Mergers & Acquisitions

🏨 FBD Hotels and Resorts completed a €2m (£1.76m) refurbishment of the Grand Hotel Malahide's ground floor. Acquired for €55m (£48.3m) from the Ryan family in March, the 202-room hotel overlooks the Malahide estuary in Dublin. Designer Liz Harte modernized key areas, and €200k (£175k) was invested in the health club. The €5m (£4.4m) project, finishing by February 1, targets weddings. FBD operates in Ireland and Spain, with 2,000 staff and 1,387 rooms.

📈 HBX Group's 2025 results show a €70 million net loss despite an 8% rise in total transaction value to €8.18 billion and revenue of €720 million. Adjusted EBITDA margins neared 60%, with adjusted earnings at €258 million. Net debt decreased significantly from €1.07 billion to €397 million post-IPO. Operational gains are strong, yet profitability remains elusive, indicating HBX's recovery is ongoing but not yet stable. Full details at [HBX Group](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hbx-group-announces-full-year-2025-financial-results-302626557.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com).

🎪 Holiday Inn Express Barrow-in-Furness joined Cumbria Tourism's strategic partners to promote Barrow and Furness Peninsula. This aligns with the Government's £200m Barrow Transformation Fund for regeneration. Barrow, known for manufacturing and shipbuilding, is enhancing tourism appeal with assets like Furness Abbey and Walney’s beaches. The hotel attracts both business and leisure visitors. This partnership aims to raise the area's profile, support sustainable tourism, and contribute to economic growth.

🏨 New World Hospitality acquired the 105-bedroom BLOC Hotel Birmingham from Arora Group, with the deal brokered by Enterprise Hotels and Hospitality. Located in the Jewellery Quarter, the hotel opened in 2011 and features room sizes from 9.5 sqm to 21 sqm. BLOC Hotel's strong trading performance and strategic location appeal to investors. The area offers over 150 retailers, 80 bars/restaurants, and produces 40% of the UK’s jewellery.

🏡 Safestay plans to sell and lease back a Brighton property for £3.125 million, with a completion date before January 15, 2026. The property, bought for £2.275 million in June 2024, will convert into a 170-bed hostel by summer 2026. Safestay will lease it for 15 years, with an annual rent of £300,000 after a six-month rent-free period. The five-story building spans 15,300 sq. ft. and will create about 20 new jobs.

🏨 From 2013 to 2020, the hospitality sector outperformed the Euro Stoxx 50, with investments growing from 5-7% to nearly 10% globally and 20% in Spain. Paris luxury hotel values rose by 8%. Lifestyle brands are expanding by 14% annually, covering 600,000 rooms worldwide. Louvre Hotels renovated nearly 70 properties this year, aiming for 360 more. The integration of Ruby Hotels by IHG took over three years to perfect.

🏨 CitizenM rebranded as Another Star after Marriott International's acquisition. Another Star operates 37 hotels across Europe and the US, with 8,312 rooms in 20 cities like London, Paris, and New York. On November 5, 2025, they secured a $685m financing deal with J.P. Morgan and KSL Capital Partners. The acquisition deal was valued at $355m, completed on July 24, 2025. Marriott's Q3 2025 income rose 25% to $728m.

💰 PPHE Hotel Group initiated a strategic review considering new capital or selling part/all of the company. Major shareholders Eli Papouchado and Boris Ivesha, holding 44% voting rights, support the review. PPHE's £2.2 billion portfolio spans Europe, including upscale hotels and campsites. Rothschild advises, and a formal UK Takeover Code sale process has begun. No active bidder discussions or approaches yet. The board may alter or terminate the process.

🏠 UK: The Social Hub plans to invest £200 million in a new venue at Edinburgh's former Fountain Brewery site, vacant for 20 years. The 560-bed project will feature extended stay rooms, hotel suites, and student housing, along with coworking spaces for 300, event spaces, a gym, and dining options. Public consultations are set for 8 December and 26 January. Buccleuch Property and Cruden Homes lead the site's redevelopment as part of the Fountainbridge masterplan.

🏨 The Highfield hotel in Driffield, East Yorkshire, is on the market for £2.25m by Christie and Co after 10 years with current owners Andy and Lindsey Lampard. This Victorian-era, Grade II listed property features 12 bedrooms and sits on seven acres of land. It includes two AA Rosettes and is in the Michelin Hotel Guide. Originally built in the late 19th century, the property was transformed from a private residence to a hotel by the Lampards in 2015.