Mergers & Acquisitions

🏠 The Vanguard Hotel in Ann Arbor, Mich., now open, boasts 188 rooms, including 24 one-bedroom suites and 10 double-king suites, some with private patios. Offering amenities like Dyson hairdryers, Le Labo products, and in-room espresso machines, it caters to university visitors, alumni, and business travelers. Development overcame high market entry barriers. Features French-inspired brasserie La Serre, 11,062 square feet of meeting space, and is part of the Marriott Bonvoy’s Autograph Collection of 330+ hotels.

🏨 Citybox Hotels signed to operate a 240-room hotel in Kastrup, Copenhagen, in partnership with CapMan. The Best Western Plus Copenhagen Airport will be renovated and rebranded to open as a Citybox hotel in 2026. The hotel is one metro stop from the airport with direct city centre access. This deal follows CapMan's acquisition of a 28-hotel Nordic portfolio. Citybox has a long-term management agreement with CapMan for the Copenhagen property.

🎭 Compagnie des Alpes acquired Belantis theme park from Parques Reunidos group, taking over Event Park GmbH's capital for €22 million. Belantis, founded in 2003, is located in the Leipzig region, eastern Germany, and features 27 attractions over nine themed zones. The park, attracting 300,000 visitors annually, generated €11 million in sales in 2024. Compagnie des Alpes, with this new acquisition, operates eight European sites and aims to increase Belantis' visitor numbers to 900,000 annually.

🏨 Highline Hospitality Partners acquired the 510-room Hilton Atlanta Airport, adding to their portfolio which now totals 15 hotels and over 4,100 guestrooms. HEI Hotels & Resorts will manage the property, marking their first venture with Highline. The hotel features 40,000 square feet of meeting space and amenities like two pools and a fitness center. With over $1 billion in assets, Highline plans renovations to bolster its market position. The Hilton Atlanta Airport caters to both business and leisure travelers with its proximity to the airport and downtown Atlanta.

🏨 Highline Hospitality Partners acquired the 510-room Hilton Atlanta Airport located near Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, adding to their 15-property portfolio. The full-service hotel has 40,000 square feet of meeting space and amenities like pools and a fitness center. Managed by HEI Hotels & Resorts, Highline's portfolio now exceeds $1 billion in assets, with more than 4,100 guestrooms. Renovations are planned to enhance guest experience and competitive market positioning. The hotel's strategic location serves business and leisure travelers, offering direct airport access and proximity to downtown Atlanta.

🔓 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.

🍕 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.