In the hotels sub-sector we advise financiers, hotel operators, outsourcing companies, private equity investors and real estate companies.

In addition to acquisitions, restructurings, sales and financings, such as those below, we have advised on hotel management contracts, sale and leaseback arrangements and other outsourcing arrangements. Our team does not work only on portfolio transactions – we have recently worked on single hotel acquisitions, developments and sale and leasebacks in cities such as Barcelona, Berlin, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, London, Madrid, Paris, and Vienna.

Our experience includes advising:

  • Compass Group on its hotel disposal programme, including the sale of Le Meridien Hotels and Cumberland Hotel to Nomura for more than £2bn; the sale of Posthouse Hotels to Bass for £810m; the sale of Strand Palace Hotel to Barclay Brothers and Ellerman Investments; and the auction sale of Little Chef and Travelodge to Permira for £712m;
  • De Vere Group, the British hotels and leisure clubs operator, on its takeover by AHG Venice;
  • Dubai International Capital LLC, the international investment arm of Dubai Holding, on its £675m acquisition of Travelodge Hotels Ltd from Permira Funds;
  • Dubai International Properties on its $12bn series of agreements for real estate development projects in partnership with CDG, a subsidiary of the Moroccan Government. The agreements include the $500m Marina de Casablanca development comprising hotels, residential accommodation, offices, retail and entertainment facilities;
  • HOST on the acquisition of Marriott Hotels in Brussels;
  • Host Hotels on €565m hotel acquisition by its European joint venture;
  • Lehman Brothers on its disposal of the Forte Village in Sardinia;
  • Lehman Brothers on its acquisition of Le Meridien Hotels and Resorts, in a 50-50 joint venture with Starwood Capital Group and the subsequent sale by Meridien of its management and brand business to Starwood Hotels and Resorts;
  • Morgan Stanley Real Estate Fund on the acquisition of 10 Hilton Hotels from Hilton for €566m;
  • Queens Moat Hotels on its restructuring, refinancing, disposals and takeover by Whitehall; and
  • Starman Hotels on the disposals of the Penina and Dona Filipa Hotels in Portugal, the Gallia Hotel in Milan, the Apollo Hotel in Amsterdam and Phoenicia Hotel in Malta.

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