Hotels

Our multidisciplinary Hotel Sector Group supports clients to navigate complex legal and commercial issues connected to Hotel projects.

Hotels

Overview

Travers Smith has been working in the hotel sector for many years and has significant experience advising clients operating in the sector, including multinational corporations, portfolio investors and asset operators. We have a multidisciplinary hotel sector group comprising lawyers from across the firm who regularly work together to support clients navigating complex legal and commercial projects.

We regularly advise on high-value and strategic hotel acquisitions, disposals, capital raisings, financings, commercial contracts and management arrangements, intellectual property matters and franchising, consumer protection, employment and immigration matters, regulatory compliance and sustainability.

Our ability to blend deep technical knowledge with commercial pragmatism makes us a trusted adviser to clients of all sizes – from early-stage developers to sector-leading portfolio managers.

Partner-led approach:

Our approach is partner-led and our commitment to quality ensures that our clients have the appropriate level of partner involvement, not just occasionally but continuously, supported by consistent teams of talented and experienced counsel and associates. Unlike several of our competitors, our lawyers do not have chargeable hour targets, enabling us to focus on quality and efficiency without the pressure of hitting (or the incentive to rack-up) a certain number of billable hours. 

Commercial, pragmatic and efficient:

We do not seek to provide our clients with a masterclass in the finer points of the law; we cut through legalese and deliver clear and commercial guidance and deliver solutions and results in an efficient way. 

 

 

Selected real estate and finance hotels experience

Advised DNB Bank on the financing of the €1.4bn acquisition of pan-European Dalata Hotel Group by Pandox.

Advised AJ Capital Partners on the acquisition and financing of The Randolph Hotel, Oxford and the Hilton DoubleTree Hotel, Cambridge, to be operated under the in-house "Graduate" brand, and the related management, F&B and brand-licensing arrangements.

Advised Credit Agricole and a consortium of other banks on their financing of Foncière des Régions' acquisition of a portfolio of 14 UK hotels from Starwood Capital.

Advised Patron Capital on the refinancing of Generator Hostels, London.

Advised M&L Hospitality on the acquisition, development and financing of two hotels in Manchester, as well as the refinancing of debt facilities secured on hotels in Stratford and at Heathrow Airport.

Advised a club of banks led by NATIXIS on the refinancing of debt facilities secured on a prominent Park Lane hotel.

Advised Peel Holdings on the refinancing of its land bank and the financing/refinancing of multiple other assets including shopping centres, airports and hotels.

Advised AJ Capital Partners on the financing of its acquisition and redevelopment of hotels overlooking world-famous golf courses in St Andrews, Troon, North Berwick, Dornoch, Royal County Down and Portrush to be operated under the 'Marine & Lawn' brand.

Advised Shepherd Neame on the refinancing of its existing debt facilities via a new bank facility and a European private placement, secured on its portfolio of public houses and hotels.

Selected Wider Hotel Sector Experience

Advised M&L Group on the appointment of a new operator for the Crowne Plaza Aberdeen Airport Hotel and the Holiday Inn Express Aberdeen Airport Hotel, including the renegotiation of its hotel management and accounting services agreements.

Advised Another Place, an innovative luxury hotel owner operated by the team behind Watergate Bay Hotel in Cornwall, on its acquisition of the Machrie Golf Links & Hotel, including complex related brand licensing and management services arrangements. We also advise the Watergate Bay Hotel Group on general corporate, financing, commercial and real estate matters.

Advised BTC UK in relation to its large-scale development of the Grade II listed former Bow Street Magistrates Court in Covent Garden London into the NoMad London luxury boutique hotel, including advising on the property acquisition and the hotel management and F&B agreements.

Advised Z Capital Partners on an international brand franchise agreement in connection with its sale of the Waldhaus Flims Wellness Resort & Spa in Switzerland.

Advised BNP Paribas on international brand franchise agreements in connection with its acquisition of two hotels in France.

Advised Highgate Hotels on the development of a hotel and office in Shoreditch and on the management arrangements for Grosvenor House Suites at Park Lane.

Advised the London Resort Company on the negotiation of a number of management and contractual agreements for hotels at the new London Resort theme park and on its new licensing deal with Paramount Pictures.

Advised Travelodge on various matters, including in relation to the restructuring and rationalisation of the group’s hotel estate.

Advised Meliá Hotels International on data protection matters, including data subject access requests, data processing agreements and other related advice.

Industry Membership

We are also members of the Energy & Environment Alliance (EEA) – the global coalition of hospitality and lodging investors, developers, operators and asset managers working to transition hospitality businesses to net zero and deliver ESG leadership in a timely, scientifically robust and commercially sustainable way – giving us direct insight into the challenges within the sector.

OUR APPROACH

Unmatched expertise, without limitations

Unlike firms with a fixed footprint, we hand-pick the best specialists in the market for the advice at hand, ensuring that you receive high-quality advice across each and every jurisdiction in which you operate.

Flexibility

We are not required to use a particular firm. If you want us to work with a particular firm in a jurisdiction, we can, including if they are a competitor or a Big Four firm.

Cost efficiency

As we do not have global offices, we are able to provide premium cross-border services at competitive, local rates.  We also effectively divide responsibility between us, so there is no duplication of effort or cost.

Investment in our international network

We meet with hundreds of law firms every year, identifying a select group of partner firms who share our specialist strengths and can match our demanding service standards, at the right price point.

GET IN TOUCH

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