Hotel industry and travel news from around the Asia Pacific region: Anantara announces global partnership with Verita Heathcare Group, AA launch direct flight from Dallas and LA to Tokyo and more...

AXA IM to Acquire 2,300-Key Europe-based Portfolio for EUR531 Million
France-based AXA Investment Managers – Real Assets (“AXA IM”) has announced the agreement to acquire, on behalf of clients, a portfolio of 11 hotels across Europe, which includes 367-key Hilton Vienna Danube Waterfront and 203-key Hotel Mondial am Dom Cologne – MGallery by Sofitel, for a net price of EUR531 million. The 2,339-room portfolio comprises a good mix of business, trade fair and leisure driven properties, with seven located in key cities in Germany and the four other assets located in the leading European cities of Vienna, Turin, Lisbon and The Hague. The hotels are operated by internationally renowned brands including Accor, Hilton and NH on long leases. Apart from the present acquisition, other purchases by AXA IM include a four-hotel portfolio in Australia, a prime Amsterdam city centre hotel and a hotel development in Hiroshima, Japan.

ABH Hotel Group Acquires Airlie Beach Hotel for AUD22 Million in Queensland
Australia-based ABH Hotel Propriety Limited has acquired the freehold and leasehold interests of Airlie Beach Hotel, located in Queensland, Australia, for a combined AUD22 million. The acquisition followed a recent AUD10 million refurbishment of the property by ABH Operations Private Limited, who took over the leasehold interest of the property. Previously owned by the O’Neill family for over 30 years, the 80-key Airlie Beach Hotel comprises of conference facilities, a commercial car park, restaurant, pub, retail liquor store, 35 gaming machines and a retail compound. Located within the Airlie Beach’s central business district, the property is situated on an 8,819-square-metre site that offers three major street frontages, providing a strong presence and foot traffic.

Anantara Announces Global Partnership with Verita Heathcare Group
Thailand-based Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas, the subsidiary of Thailand-based Minor International (“MINT”) has partnered with Singapore-based Verita Healthcare Group to collaborate on a global network of integrated, property-based health centres. Located on the riverside of Bangkok, Anantara will open its first Verita Health facility at Anantara Riverside Bangkok Resort in the first quarter of 2020. The 677-square-metre health facility will feature dark IV infusion rooms with sleep-promoting light therapy, streamlined VIP suites, a meditation garden, and ergonomically designed private consultations pods. Furthermore, the health centre will also include an advanced health analytics and reports in real-time for immediate consultant and recommendation specifically in biological age reduction. Currently, Anantara boasts a worldwide portfolio of 35 hotels in 13 countries, with a pipeline of future hotels across Asia, the Indian Ocean, Middle East, Africa, and South America. Several joint projects will be launched in Thailand and throughout Asia Pacific in coming years.

American Airlines to Launch Direct Flight from Dallas and Los Angeles to Tokyo, Japan
American Airlines will launch a new daily direct flight to Tokyo’s Haneda International Airport (“HND”) from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (“DFW”) and a second daily non-stop service from Los Angeles International Airport (“LAX”). DFW to HND will be operated on a three-class Boeing 777-300, with eight Flagship First seats and 52 Flagship Business seats. The flight from LAX to HND will be serviced by a 787-900 Dreamliner, with 30 lie-flat Flagship Business seats and 21 Premium Economy seats. These new flights will add nearly 4,000 seats every week between the United States and Tokyo’s Haneda Airport. Commencing on 29 March 2020, American and its Pacific Joint Business partner Japan Airlines will offer a total of five daily flights to HND from four cities in the United States, including Los Angeles, Dallas-Fort Worth, New York and San Francisco.

Goldman Sachs-backed SAMHI Hotels Files for IPO
India-based SAMHI Hotels has filed the draft papers for its initial public offering (“IPO”) to raise INR18-20 billion. The company plans to use the IPO proceeds for complete or part repayment of debt to help improve its financial performance. As on 30 June 2019, SAMHI’s portfolio comprises 27 operating hotels with 4,048 rooms across 12 cities in India under the Marriot, IHG and Hyatt brands. The company is India’s third largest hotel asset owner, and currently owns the largest number of Marriott and IHG operated hotels in India.

www.hvs.com