News & Stories
Beverly Hills/New York. Blackstone acquires Hilton: Hilton Hotels Corporation and The Blackstone Group announced last night that Hilton and Blackstone's real estate and corporate private equity funds have entered into an all-cash transaction valued approximately 26 billion USD. Under the terms of the definitive merger agreement, Blackstone will acquire all the outstanding common stock of Hilton for 47.50 USD per share. The price represents a premium of 40% over yesterday's closing stock price.
Dubai. Hotels change a region's infrastructure, but seldom with an environmentally friendly approach: The Arabian Emirates Hotels and Resorts are investing 253 million US dollars in their new 473-room Cap Ternay Resort & Spa that will be created on the main island of the Seychelles in 2010. It is the group's most extensive international investment and one of the largest on the Seychelles ever. With two resorts in one, the "biggest swimming pool in the world" and 700 employees, the hotel group enables lifestyle guests used to luxury as well as price-conscious families to go on holiday. Emirates made sure to get the backing of the Seychelles' government, as it did already with the Wolgan Valley Resort in Australia and the Al Maha Desert Resort in Dubai. Within the scope of its expansion strategy, the hotel group counts on a balance between these "sanctuary resorts" and the "city destinations".
Washington. Marriott International is partnering with Ian Schrager, who invented the concept of the boutique hotel 23 years ago, to create a new brand of as many as 100 hotels, the first to open in 2009. At the same time Marriott and Nickelodeon announced to co-develop a new lodging resort brand and concept for travelers seeking fun and adventure, "Nickelodeon Resorts by Marriott", with 20 potential hotels expected to be under construction by 2020.
Velden/Lake Woerther. Carinthia’s Hypo-Alpe-Adria Bank has invested 126 million Euros in a refuge for the rich and famous. Horst Schulze’s new brand Capella has been chosen to entice the guests. And the famous hotel manager is free of risk. It doesn’t have to become a profit machine, the bank says. All the same, the expectations of the former Ritz-Carlton President are high. A visit showed: The prestige Schlosshotel at Lake Woerther presents itself as ”completely normal” accommodation with small and less small imperfections.
Kuwait. IFA Hotels and Resorts is one of the bigger Arabian developers investing in mixed-use hotel and tourism resort projects. The Kuwait-based company has gradually been spreading its portfolio throughout the Middle East with projects on Dubai’s famous man-made Palm islands and even in Beirut’s mountainous areas. In fact, the developer has stretched its reach beyond the region and into Europe, the Indian Ocean region and Africa by forming strategic alliances with operators. A portrait of the big global player today.
Cologne. The future on the New Dorint Ltd hangs in the balance. The management team is, however, confident of victory. This year already, the team intends to increase the operational result of the group by eight million Euros. The leases for the hotels have been reduced by 12 percent.
Berlin. easyHotel has now signed a master franchise deal with the German i.gen hotels Ltd, Berlin. Within the next four years, ten easyHotels are planned for Germany, the first of which for Berlin.