Amaris Hospitality to undertake £100m rebranding of 21 hotels
The investment has been agreed following a strategic review of all 89 hotels within the group, which was created in July following the acquisition by Lone Star of the 28-strong Jurys Inn, a group of hotels operated under franchise agreements with AccorHotels' Mercure and MGallery brands, hotels carrying the Hilton Worldwide badges of DoubleTree and Hilton Garden Inn, and the Hotel Collection of unbranded properties.
Amaris is now taking steps to expand its portfolio of branded hotels by converting 21 hotels that currently sit within the Hotel Collection to Jurys Inns, Mercure and a yet-to-be-announced international upmarket brand.
Jurys will expand to 36 hotels with the addition of eight properties, while 11 hotels will be converted to the Mercure brand, bringing the total number of Amaris hotels trading under AccorHotels brands to 32.
Meanwhile, the Glasgow City hotel, Glasgow, and the Carlton hotel, Edinburgh will join the upmarket brand.
John Brennan, chief executive of Amaris Hospitality, said: "The rebranding and repositioning of these hotels is a key part of our strategy to leverage the size and scale of the unique Amaris Hospitality portfolio of hotel assets to accelerate its growth and development and create the UK's best performing, most exciting hospitality investment and management company."
Amaris Hospitality expects to complete the rebranding and investment programme by the end of 2016.
Lone Star has already sold three properties in the Hotel Collection - Cheltenham Park, Basingstoke Country and the Palace hotel, Buxton. The remaining 14 properties within the Hotel Collection - including the Imperial hotel, Torquay; Lygon Arms, Broadway; and the Majestic hotel, Harrogate - will continue to be operated by Lone Star, but it is expected these will be sold in the long term.
Amaris Hospitality could be worth £2b following £100m investment >>
Looking for a job? See all the current hotel vacancies available with The Caterer Jobs >>
Latest video from The Caterer