Fattal Hotel Group has acquired the £29m leasehold of the iconic Grand Harbour Hotel in Southampton from hotel operator and manager, Westmont. The Grand Harbour will be operated by Jurys Inn and Leonardo Hotels UK and Ireland, and expected to rebrand over the coming months.
Opened in 1994, the Four Star Grand Harbour Hotel, situated on the Southampton waterfront, features 173 rooms and suites, two dining experiences – Marco Pierre White, and the Hamtun Bar and Bistro; 13 meeting and event rooms with a total capacity of 500 people, and a state-of-the-art spa and gym.
The hotel will be rebranded as a Leonardo Royal Hotel, but will retain its renowned ambiance following the acquisition, as it joins the growing collection of Leonardo Hotels.
The Leonardo Hotels brand is a recent entrant into the UK hotel market, with eight hotels in the UK: six in Scotland, located in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Perth and one in London Heathrow and Manchester. However, it has a significant international presence, with more than 150 properties across several major European cities.
David Fattal, CEO of Fattal Hotel Group, said, “We are delighted to have acquired the Grand Harbour Hotel in Southampton, which is another step in our strategic plan to extend our foothold in the UK and to position the Group as one of the UK’s most significant hotel owner and operators.”
Jason Carruthers, Managing Director of Leonardo and Jurys Inn Hotels UK and Ireland, said, “This is a truly exciting time for the Group as we expand our offering in the UK with this iconic luxury hotel in a key city like Southampton.
“We continue to look to grow and strengthen our portfolio and hotel network, and will pursue further appropriate and commercially attractive new development and acquisition opportunities as they arise. We look forward to working together with the employees at the Grand Harbour Hotel to deliver exceptional experiences for our guests and drive the performance of the hotel.”
This month, Fattal announced it had partnered in the flagship acquisition of Manchester’s iconic Midland Hotel for £115m which has joined the expanding portfolio of Leonardo Hotels in the UK.
It also revealed plans to invest approximately £32m in the redevelopment and expansion of the existing Jurys Inn Edinburgh hotel and its neighbouring site.The investment includes proposed plans to convert an adjacent listed building to a new 131-room NYX Hotel by Leonardo Hotels and the development of 31 new residential units on the 1.2 acre Jeffrey Street site.
Fattal partnered on the acquisition of the Jurys Inn Hotel Group, at the end of last year, significantly adding to their UK hotel portfolio. The group now operate 44 hotels in the UK and Ireland under two brands, Leonardo Hotels and Jurys Inn.