News

ATLANTA (November 1, 2024) – Davidson Hospitality Group, a leading hospitality management company celebrating its 50^th anniversary this year, today announced that it has entered into a new partnership with Nautic Partners, a middle-market private equity firm. As part of this partnership, Nautic Partners will acquire Davidson Hospitality Group from an affiliate of KSL Capital Partners, LLC, in partnership with Davidson management.

 Davidson Hospitality Group boasts over $2 billion in annual revenue under management and ranks number one in both gross annual revenue per room and gross annual revenue per property as reported by Hotel Business among third-party hotel managers. The company's unique vertical operating model, which focuses on lifestyle full-service, luxury, upscale full-service, and resort properties, has been instrumental in its ability to deliver exceptional financial performance and outstanding guest experiences.

"We are thrilled to embark on this new chapter with Nautic Partners," said Thom Geshay, CEO and President of Davidson Hospitality Group. "Nautic's commitment to supporting the long-term growth and success of its portfolio companies aligns perfectly with our strategic vision. We are confident that their partnership will enable us to continue delivering exceptional hospitality experiences while exploring new opportunities for expansion and growth."

 Nautic Partners pursues a thematic and proactive investment strategy to partner with executive talent in specific sub-sectors within the Healthcare, Industrials, and Services industries. The firm recently held a final closing on its most recent private equity vehicle, Nautic Partners XI, a $4.5 billion fund. Nautic's investment in Davidson Hospitality Group represents a strategic expansion into the hospitality sector, underscoring the firm's confidence in Davidson's operating model and growth potential. The investment builds upon Nautic’s previous sector experience in third-party property management, facilities management, and corporate lodging services.

 "Nautic Partners is committed to supporting Davidson's management team in achieving its long-term strategic objectives," said Mark Perlberg, a Managing Director at Nautic Partners. "We believe in the strength of Davidson's vertically focused operating model and are excited to partner with the team to drive continued growth and success."

John Ege, Partner at KSL Capital Partners, stated, "Nearly a decade ago, we setout to partner with a management company that not only shared a similar operating philosophy to our own, but a similar set of values. We are proud of our successful partnership with Davidson. The company's growth and success during our ownership has been more than impressive and is a testament to the strength of the Davidson platform. We are confident that Davidson is in the right hands with Nautic as Davidson looks to its next phase of growth. Through management of a number of our existing assets, Davidson remains an important management partner to KSL. We look forward to continuing to work with Davidson on both our existing portfolio and on future projects."

Moelis &Company LLC is serving as financial advisor to Davidson Hospitality Group and Davis Graham and Stubbs LLP are serving as legal counsel. Locke Lord LLP and Kirkland & Ellis LLP are serving as legal counsel to Nautic Partners.

About Davidson Hospitality Group  

Celebrating its 50^th anniversary in 2024, Davidson Hospitality Group is an award-winning, full-service hospitality management company comprised of 86existing hotels and resorts; more than 200 restaurants, bars, and lounges; and over 2 million square feet of meeting space across the United States. A trusted partner and preferred operator for Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, Kimpton, Margaritaville, and Nobu, Davidson offers a unique entrepreneurial management style and owners’ mentality that provides the individualized personal service of a small company, enhanced by the breadth and depth of skill and experience of a larger company. In keeping with the company’s heritage of delivering value, Davidson Hospitality Group is comprised of four highly specialized operating verticals: Davidson Hotels, Pivot, Davidson Resorts and Davidson Restaurant Group. In 2024, Davidson Hospitality Group was ranked #1 in Guest Satisfaction among Third-Party Hotel Management Companies by J.D. Power for the third consecutive year. For more information, www.davidsonhospitality.com. Follow us onInstagram: @davidsonhospitality and X: @DavidsonHospitalityGroup. Like us onFacebook: @DavidsonHospitalityGroup. Connect with us on LinkedIn: @DavidsonHospitalityGroup. #DavidsonHospitality  

About Nautic Partners

Nautic Partners is a Providence, Rhode Island-based middle-market private equity firm that focuses our expertise and market knowledge on sub-verticals within three sectors: Healthcare, Industrials and Services. Nautic has completed over 155platform transactions throughout our 38-year history. In pursuing our thematic and proactive investment strategy, we seek to partner with executives and management teams in an effort to accelerate the growth trajectory of our portfolio companies via acquisitions, targeted operating initiatives, and increased management team depth. For more information, please visit www.nautic.com.

About KSL Capital Partners

KSL Capital Partners, LLC is a private equity firm specializing in travel and leisure enterprises in five primary sectors: hospitality, recreation, clubs, real estate and travel services. KSL has offices in Denver, Colorado; Stamford, Connecticut; New York, New York; and London, England. KSL invests across three primary strategies through its equity, credit and tactical opportunities funds. KSL's current portfolio includes some of the premier properties in travel and leisure. For more information, please visit www.kslcapital.com.

MediaContact for Davidson Hospitality Group

CarrieDrost

cdrost@davidsonhospitality.com

747-342-2408

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Underscores Commitment to Investing in Exceptional Businesses, Expanding Tourism and Supporting Economic Growth in the Maldives
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LONDON, August 14, 2024 – KSL Capital Partners, LLC(“KSL”), a leading investor in travel and leisure businesses, today announced its affiliates will invest $21 million in the W Maldives to fully renovate the resort and plan to recommence capital spending at the Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort & Spa (“Sheraton Maldives”) to continue investing in one of the most expansive luxury properties in the Maldives.
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The $21 million investment will support a comprehensive renovation of the W Maldives that is designed to upgrade virtually all aspects of the resort. The renovation commenced earlier this year, and the W Maldives will remain temporarily closed to guests. It is expected to reopen in late 2024.
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Located on the private island of Fesdu in North Ari Atoll, the W Maldives comprises a combination of 77 overwater or beach bungalows with private pools and direct beach or sea access. Guests of the W Maldives can enjoy the resort’s six restaurants and bars, a world-class spa and snorkeling and diving at one of the best house reefs in the Maldives.
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KSL suspended its capital spending plans at the Sheraton Maldives earlier this year and had been in discussions with the Government of Maldives about the future of the resort. Electing to move on from those discussions, KSL plans to recommence its phased capital improvement plan to maintain the Sheraton Maldives’ leading reputation as one of the premier family resorts in the Maldives.  
 

The Sheraton Maldives is located on the private island of Furanafushi, a short speedboat ride from Velana International Airport. The 176-room resort features over water bungalows, ocean view villas and cottages, many with private plunge pools. The Sheraton Maldives offers seven restaurants and bars, multiple fresh-water pools, a full-service spa, tennis facilities and the Sheraton Kids' Club.
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“We’re excited to move forward with our plans at the W Maldives and the Sheraton Maldives resorts, two exceptional properties that offer the best of the Maldives to travelers from around the globe,” said Tina Yu, Partner at KSL Capital Partners. “We’re confident that our continued investments will further elevate the unique and unforgettable guest experience these resorts offer, while also creating a positive impact in the local community. As part of KSL’s mission to create enduring value, we remain steadfast in our commitment to the Maldives as one of the world's premier travel and leisure destinations and will continue to support the country’s economic growth.”
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KSL acquired the W Maldives and Sheraton Maldives in June2022. KSL is a significant investor in the Maldives with investments in six major hotels in the country, including the W Maldives, Sheraton Maldives, Soneva Fushi, Soneva Jani, the recently developed and opened Soneva Secrets and Outrigger Maafushivaru Resorts.
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About KSL Capital Partners 

KSL Capital Partners, LLC is a private equity firm specializing in travel and leisure enterprises in five primary sectors: hospitality, recreation, clubs, real estate and travel services. KSL has offices in Denver, Colorado; Stamford, Connecticut; New York, New York; and London, England. KSL invests across three primary strategies through its equity, credit and tactical opportunities funds. KSL's current portfolio includes some of the premier properties in travel and leisure. For more information, please visit www.kslcapital.com.

Media Contact

Kate Thompson / Erik Carlson

Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher

KSL-JF@joelefrank.com

(212) 355-4449

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LONDON, UK – June 26, 2024 – Blackstone Real Estate (“Blackstone”) today announced that funds managed by Blackstone have completed the acquisition of Village Hotels, a hotel owner, operator and developer, from affiliates of KSL Capital Partners, a leading investor in travel and leisure businesses.

Village Hotels owns and operates 33 well-located assets in large regional cities and suburban areas across the UK. Representing 4,400 hotel keys, it operates as an “all under one roof” leisure destination, offering traditional full-service hotel stays, fitness clubs, food and beverage outlets, and co-working spaces. Thanks to its wide range of amenities, Village Hotels has built a broad and loyal customer base, catering to domestic business travellers, tourists, large groups and local visitors.

James Seppala, Head of Real Estate Europe at Blackstone, said, “We are delighted to add Village Hotels, a standout hospitality brand with a unique business model, to our real estate portfolio. We see great potential in lodging and leisure as a sector, especially where we can support strongly positioned businesses that deliver exceptional experiences to their customers. We look forward to partnering with Village Hotels’ seasoned management team and support them as it embarks on its next stage of growth.”

Gary Davis, CEO of Village Hotels, said, “With KSL’s support, we have developed a differentiated brand, offering lodging, food, meeting space and health and wellness, ‘everything under one roof’. Each hotel attracts over 4,000 local members to our health and wellness clubs, quite unique in the hotel world, with high-tech equipment, fitness class facilities and pools with steam room and sauna. A great facility for the business traveller where health and wellness plus work facilities make us best in class. With Blackstone we see great opportunities to expand the number of hotels in the UK and further enhance our existing facilities. An exciting time for us all.”

Jens Blomdahl, Principal at KSL Capital Partners, said, “We are pleased to have partnered with the Village Hotels team to build out a comprehensive hospitality offering and expand their high-quality portfolio — including the addition of more than 1,200rooms and 45,000 fitness members. We look forward to following Village Hotels’ continued success in this new chapter as part of the Blackstone portfolio.”

Blackstone is along-term believer in the UK leisure sector, driven by consumers’ focus on high-quality experiences and services. In 2021, Blackstone acquired Bourne Leisure, a premier UK holiday company and owner of Haven Holiday Parks, the largest caravan operator in the UK, and Warner Hotels, the only hotel chain to cater exclusively to adults in the UK. Since acquisition, the firm has invested over £550 million across both brands for site and entertainment upgrades and expansions, growing Bourne Leisure into one of the largest providers of holiday experiences and holiday homes in Britain.

Lazard acted as Blackstone’s lead financial advisor, Santander also acted as Blackstone’s financial advisor and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett and DLA Piper served as Blackstone’s legal advisors. Morgan Stanley & Co. International plc acted as KSL’s financial advisor and Dentons served as KSL’s legal advisor.

About Blackstone Real Estate 
Blackstone is a global leader in real estate investing. Blackstone’s real estate business was founded in 1991 and has US $339 billion of investor capital under management. Blackstone is the largest owner of commercial real estate globally, owning and operating assets across every major geography and sector, including logistics, residential, office, hospitality and retail. Our opportunistic funds seek to acquire undermanaged, well-located assets across the world. Blackstone’s Core+ business invests in substantially stabilized real estate assets globally, through both institutional strategies and strategies tailored for income-focused individual investors including Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. (BREIT), a U.S. non-listed REIT. Blackstone Real Estate also operates one of the leading global real estate debt businesses, providing comprehensive financing solutions across the capital structure and risk spectrum, including management of Blackstone Mortgage Trust (NYSE: BXMT).

About KSL Capital Partners
KSL Capital Partners, LLC is a private equity firm specializing in travel and leisure enterprises in five primary sectors: hospitality, recreation, clubs, real estate and travel services. KSL has offices in Denver, Colorado; Stamford, Connecticut; New York, New York; and London, England. KSL invests across three primary strategies through its equity, credit and tactical opportunities funds .KSL’s current portfolio includes some of the premier properties in travel and leisure. For more information, please visit www.kslcapital.com.

Media Contacts

Blackstone
Sneha Patel
sneha.patel@blackstone.com  
+44 7884 086 362

KSL
Kate Thompson / Erik Carlson
Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher
KSL-JF@joelefrank.com
+1 (212) 355-4449

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Amsterdam, June 11, 2024 – Leonardo Hotels (“Leonardo”) today announced that it has entered into a purchase agreement to acquire the Zien Group (“Zien”) and its 12 hotels in the Netherlands from affiliates of KSL Capital Partners, LLC (“KSL”), a leading investor in travel and leisure businesses, as well as its partner, Garden Capital Group, whose shareholders founded the business. Terms were not disclosed. The transaction is scheduled to close in the second quarter of 2024and is subject to customary closing conditions.

The sale marks a successful investment for KSL, alongside Garden Capital Group, and transforms Leonardo Hotels into one of the leading hotel chains in the region – as its portfolio in the Benelux increases to 28 hotels. The acquired platform consists of five hotels in Amsterdam and several hotels in top locations in major cities, such as Rotterdam, The Hague, Eindhoven, Groningen, and Maastricht, underlining the significant growth strategy of Leonardo Hotels Benelux.

Zien Group’s current portfolio of hotels was assembled by the Dijkstra family over 75 years. KSL acquired a majority interest in the business in December 2021, during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. Through targeted refurbishments and operational initiatives under CEO Billy Kelli-Cohen, the group’s performance has steadily improved and now well surpasses pre-Covid performance.

Through this transaction, Leonardo Hotels adds 1,522 hotel rooms to its portfolio, bringing its total number of rooms in the Netherlands and Belgium to 4,161. The acquisition includes the transfer of well-known hotels in Amsterdam, such as the iconic Eden Hotel, The Lancaster Hotel, and The Manor.

The transaction is envisaged to complete in the first half of Q3 2024 and is conditional on the completion of merger clearance requirements and the works council advice process.

Guy Vardi and Yaniv Amzaleg, M&A Directors of Fattal and MD of Fattal European Partnerships, commented: “We are delighted to have been awarded this important mandate from KSL, which reflects very well on our ability to support deals of this nature - particularly in a highly competitive process. These new hotels will benefit from the synergies of being part of a much larger hospitality group, providing our guests with access to a robust portfolio of hotels in an increasingly attractive hospitality sector. Additionally, our investors can look forward to having strong returns from their investments as we continue to grow. By targeting properties that align with Leonardo's standards of excellence, the partnership seeks to curate a collection of industry-leading hotels.”

Alexander Kluit, Managing Director of Leonardo Hotels Benelux, welcomed the deal: “Zien’s hotels align seamlessly with Leonardo Hotels' vision of welcoming guests to unique, often city-center locations. We recognize many similarities in the passionate management of these hotels and look forward to enhancing our brand alongside our new colleagues.”

Ronen Nissenbaum, CEO of Leonardo Hotels in UK, Ireland, Benelux, Spain, and Portugal said: "We are delighted with this portfolio deal in the Netherlands, which increases our number of hotels in the Benelux region to 28. Our group has seen remarkable growth in recent years, now comprising over 300 hotels across 21 countries, with further acquisitions to be announced in the coming weeks."

Martin Edsinger, Partner at KSL, commented: “We are excited to hand the reins of Zien Group to Fattal Group and Leonardo Hotels as a strategic long-term owner. We have long recognized the strength of the Netherlands hospitality market.”

Raphael Bihler, Senior Vice President at KSL, added: “It has been our honour to be part of the storied history of Zien Group and its iconic properties. We are confident that Leonardo Hotels will enable a new chapter of continued growth for the portfolio as part of a larger group.”

About Fattal Hotels Group

Fattal Hotels is a rapidly growing international hotel group that owns and operates over 300 hotels across more than 120 destinations worldwide ,encompassing over 50,000 rooms. With a strong presence in 21 countries, including Germany, the UK & Ireland, Poland, Israel, Spain, the Netherlands, Austria, Italy, Greece, Cyprus, and France, the group continues to expand its global footprint across fantastic locations.

Fattal Hotels offers a diverse portfolio of accommodations, featuring leading brands such as Leonardo Hotels, Leonardo Royal Hotels, NYX lifestyle hotels, and all-inclusive resorts under the Leonardo banner. Additionally, its Leonardo Limited-Edition collection showcases a selection of uniquely curated and beautifully designed hotels.

About Leonardo Hotels

Founded in 2006as the European arm of the Fattal Hotel Group, Leonardo Hotels has since grown into a leading name in the hospitality industry. With a diverse portfolio consisting of Leonardo Hotels, Leonardo Royal Hotels, Leonardo Boutique Hotels, Leonardo Limited Edition Hotels and NYX Hotels, we offer a range of unique experiences tailor-made for the modern traveler. The Group owns and manages over300 hotels across 21 countries.

About KSL

KSL Capital Partners is a private equity firm specializing in travel and leisure enterprises in five primary sectors: hospitality, recreation, clubs, realestate and travel services. KSL has offices in Denver, Colorado; New York City; Stamford, Connecticut; and London, England. KSL's current European portfolio includes among others boutique hotel groups Beaumier and The Pig, iconic Scottish golf resort Cameron House, as well as London-based premium fitness chain Third Space. For more information, please visit www.kslcapital.com.

Advisors

Leonardo Hotels were advised by Freshfield Bruckhaus Deringer (Legal) and KPMG (Financial and Tax).

KSL Capital Partners were advised by Latham & Watkins and DeBrauw Blackstone Westbroek (Legal),Deloitte (Financial and Tax) and Eastdil Secured (Finance).

Garden Capital Groupwas advised by CMS (Legal).

Media Contacts

Leonardo Hotels:

Reputation Inc
Paul Griffin
Phone: +353 876674305

KSL CapitalPartners:

Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher
Kate Thompson / Erik Carlson
Email: KSL-JF@joelefrank.com
Phone: +1 212 355-4449

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DENVER, March 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- KSL Capital Partners, LLC (“KSL”),a leading investor in travel and leisure businesses, today announced that it has completed the final closing of its latest travel and leisure focused private equity fund, KSL Capital Partners VI, L.P. (“KSL VI”). Together with commitments from the General Partner, KSL VI closed on approximately $2 billion in capital commitments. The fund is backed by a diverse group of existing and new investors including state and corporate pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, endowments, foundations, insurance companies, asset managers and family offices.

In late 2021, KSL Capital Partners set a multi-year goal to raise new vehicles across various investment strategies, including Private Equity, Credit and Tactical Opportunities. Since October 2021, KSL has raised over $10.5 billion across these strategies.

“When we began fundraising, we set out an ambitious goal of raising capital for each of our strategies in a compressed timeframe. One of our primary goals in raising new capital was to provide a return of capital to our existing investors which we accomplished in raising a single asset continuation vehicle for each of Ross Aviation and Alterra Mountain Company, the latter being one of the largest continuation vehicles completed to date. The remaining capital is, of course, for new investments,” said Eric Resnick, CEO of KSL Capital Partners. “Our investors have positioned us well to take advantage of what we believe is a unique time in the market, particularly for travel and leisure businesses where we are able to leverage our deep operational expertise for the benefit of all our investment vehicles. We are tremendously grateful for the support shown to us by our investors across our strategies.”
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Ana Goizueta, KSL’s Head of Investor Relations & Marketing added, “We are incredibly proud of our team’s efforts in this challenging fundraising environment. We believe that the capital we have raised reflects our long-standing sector focus, our investors’ understanding of the attractiveness of travel and leisure as an investment sector and with capital to deploy across equity, credit and tactical opportunities, our ability to take advantage of changing markets.”
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Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP served as counsel to KSL and the Fund.
 

About KSL Capital Partners

KSL Capital Partners, LLC is a private equity firm specializing in travel and leisure enterprises in five primary sectors: hospitality, recreation, clubs, real estate and travel services. KSL has offices in Denver, Colorado; Stamford, Connecticut; New York, New York; and London, England. KSL invests across three primary strategies through its equity, credit and tactical opportunities funds. KSL's current portfolio includes some of the premier properties in travel and leisure. For more information, please visit www.kslcapital.com.

Media Contact

Lyle Weston / Erik Carlson

Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher

KSL-JF@joelefrank.com

(212)355-4449

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