What Big-Chain Buyouts Mean For The Future Of Boutique Hotels
As a long-time member of the boutique and lifestyle hotel industry, I decided to take a holistic look at what is happening in this current economy that is ripe for buying what you may not have in your own arsenal.
The subject has become even more topical because of the recent spate of boutique hotel buyouts by larger hotel companies. Marriott International, Hyatt and AccorHotels have shed real estate assets to raise cash, which has then been used to buy smaller hotel companies that specialize in the boutique sector.
Hilton in 2016 took that strategy one step further by spinning off its real estate assets into a real estate investment trust (REIT) that would become Park Hotels & Resorts.
The trend started in early 2015 when InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), whose mega-brands include Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express and Staybridge Suites, completed its $430 million acquisition of San Francisco-based boutique-hotel progenitor Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants.
