Leonardo Hotels to open first UK hotel, at Heathrow Airport

Leonardo Hotels is to open its first UK hotel at Heathrow Airport, on the site of a former Holiday Inn, after agreeing a 25-year lease with the Standard Life Investments Pooled Pension Property Fund.

The 230-bedroom property will open on 16 March, and has been re-branded and refurbished as the Leonardo Hotel London Heathrow Airport. Leonardo Hotels is the European arm of Israeli company Fattal Hotels, and focuses on three- and four-star properties.

The Heathrow hotel will provide a launch pad for expansion into the UK market, alongside plans for further international expansion. The company is already well established in Germany and Israel, and also has sites in Antwerp, Bruges, Budapest, Vienna, and Zurich.

Saar Sharon, managing director of Leonardo Hotels UK, said: "We are pleased to announce that with this exciting hotel opening, we are now poised for growth in the UK market. London Heathrow is a global hub where we can offer our guests an attractive hotel stay, build our UK business and continue to pursue our rigorous commitment to offer additional European destinations."

Standard Life Investments was advised by CBRE.

Former Stasi headquarters to be turned into a hotel and other international hotel news >>

Park Inn by Radisson at Heathrow sold for around £72m >>

Arora Hotel Heathrow goes on the market for £45m >>