Starwood Capital Group Acquires Sofitel Budapest Chain Bridge Hotel

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Nov 24, 2017, 06:49 ET

MIAMI and BUDAPEST, Hungary, Nov. 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Starwood Capital Group, a leading global private investment firm, announced today that it has entered, through a controlled affiliate, into the sale and management back transaction to acquire the Sofitel Budapest Chain Bridge Hotel from Orbis Hotel Group, the leading hotel operator in Eastern Europe.

Sofitel Budapest is a landmark hotel with 357 rooms located at an iconic address in the heart of the city. The hotel enjoys spectacular views of the famous Chain Bridge, historical monuments and the Danube River. The hotel is being acquired for €75 million, subject to the approval of the European Union Merger Control Office. The hotel will undergo an extensive restoration and renovation plan equipping the hotel with the modern luxury design of the Sofitel brand.

The transaction unlocks an attractive partnership with Accor and Orbis in the rapidly developing CEE region. Budapest is the fastest growing urban hotel market across Europe in 2018, which benefits from a balanced mix of international leisure and corporate demand. The city has become a sought after European tourist destination, as well as an attractive cross-border real estate investment market.

"We are delighted to be acquiring this iconic European hotel in this high demand hospitality market, while partnering with Accor and Orbis on this transaction," said Keith Evans, Vice President, European Hotels at Starwood Capital Group. "With its irreplaceable location and strong cash flow, the hotel has attractive growth and significant repositioning potential. We look forward to investing in this property and leveraging Starwood Capital Group's hospitality expertise to help drive future growth together with our partners at Accor and Orbis."

"We are very pleased to enter into this transaction with Starwood Capital, a leading global private investment firm. This project opens a partnership for potential cooperation in the future. In line with Orbis Hotel Groups' portfolio strategy the aim of the sale and management back transaction of Sofitel Budapest Chain Bridge is gaining financing for further development in the region and increasing of the return on capital invested, reinforcing our sustainable growth." – highlighted Gilles Clavie, President and CEO of Orbis Hotel Group.

About Starwood Capital Group

Starwood Capital Group is a private alternative investment firm with a core focus on global real estate, energy infrastructure and oil & gas. The Firm and its affiliates maintain 10 offices in four countries around the world, and currently have more than 3,400 employees. Starwood Capital Group has raised over $42 billion of equity capital since its inception in 1991, and currently manages more than $54 billion in assets. The Firm has invested in virtually every category of real estate on a global basis, opportunistically shifting asset classes, geographies and positions in the capital stack as it perceives risk/reward dynamics to be evolving. Over the past 26 years, Starwood Capital Group and its affiliates have successfully executed an investment strategy that involves building enterprises in both the private and public markets. Additional information can be found at starwoodcapital.com.

About Orbis Hotel Group:

The Orbis Hotel Group is the largest network of hotels in Poland and in Eastern Europe. Orbis comprises 120 hotels and is the sole licensor of AccorHotels brands (including Adagio – the no. 1 aparthotel brand in Europe) in 16 countries including Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia and Slovenia. It offers a total of 20,000 rooms. The hotels operate under the brand names Sofitel, Pullman, MGallery, Novotel, Mercure, ibis, ibis Styles and ibis budget. These brands, recognized throughout the world, provide a quality of service to various standards, ranging from luxury 5-star to budget 1-star hotels. More information on orbis.pl

Orbis' strategic partner is AccorHotels.

About AccorHotels:

AccorHotels is a world-leading travel & lifestyle group and digital innovator offering unique experiences in more than 4,200 hotels, resorts and residences, as well as in over 10,000 of the finest private homes around the globe. Benefiting from dual expertise as an investor and operator through its HotelServices and HotelInvest divisions, AccorHotels operates in 95 countries. Its portfolio comprises internationally acclaimed luxury brands including Raffles, Sofitel Legend, SO Sofitel, Sofitel, Fairmont, onefinestay, MGallery by Sofitel, Pullman, and Swissôtel; as well as the popular midscale and boutique brands of 25hours, Novotel, Mercure, Mama Shelter and Adagio; the much-prized economy brands including JO&JOE, ibis, ibis Styles, ibis budget and the regional brands Grand Mercure, The Sebel and hotelF1. AccorHotels provides innovative end-to-end services across the entire traveler experience, notably through the recent acquisition of John Paul, world leader in concierge services. With an unmatched collection of brands and rich history spanning close to five decades, AccorHotels, along with its global team of more than 250,000 dedicated women and men, has a purposeful and heartfelt mission: to make every guest Feel Welcome. Guests enjoy access to one of the world's most rewarding hotel loyalty programs - Le Club AccorHotels.

SOURCE Starwood Capital Group