Asset light might not always be right. As lodging companies move to shed owned real estate and concentrate on a fee-business strategy by licensing its brands, Israel’s Fattal Hotel Group has taken a different tack, having acquired the Leonardo Hotel London Heathrow Airport from UK’s Aprirose, a hotel it already manages under a brand it owns.
No financial details of the deal were disclosed.
Aprirose acquired the 230-room property in 2015. The hotel was last refurbished in 2019.
“Selling the asset to the owners of our long-term tenant represented an ideal transaction for Aprirose, creating liquidity for our investors. It comes as we have been looking to redeploy capital into other sectors where we believe we can achieve enhanced returns. Investors are looking for both core income and asset management opportunities and we are working on a number of transactions currently via these two strategies,” said Ari Boyd, CFO at Aprirose.
A press release put out by Aprirose noted that “the sale reflects a wider trend of hotel operators acquiring real estate to gain greater control over operations and brands while reducing lease risk and costs.”
Knight Frank was listed as the broker on the deal.
“We are delighted to have advised Aprirose on this important sale that will help facilitate growth in the core business strategies the company is focusing on. Equally, we are a pleased to have concluded a successful sale with Fattal Group who have secured the freehold interest of this hotel which is in a vital location for their Leonardo brand adjacent to Heathrow International Airport,” said Chris Field, associate in the hotel brokerage team at Knight Frank.
The transaction follows other recent moves by Aprirose, including the purchase of a mixed-use retail and residential portfolio in St John’s Wood and the sales of the Karma Sanctum hotel in London’s West End and a Premier Inn in Liverpool.
The company recently appointed Arthur Phelan as asset management director to support an increase in investment activity.
