed as the Oryx Sheraton Skyline London Heathrow. The purchase is in line with Qatar Airways' strategy to expand its hotel business. HVS represented Qatar Airways in the transaction.
Dalata Buys Its First Hotel In Belfast
Dalata Hotel Group has signed an agreement to purchase the freehold interest in the 170-roomHoliday Inn Belfast in Northern Ireland for £18.5 million in cash (£108,800 per room). Dalata currently operates the Maldron Hotel Belfast but this transaction marks its first hotel purchase in the city. The group recently announced that 13 of its hotels will become part of a new chain ofClayton Hotels, including eight of the recently acquired Moran Bewley Hotels and the Holiday Inn Belfast .
DoubleTree Number Five Announced For Sunny Spain
Hilton Worldwide has got together with Reserva del Higuerón Servicios Hoteleros, SL to open its fifth DoubleTree by Hilton hotel in Spain and its first on the Costa del Sol. The 177-roomReserva del Higuerón in the resort of Fuengirola, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, is to be rebranded and will start operating as the DoubleTree by Hilton Resort & Spa Reserva del Higuerón this summer.
IHG Announces Its Third InterContinental Hotel For Portugal
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has signed a management agreement with Margem Encantada, SA that will see it open its third InterContinental property in Portugal. The 59-roomInterContinental Lisbon " Estoril will open with views over the Atlantic Ocean in the town of Estoril, to the west of Lisbon city centre. The hotel will join the 121-room InterContinental Porto " Palacios Das Cardosas and the recently opened 347-room InterContinental Lisbon. IHG currently operates 30 InterContinental-branded hotels and resorts across Europe.
Radisson Blu Number Two For Gran Canaria
Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group is planning to open a second Radisson Blu hotel on the Spanish island of Gran Canaria. The Radisson Blu Resort Mogán is expected to open in the fourth quarter of 2016 on the island's southwest coast. The 422-room development is owned by family owned Scandinavian property firm Wenaasgruppen, which is also Rezidor's partner for the 189-room Radisson Blu Resort, Gran Canaria (opened in 2012).
A Second Round of Jaz For Steigenberger
Steigenberger Hotel Group has announced a second hotel for its new Jaz in the City brand. A 175-room hotel is to be developed in the Cloud No.7 building in Stuttgart in southwest Germany. The building is in the city's Europa Quarter and will also include residential apartments. The hotel is due to open in summer 2016. The brand will make its debut on 1 September 2015 with the opening of the 258-room Jaz Amsterdam in the Netherlands.
Carlsons' First Lady To Retire
Privately owned hotel and travel group Carlson has announced that after 18 years of service with the group its president and chief executive officer, Trudy Rautio, is to retire on 1 May 2015. Carlson now plans to implement a new leadership structure, under which two chief executive officers will be appointed to run the group's core business models, travel and hospitality " David P. Berg, currently chief operating officer of Carlson, is to take up the post of chief executive officer for Carlson Hospitality, and Doug Anderson president and chief executive of the group's 100%-owned travel platform, Carlson Wagonlit Travel, will report directly to Carlson's board of directors as of 1 May. Commenting on the news, Diana Nelson, chair of the Carlson Board, said, "We are grateful for Trudy's many contributions over nearly two decades of service at Carlson, she has been a key figure in the success of this company".
Starboard Buys Its First Hotel In Scotland
Starboard Hotels has acquired the 71-room Holiday Inn Express Greenock, near Glasgow in Scotland. This is Starboard's first acquisition in Scotland and it is the second hotel purchase in two months for the group " which owns, develops and operates franchised hotels and hostels across the UK " as in February Starboard bought the 58-room Best Western Carlton in the seaside resort of Blackpool in northwest England.
Historic Durban Hotel Sold At Auction
South African property magnate Saantha Naidu, owner of the Coastlands portfolio of hotels, has acquired the Royal Hotel in Durban, in South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal province, from Swaziland business man Moses Motsa at an auction for ZAR78 million (US$6.6 million, US$32,300 per room). The 204-room, historic hotel, which celebrates its 170th birthday this year, has hosted many famous figures such as Queen Elizabeth II, Nelson Mandela and Cecil Rhodes.
Park Hyatt Opens On Spice Island
The Park Hyatt Zanzibar opened this week on a UNESCO World Heritage beachfront site in Stone Town, on the East African island of Zanzibar. The hotel, which marks Hyatt Hotels' entry into the Zanzibar market, is housed in two separate buildings, one of which is a purpose-built addition that connects directly to the rest of the 67-room property in the historic Mambo Msiige, a Zanzibari mansion dating back to the 17th century. The new opening, the 36th Park Hyatt hotel to open worldwide, brings the number of Hyatt hotels in operation across Africa up to five.
Autograph Makes Its Mark In The Middle East
A Dubai hotel has become the first property in the Middle East to sign up to Marriott International's Autograph Collection. The Habtoor Grand Beach Resort & Spa, owned by UAE-based Al Habtoor Group, is the latest hotel to join the collection of independently owned luxury properties. "The combination of distinct leisure and culinary experiences and an iconic location in Dubai provides guests and travelers with a truly unique travel experience that fits perfectly with Autograph collection.” said Julius Robinson, vice president of Autograph Collection, on the 446-room beachfront hotel.
Swiss-Belhotel Makes Its Debut In Abu Dhabi
Hong Kong-based Swiss-Belhotel International has opened its first hotel in the emirate of Abu Dhabi: the 189-room, 20-storey Swiss-Belhotel Corniche, Abu Dhabi, which is the group's second hotel overall in the UAE alongside the 118-room Swiss-Belresort Ghantoot. The group now operates 11 hotels across the Middle East.
First Park Inn By Radisson In Dubai
Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group recently opened its first Park Inn by Radisson property in Dubai: the 90-unit Park Inn by Radisson Hotel Apartments in Al Barsha. The new opening brings the group's portfolio in the Middle East up to 34 hotels (more than 8,000 rooms).
Wyndham's Tryp Brand Makes Middle East Debut
Wyndham Worldwide's Tryp brand opened its first hotel in the Middle East this week: the 146-room Tryp by Wyndham Abu Dhabi, which is adjacent to the Sheikh Khalifa Engergy Complex, close to the city's corniche. The previously announced Tryp by Wyndham Dubai was initially to mark the brand's debut in the region in 2016; the 672-room hotel is now expected to open in 2017.
A New Landmark In Saudi Arabia
Dubai-based Landmark Hotels & Suites has expanded its operations in Saudi Arabia with the opening of a new property in Jeddah. The 49-unit Landmark Suites " Prince Sultan is the third Landmark-branded aparthotel in the kingdom. Landmark operates eight hotels across the UAE, India and Saudi Arabia, and the group has plans to open at least three additional hotels in Dubai by the end of the year. Further expansion in Saudi Arabia and the GCC is also in the pipeline.
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