Mergers & Acquisitions

🏦 Hunter Hotel Advisors announced the sale of the Hilton Garden Inn Louisville East to HBS Investment Group on March 26, 2025. The 112-key property, located in Louisville's economic hub near Humana, UPS, and Norton Healthcare, offers amenities like The Garden Grille & Bar. The region is popular for attractions like Museum Row and the Kentucky Derby, which brings 150,000 visitors yearly. Dr. Nimish Patel of HBS expressed satisfaction with the acquisition, enhancing their local investment portfolio.

🔓 Myst Hotels & Resorts acquired 77-bedroom Careys Manor Hotel & SenSpa in Brockenhurst, New Forest, marking its first international investment. Careys Manor, owned by Greenclose Hotels for 50 years, received a £6 million investment in a 24,000 sq feet Thai spa, SenSpa. The hotel boasts 4 AA Silver Stars, Best Spa in the South-East, and a Green Tourism Gold Award. Myst Hotels aims to enhance the guest experience while preserving the hotel’s legacy. The Gupta founders of Myst are eager to build on Careys Manor's success. Greenclose retains ownership of sister properties The Montagu Arms and The Imperial Hotel.

🏡 Munich-based limehome reaches over 10,000 contracted units across Europe, including 1,000 new units added in Q1 2025. The company expands through strategic investments and new development projects in key European markets.

🎭 InteleTravel acquired UK-based Tickitto, without disclosing the sum. This marks InteleTravel's fourth acquisition in two years, after Hickory Global Partners, MGME, and Major Travel. Tickitto, founded in 2019 by Dana Lattouf, who raised nearly $10 million for the platform, will continue as an independent brand. The deal allows InteleTravel agents to offer tickets to exclusive events like Premier League matches and concerts. James Ferrara notes 1 in 10 bookings relate to live events, potentially increasing advisor profits and customer experiences in 2025.

🍕 Invus, a private equity company, invested in SeoulSpice nearly one year ago. SeoulSpice opened its first restaurant outside the DMV area in Chicago. The eight-unit Korean comfort food brand, guided by Invus, which propelled Cava's growth, plans national expansion with a focus on D.C. and Chicago. SeoulSpice founder and CEO Eric Shin, a Julliard-trained symphony percussionist, pivoted to food service to make Korean cuisine more accessible. The first SeoulSpice opened in 2016 in Washington, D.C.'s Noma neighborhood. During its grand opening, the restaurant ran out of food by 2 p.m. The brand offers a modern take on Korean food, includes American flavors like Ranch dressing, and makes its own Sriracha sauce.

🏨 European hotel deal volumes hit $24.3 billion in 2024, up 37% from the previous year, with the U.K. leading at $8.5 billion in transactions. The second half of 2024 saw $11.3 billion in deals, and the U.K., Spain, and France comprised 59% of the total at $14.3 billion. The U.K. saw a 197% increase in transaction volume from 2023, with significant growth also seen in Greece (+294%), Norway (+248%), and Ireland (+218%). London was the top city with $4.4 billion in deals. Private capital made up 45% of transactions, a 45% increase from the previous year, while institutional investments represented 39%, and public finance grew 352% to 13%. Luxury and upper-upscale properties accounted for 42% of the total volume.

🏨 Hyatt Hotels Corporation targets a 30% growth in the UK by 2026, starting with Hyatt Place Leeds (217 rooms) and Hyatt House Leeds (88 rooms) as of March 2025. More than 1,000 rooms will be added, including Hyatt Place London Paddington (87 rooms) and Hyatt Regency London Olympia (over 200 rooms), creating approximately 250 jobs. The strategy follows the 2023 acquisition of Mr & Mrs Smith, boosting World of Hyatt membership to 54 million by 2024, with a 5% MICE inquiries increase in Q4 2024. Future expansions focus on Oxford, Cambridge, Liverpool, Glasgow, Cardiff, and Belfast.

🏨 RREAF Holdings and Philip McNeill, Sr. established MxR Hospitality focusing on extended-stay hotels nationwide. Phillip McNeill, Sr., opened the second Hampton Inn in 1984 and was once the largest Hampton franchise owner. With RREAF's team having over 150 years of real estate experience, they seek to improve extended-stay hotel management across the industry. Equity Inns, once led by McNeill, sold to Goldman Sachs for $2.2 billion in 2007, with 138 hotels in its portfolio.

🏥 IHG Hotels & Resorts is set to open Bristol Berlin, Vignette Collection in 2025 in Berlin, Germany, expanding its luxury and lifestyle segment. The hotel, located on Kurfürstendamm since 1952, will feature 303 guest rooms, an all-day dining brasserie, a bar, and a spa with a swimming pool. It will offer 1,500 square meters of event space. The Vignette Collection was launched by IHG in 2021. Bristol Berlin is the second Vignette property in Germany, following a recent signing in Reit im Winkl. IHG currently manages 147 hotels in Germany, with 75 in development.