Hilton snaps up three Jurys Inn hotels
Jurys Inn’s Chelsea and Islington hotels will be rebranded as DoubleTree by Hilton (during spring and summer 2014 respectively), while the mid-market group's Heathrow property will become Hilton Garden Inn London Heathrow in December 2014.
Over £20 million will be invested by Jurys Inn in the planned rebranding, incorporating the current capital investment programme in the Chelsea and Islington hotels. The three properties will continue to be owned and operated by Jurys Inn.
“This initiative will see three of our London hotels leverage their prime locations, a significant investment programme and Hilton’s upscale brands to further optimise future revenues and deliver exceptional service to our guests," said John Brennan, chief executive of Jurys Inn Hotel Group
“The excellence of our leadership team and employees within these hotels, working in conjunction with our new partners in Hilton Worldwide, will ensure a smooth and seamless transition for our guests to DoubleTree by Hilton and Hilton Garden Inn.”
Jim Holthouser, executive vice president of global brands at Hilton Worldwide, added: “Both DoubleTree by Hilton and Hilton Garden Inn have seen dramatic growth in the UK and are earning increased loyalty and preference both amongst UK guests and international visitors. We are delighted to be taking this next step with a partner such as Jurys Inn.”
Capital gains
The hotel improvement programme will bring a number of new facilities, including the addition of 143 guest rooms to the DoubleTree by Hilton – London Islington as part of a substantial extension. Guests at the Hilton Garden Inn London Heathrow will see a full renovation including the addition of a Pavilion Pantry, as well as benefitting from other amenities for which Hilton Garden Inn is known, including an on-site fitness centre and guest laundry.
Patrick Fitzgibbon, Hilton Worldwide's senior vice president of development for Europe & Africa, said: “This is an incredible testament to the strength of our brands in London and the wider UK market. In the five years since we introduced DoubleTree by Hilton into the UK, it has grown rapidly, and with this signing we will have 10 hotels in the capital, 2,767 quality rooms, and yet more to come.
“We are delighted to be working with Jurys Inn’s visionary leadership team who will continue to be instrumental as we launch these superbly placed properties within our London portfolio, which includes 36 hotels trading or under development.”
Jurys Inn currently has 32 hotels spread across the UK, Ireland and the Czech Republic. Meanwhile Hilton Worldwide operates 10 global hotel brands, comprising more than 650,000 rooms in 90 countries and territories.
The remaining 29 hotels within the Jurys Inn portfolio will continue to trade as Jurys Inns, building on the success the Group has achieved to date on the back of a sustained recovery in trading across all its hotels. The group recently completed a successful financial restructuring which saw new and existing shareholders commit substantial additional equity, in combination with a significant reduction in debt.
