Hotel news and transactions from around the European region: Van der Valk acquires Radisson Blu Palace Hotel in Spa, Belgium, Mallorca deals and more...

Cliste Hospitality and Warren Private JV acquire Radisson Blu Hotel in Belfast
Irish hospitality management company Cliste Hospitality, in a joint venture with Dublin-based real estate investor Warren Private, have acquired the four-star, 120-room Radisson Blu Hotel in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Neither the seller nor the transaction price have been disclosed. The property was brought to market in 2020 at £16 million (£133,000 per room). The hotel is located in southern Belfast, in the Gasworks district, a 15-minute walk from the city centre. Cliste Hospitality, formerly known as iNua Partnership, was the operating arm of the Irish iNua hotel chain, until it was bought out by management in 2019. Opened in 2004, the subject property is expected to be rebranded by mid-2024 after undergoing a £3.5 million refurbishment of its lobby, restaurant, bar, meeting rooms and guest rooms. Cliste’s existing owned/managed portfolio in the Republic of Ireland includes 13 four- and five-star iNua-branded hotels. This is the group’s first venture in Northern Ireland.

Van der Valk acquires Radisson Blu Palace Hotel in Spa, Belgium
Dutch hotel owner and operator Van der Valk has acquired the four-star, 120-room Radisson Blu Palace Hotel in Spa, Belgium, from an undisclosed buyer. The transaction price was not disclosed. Spa is classed by UNESCO as a Great Spa Town of Europe, with the subject property having direct access to the cable car linking the city of Spa to its thermal baths, Thermes de Spa. Van der Valk is one of the largest Dutch hotel chains, with over 100 four-star hotels throughout Benelux, Germany, southern Europe and the Caribbean. In addition, the group is expanding its food and beverage portfolio to complement its existing hotels and restaurants, such as through the acquisition of a majority stake in Dunkin’ Netherlands and Belgium in late 2023.

Hotel Alzinar Mar Suites in Mallorca acquired by Zafiro Group from EIX Hotels
The four-star, 128-room Hotel Alzinar Mar Suites in Mallorca, Spain, has changed hands between two local families, with the Plomer family’s Zafiro Group acquiring from the Horrach family-owned EIX Hotels, for an undisclosed amount. The property is located in Can Picafort, on the island’s north-eastern coast, a 50-minute drive from Palma Airport. Zafiro Group reportedly intends to transform the property into an adult-only complex with two additional pools, to be renamed as Zafiro Alzinar Mar, opening in Spring 2024. It will increase the group’s portfolio to 13 hotels distributed across Mallorca and Menorca, including three five-star properties under the Zafiro Palace brand and ten four-star hotels under the Zafiro brand. After this disposal, EIX has three hotels remaining in its portfolio.

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