Riberas brothers acquire Hotel Palacio Del Retiro in Madrid 
Brothers Jon and Francisco Riberas, owners of the Spanish automotive company Gestamp Automoción, have acquired the five-star, 50-room Hotel Palacio Del Retiro in Madrid for €60 million (€1,200,000 per room). Part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection, the hotel is located on Alfonso XII Street, opposite the famous Retiro Park in central Madrid, and includes a fitness centre, spa, business centre, restaurant and bar. Previously owned by the Oriol family, the property was constructed in 1913 as the family’s residences and was converted in 2004 to become a high-end hotel operated by the AC Hoteles chain that was then acquired by Marriott in 2011. The founder of AC Hoteles, Antonio Catalán, continues to operate the Hotel Palacio Del Retiro under his Belagua management company and subject to a franchise agreement with Marriott. 
Reato Group acquires the Best Western Plus Hotel Planetstaden in Lund, Sweden
Swedish hospitality firm Reato Group has entered into an agreement to acquire the four-star, 196-room Best Western Plus Hotel Planetstaden in Lund, Sweden, via a 100% share purchase in the real estate company Företagsplanering i Malmö AB, as well as the operating company of the hotel, Planetstaden Holding. The total purchase amount reportedly totals SEK 250 million, equivalent to approximately €21.5 million (€107,000 per room). The deal is intended to be financed by taking over existing loans in addition to new financing facilities. Of the 200 rooms, 46 are long-stay apartments, and the recently renovated property (in 2019) also includes a food court, spa and conferencing facilities. Reato Group also provides franchising rights and marketing services to hotels affiliated with its First Hotels brand. In Sweden, there are currently 29 First Hotels, along with four in Norway and six in Denmark. 
Columbia Threadneedle acquires the Tigerlily Hotel in Edinburgh 
UK-based asset manager Columbia Threadneedle has acquired the four-star, 33-room Tigerlily Hotel in Edinburgh, Scotland, for a reported sale price of around £12 million (£364,000 per room). Located in Edinburgh’s New Town, a short distance from the Waverley railway station on George Street, the Georgian hotel includes a restaurant and a bar on the premises. There is currently a longterm lease in place to the current tenant and operator, Montpeliers, who manage a portfolio of seven F&B and hotel establishments in Edinburgh’s city centre, with the Tigerlily Hotel being their flagship. UK-based property fund manager Lothbury Investment Management acquired the hotel in 2010 from Scottish investment firm Alliance Trust for £9.6 million.
Visasur Group acquires the former NH Agustino hotel in Pamplona, Spain 
Seville-based Visasur Group has acquired the four-star, 60-room former NH Agustino hotel located in the Los Agustinos business district in Pamplona, Spain, from the Navarrese family office, for an undisclosed price. The hotel is set to be operated by Visasur Group’s own management company AZZ Hoteles. The property closed at the end of 2022 for renovations and is set to be renamed as the AZZ Pamplona Norte hotel, with the reopening scheduled for the end of June 2023. The new owners may undertake additional works to extend the asset’s number of rooms further. The property opened in 2006 and was managed until 2014 by NH Hotel Group. 
Buxani Group acquires the Best Western Plus Keavil House Hotel in Fife, Scotland
Singaporean family office Buxani Group’s hospitality arm, Buxani Hotels, has acquired the four-star, 70-room Best Western Plus Keavil House Hotel, located in southern Fife in Scotland, near Dunfermline. Covering 12 acres of land, the previous owners extended the hotel to include a health club and spa, as well as the Elgin Suite for large functions and weddings. Having owned the hotel since 1988, the sellers are planning to retire and this transaction marks the last asset sale in their portfolio. The property is set to be managed by Compass Hospitality UK, who currently operate 20 UK hotels across 17 cities. The hotel announced that it was accommodating Ukraine War refugees in May 2023, on a contract with the Scottish Government. 
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