NEW YORK—Following its acquisition of NH Hotel Group, Minor Hotels’ Chief Commercial Officer Michael Marshall recently met here with Hotel Business to discuss the deal and the steps going forward for the company.
“The recent acquisition of NH Hotel Group has transformed Minor Hotels into a truly global hospitality company,” said Marshall. “Prior to the acquisition, Minor Hotels’ footprint covered 24 countries. The acquisition increases the group’s portfolio to 516 hotels and resorts in 53 countries across the Middle East, Asia-Pacific, Europe, South America, Africa and the Indian Ocean—the majority of the additions being in Europe and South America.”
The acquisition also grows Minor Hotels from a portfolio of five hotel brands (Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas, Avani Hotels & Resorts, Tivoli Hotels & Resorts, Oaks Hotels & Resorts and M Collection) to eight, adding NH Hotel Group’s three brands: NH Hotels, nhow hotels and NH Collection.
Following the acquisition in October 2018, Minor secured a 94.1% shareholding stake in NH Hotel Group, at a total investment of $2.6 billion.
“Now, moving forward, Minor Hotels and NH Hotel Group are integrating their brands under a single corporate umbrella,” Marshall said. “Both groups are already sharing their know-how and experience in the sector with a view of materializing opportunities in the short term, taking advantage of the complementary nature of their hotel portfolios, the scope for economies of scale with a broader customer base and exploring the development of all of their brands in different markets. A first step in this direction is the transfer of the operations of the portfolio of 15 Minor Hotels in Portugal and Brazil to NH Hotel Group.”
Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas
Minor Hotels’ core luxury brand, Anantara, now includes 39 hotels and resorts in a diverse range of locations across the Middle East, Asia, the Indian Ocean, Africa and Europe.
“We believe the adage, ‘Life is a Journey,’ and the journey will expand to include four new properties in 2019: Anantara Maraú Bahia Resort (Brazil); Anantara Tozeur Resort (Tunisia); Anantara Desaru Coast Resort & Villas (Malaysia); and Anantara Le Chaland Resort (Mauritius),” said Marshall.
The Anantara Maraú Bahia Resort will be the brand’s first in the Americas. “When it opens in mid-2019, the resort will offer an exciting new gateway to South America, following an investment of [$1 million] in the renovation of the former Kiaroa Eco-Luxury Resort,” he said. “Bringing five-star luxury with a sense of adventure to Bahia, guests of Anantara Maraú will arrive in style, jetting in by plane to the resort’s private landing strip. The resort will initially offer 30 guestrooms, suites and bungalows, followed by the resort’s expansion in 2020, which will add new guestrooms in beachfront and garden settings, some with a private pool.”
Anantara has six properties in the pipeline for 2020 and beyond.
Avani Hotels & Resorts
In March 2018, Avani announced a new brand extension, Avani+, which was combined with the launch of the first hotel in Luang Prabang in Laos. Avani currently operates 25 properties in 15 countries in Asia, the Indian Ocean, the Middle East and Europe, in addition to having a strong pipeline.
Avani has 12 new-build properties in the pipeline for 2019 and beyond.
Tivoli Hotels & Resorts
Minor acquired Tivoli Hotels & Resorts in February of 2016.
“Since Minor’s acquisition, Tivoli Hotels has undergone a complete renovation of its portfolio of properties in Portugal and Brazil,” said Marshall. “In Portugal, the main properties—Tivoli Avenida Liberdade, Tivoli Carvoeiro and Tivoli Palácio de Seteais—revealed new atmospheres, outlets and services raising brand standards and outcomes.”
Scheduled to launch in the first half of 2019 is the brand’s first property in the Alentejo region of Portugal in the historic city of Évora. The Tivoli Évora Ecoresort will be a nature retreat “surrounded by age-old cork oak and olive trees; the property is designed in sustainable contemporary style,” he said. “Fifty-six suites carefully placed around the 409,000-sq.-ft. grounds will provide privacy and tranquility for guests.”
He said 2019 will be the year for the Tivoli brand to consolidate all recent investments and prepare for expected openings in 2020 in Brazil and China.
Oaks Hotels & Resorts
Minor Hotels acquired Oaks Hotels & Resorts, a provider of serviced apartments in Australasia and the UAE, in 2011. It includes 57 properties.
Al Najada Doha Hotel Apartments by Oaks in Doha, the brand’s first property in Qatar, opened in August 2018. The new-build property offers 100 serviced apartments with minimalist interiors, in addition to a range of on-site facilities including an outdoor swimming pool, a fitness center, a pool bar and 24-hour room service.
Scheduled to launch in March 2019, the 110-key Oaks Beirut is in the final stages of development in Sodeco, a commercial area of the Lebanese capital. The property will provide modern accommodations with a selection of guestrooms and suites, with facilities including an all-day dining restaurant, a lounge bar & café, a rooftop pool and bar, plus dedicated conference facilities.
M Collection
In late 2018, Minor announced two new hotels to be developed in China under the company’s M Collection brand of hotels and bespoke travel experiences. Scheduled to open in 2020, the 100-key M Collection Hengqin Zhuhai will be located at the heart of Pearl River Delta in the southern corner of Zhuhai. The second resort is a 54-key all-villa resort in Hangzhou Yuhang in the Zhejiang Province, scheduled to be completed in 2022. HB
