Hotel Owner February 2019 | Page 11

MONTH IN REVIEW GO ONLINE www.hotelowner.co.uk ACQUISITIONS AccorHotels increases Orbis shares by 33% AccorHotels has received the preliminary results of a tender offer for the remaining shares in Polish Hospitality group Orbis Hotel Group. Accor launched a tender offer in November last year for all of the shares in the hospitality company it did not already own. At the closure of the tender Accor said investors submitted subscription for approximately 15.3 million shares in Orbis at an offer price of PLN95.0, (£19) for a total consideration of PLN1, 450m (£296m) constituting approximately 33.1% of the share capital of Orbis. Accor added the settlement of the shares will take place on January 28th. Following the settlement of the offer and subject to the final confirmation of the number of shares submitted by the investors it is estimated that AccorHotels will own, directly and indirectly, 85.8% of Orbis’ share capital. In an online statement announcing the results, Accor said: “AccorHotels strengthens the control on Orbis and consolidate its leadership in Central Europe. As announced on 26 November, the group shall explore options to crystallize the value of Orbis’ asset portfolio.” STAT OF THE MONTH £2.6bn That’s the total amount invested in London hotels during 2018 February 2019 1 2 CRIME Builder who destroyed new Travelodge reception located by officers A builder who destroyed a newly constructed reception at Travelodge Liverpool over an alleged £600 pay dispute has been located by detectives investigating the case. A report was received by Merseyside Police shortly before 3pm on Monday (21 January) that a digger was being driven into the entrance of the Travelodge building in the Liverpool Innovation Park. According to reports the digger crashed through the main entrance of the property, destroying the doors, reception desk and windows. The driver then left the vehicle and made off on foot in the direction of Edge Lane. He will be interviewed as part of the ongoing investigation. According to the police, one man experienced eye irritation due to exposure to diesel and was treated at the scene by North West Ambulance Service. It is not believed anyone else was injured during the incident. Ceiling fixer Samuel White told the BBC that the driver was involved in a pay dispute over £600 with contractors at the hotel. He said: “ The handover was today. Everything completed, we’d put the last tile in, cleaned up and made sure everything was perfect. Then some idiot in a mini digger decided to drive through the middle of the building.” “ There were loads of workers outside all gobsmacked, jaws to the floor wondering what’s going on. The site manager was running around like a headless chicken, he wasn’t happy at all.” 3 4 5 6 7 8 HOTEL OPENINGS IHG opens 190- room Staybridge Suites hotel at Heathrow Intercontinental Hotels Group (IHG) has opened the 190-room Staybridge Suites London- Heathrow Bath Road, located minutes away from the international airport. IHG said that the hotel features 145-studio rooms and 45 one- bedroom suites all equipped with a fully-fitted kitchen, multiple communal spaces, including ‘The Den’ which comes with a games console, an on-site 24-hour fitness centre and a pantry-style food store, called ‘The Pantry’ which provides guests with everything from snacks and ready- made meals to toiletries. Staybridge Suites London- Heathrow Bath Road is part of a dual- branded property with Holiday Inn, due to open later in 2019. Guests at Staybridge Suites London- Heathrow Bath Road will also be able to benefit from access to all facilities and amenities at the Holiday Inn next door. Mark Roth, general manager at Staybridge Suites London- Heathrow Bath Road, said: “We are excited to be welcoming our first guests to Staybridge Suites London- Heathrow Bath Road. “This hotel brings something new to Heathrow and provides guests with the option to stay in the style of room that suits them best. Staybridge Suites is the perfect brand for this location, whether it’s for a short stopover stay, a holiday or staying for a longer period of time for business.” www.hotelowner.co.uk 11