AFM Hospitality Acquires Boutique Hotels & Resorts International ®
Boutique’s Chairman, CEO and Founder to Head New AFM Premier Alliances Group
TORONTO, ON: AFM Hospitality Corporation (TSX:AFM) today announced that it has acquired substantially all of the assets of Boutique Hotels & Resorts International® based in Miami, Florida. The transaction closed on November 15, 2004. AFM completed the transaction primarily for cash and other consideration through two new U.S. subsidiaries, AFM BHRI (USA) Inc. and AFM IP Holdings Inc.
TORONTO, ON: AFM Hospitality Corporation (TSX:AFM) today announced that it has acquired substantially all of the assets of Boutique Hotels & Resorts International® based in Miami, Florida. The transaction closed on November 15, 2004. AFM completed the transaction primarily for cash and other consideration through two new U.S. subsidiaries, AFM BHRI (USA) Inc. and AFM IP Holdings Inc. Both will part of the new AFM Premier Alliances Group to be headed by Boutique founder Martin Buehler.
Boutique Hotels & Resorts International® is an alliance for branding distinctive, independent hotel and resort properties from around the world. The deal includes alliance and membership agreements for more than 50 member hotels and resorts from Palm Beach to Napa Valley, and Park City to New York City, along with many international capitals from Paris to Cape Town Boutique provides member properties with an exclusive international brand identity, a state-ofthe- art reservations system, marketing, sales and other services, and presents a genuine boutique lodging experience to discerning travelers worldwide.
Boutique Hotels & Resorts International will operate as part of a new Premier Alliances Division. According to Lawrence P. Horwitz, AFM’s Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, AFM has named Martin Buehler as President and CEO and John Sears as Executive Vice President and COO of the Premier Alliances Division of AFM Hospitality. Horwitz stated “Boutique is clearly complementary to AFM’s other hospitality franchising and management businesses. Boutique has earned an excellent reputation among the finest worldwide luxury and independent boutique hotels and resorts. We are pleased with the tremendous growth Boutique has achieved within the past two years. Martin Buehler and John Sears bring a lot of talent and decades of international hospitality and travel industry expertise to our company.”
Under the terms of the purchase, in exchange for all the assets of Boutique Hotels & Resorts International® and the related intellectual property from First Capital Hospitality Financial Group, the sellers have received cash, notes and other consideration of approximately CDN $2.5 million as well as the right to an earn-out participation in the success of the related business over the next seven years. Concurrent with this acquisition the Purchasers closed on a financing package with a private Canadian and American lending group to provide USD $450,000 of acquisition financing, working capital, and capital to cover related transaction costs. The financing provides for terms with a twenty four month maturity, deferred interest and the right to participate in operating profits of the acquired business for the first twenty four months.