Further hotel transaction activity points to continued investor confidence with the Novotel Brisbane sold by CDL Hospitality Trusts (“CDLHT”) to Amora Hotels & Resorts for $67.9 million by JLL.
In further signs of continued investor confidence in the Australian hotel sector, the Novotel Brisbane has sold by CDL Hospitality Trusts (“CDLHT”) to Amora Hotels & Resorts for $67.9 million.
The transaction was brokered off-market by JLL Hotels & Hospitality Group.
Prominently situated on the north-eastern edge of the CBD next to Central Railway Station and only a short walk from many of the city’s key demand generators, the Novotel Brisbane features 296 guest rooms, full-service restaurant and bar, café, ballroom and function rooms, 70 car parking bays, an outdoor swimming pool and gymnasium. The property is currently leased until early 2021 at which time it will be rebranded and owner operated by Amora Hotels & Resorts.
Mr Vincent Yeo, Chief Executive Officer of CDLHT’s managers, said, “As part of our proactive asset management strategy, the divestment of Novotel Brisbane allows us to recycle capital to maximise long-term value for Stapled Securityholders.” CDLHT’s managers intend to utilise the proceeds from the divestment mainly to repay existing borrowings, which will further strengthen CDLHT’s balance sheet and enhance its financial flexibility through increased debt headroom, or fund acquisitions if suitable opportunities arise.
Raja David, Director/Owner Representative, Amora Hotels & Resorts, said “We are absolutely delighted to enter the Brisbane market through the acquisition of such a well-known hotel. This property will perfectly complement our existing portfolio and help to further accommodate the needs of our loyal guests. We are now looking forward to the rebranding and exploring further expansion opportunities for our Australian network.”
Peter Harper, Managing Director – Head of Investment Sales Australasia, said “The sale of the Novotel Brisbane is another clear example that high-quality hotel real estate remains sought after across Australia, despite the obvious short-term challenges ahead. This transaction follows our recent sale of the Vibe Hotel Melbourne for a reported $108 million and with several other assets in the market we expect to announce at least another $300 million of deals before year end.”
He added, “Six months on from the initial impact of COVID-19, its apparent that there is a two-tier market emerging. Given how tightly held the Australian hotel market has historically been, many investors are taking a long-term view and largely seeing the current environment as an opportunity to acquire previously ‘unobtainable’ assets. As such, investment grade hotels in good condition and locations are still seeing strong investor demand and this competitive interest is helping to maintain capital values. Whilst many purchasers were hoping to see wide-spread heavy discounts to pricing, the reality is that we are only seeing this for assets that are situated in secondary locations, require significant capex or considered likely to be the last to fully recover.”
Mike Batchelor, CEO Asia Pacific, said “Offshore investors have always been attracted to the Australian hotel market and this is even more evident in the current environment where the country
is clearly viewed as a flight to quality destination due to its strong investment fundamentals, the way our Governments have handled the COVID-19 crisis relative to other nations and a very positive medium to long term outlook.”
“Our team of 90 across Asia Pacific are currently constantly fielding interest and enquiry on Australian hotels, be it for existing sale offerings or the search for off-market opportunities. Pleasingly, it’s not just from the traditional capital source markets of Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia, but increasingly also emerging markets such as Thailand and Vietnam,” he noted.
This article is republished from thehotelconversation.com under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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