HOTEL FINANCE

We are one of the very few firms in the market who view hotel finance as a specialist discipline, with a dedicated hotel finance practice that sits within the wider banking team. This specialism has been recognised in the finance sections of the legal directories for a number of years.

"Extensive experience in transactions relating to hotel projects."
Chambers & Partner (2016), Real Estate Finance, London

The team is regularly instructed by the specialist hotel finance teams at a wide range of UK and European lenders, as well as a wide range of borrowers. We advise on both single asset and portfolio deals, as well as corporate facilities to hotel groups. In addition to advising on transactions, the team have advised new lenders on their lending mandate to the sector.

We believe it is essential for hotel finance lawyers to have a detailed knowledge both of the hotel market and also of the various operating structures. Our hotel finance lawyers therefore have an in-depth knowledge of the various hotel operating agreements (hotel management agreements, franchise agreements, non-disturbance agreements) and have good working relationships with all the major hotel brands. The team has been instructed on a number of international hotel projects, solely to advise the lenders on the implications of the hotel operating agreements.

Our team regularly attend the key industry conferences. We would be delighted to meet up with you there.

Our Hotel Finance clients include:

• Aareal Bank AG
• Allied Irish Banks
• Barclays Bank
• Bank Leumi
• Bank of Ireland
• Bank of London and The Middle East
• Clydesdale Bank
• Criterion Group
• HSBC
• ICBC
• Precis Holdings
• Santander
• That Group
• The Royal Bank of Scotland plc
• United Overseas Bank

Our recent experience includes:

• Acting for Handelsbanken in connection with the refinancing of the acquisition by Pandox AB of the Midland Hotel Manchester and the Radisson Blu Hotel Glasgow
• Ministry of Defence Pension Fund (MODPF) – acted for MODPF, one of the largest pension funds and property owners in Oman, on the construction financing of the 5 star Anantara Hotel in Jabal Akhdar, Oman. The transaction was the first time MODPF has used debt facilities to finance this type of transaction.
• Allied Irish Bank – facility to HIG to acquire the Formby Hall Golf Club & Spa
• Edwardian Hotel Group – advising Aareal Bank AG and Santander on £220m of facilities to the Edwardian Hotel Group
• Barclays Bank – £95m facility to Ennismore in relation to the financing of the Hoxton Hotel Shoreditch and the Hoxton Hotel Holborn
• Precis Holdings Group – secured development finance facility from HSBC for the new M by Montcalm hotel, Shoreditch
• ACT Group/Criterion Capital – £1 billion syndicated facility from Aviva Commercial Finance Ltd secured on a £2 billion portfolio, including London Trocadero (including a new Ibis styles and Mercure hotel) and Criterion Theatre/Buildings, Piccadilly, Slough Shopping Centre and East India Dock
• Santander – advising Santander on facilities in excess of £150m to the Topland Group to finance the acquisition of the Menzies Hotel Group, the Feathers Hotel Group and the Hallmark Hotel Group
• Clydesdale – providing a development facility in relation to the new Hotel Indigo at Aldgate
• HSBC – hunting facility to Station Hotels Newcastle group
• Barclays Bank – facility to London & Regional in relation to the Cliveden Hotel, Berkshire and the Strand Palace Hotel
• Santander – providing a corporate facility to the Z Hotels Group
• Santander – advising on the acquisition of the Hampton by Hilton Hotel, Gatwick North Terminal by International Hotels Group
• Allied Irish Bank – facility to HIG to finance the acquisition of the Hilton Hotel, London Docklands
• Aareal Bank – advising on the management agreements relating to the Marriott Hotel, Munich