Tag: management

Barceló Acquires 42.5% Stake In Occidental Hoteles

5 May 2015 – Expansión

42.5% shareholding / The tourism group acquires the stakes held by Amancio Ortega, owner of Inditex, and several minority shareholders, and continues to negotiate with BBVA to take control of the chain.

The sale of Occidental Hoteles has been unblocked with Barceló’s purchase of a share of its capital. The tourist group has acquired a 42.5% stake from Amancio Ortega, owner of the textile empire Inditex, and several minority shareholders. In parallel, it is also negotiating with BBVA, which controls the remaining 57.5%, to gain control of 100% of Occidental and strengthen its position in the Caribbean.

Although the exact amount of the transaction is unknown, it has been closed with a discount of between 40% and 50% with respect to the €700 million that BBVA and Ortega paid in 2007. That was the figure that the shareholders hoped to obtain through the divestment process launched in 2013, which was thwarted last December, with Barceló as the favourite, due to differences over price.

Then, Barceló was bidding together with the fund Caribbean Property Group (CPG). Now, the tourism group is going to single-handedly undertake the purchase of the shares held by Ortega (who holds 23.63% through his company Partler 2006), Gregorio de Diego (who controls 13.5% through Tamar International) and the Miarnau family (whose company Iosa Inmuebles holds 5.26%).

Competition

The transaction, which is pending approval by the Mexican competition authorities, will be structured as a financial investment, and so Barceló will not take over the management of Occidental’s hotels. The chain operates 13 properties in the Caribbean and owns the majority of those establishments.

Nevertheless, sources in the sector are convinced that BBVA will end up selling a non-strategic stake. In fact, that is the joint position that the entity chaired by Francisco González and Amancio Ortega held until the end of 2014. The only thing that has separated them has been the timing (of their respective exits).

The textile businessman wanted to accelerate his exit from Occidental before the company looses value, since there is no growth plan on the table. In contrast, BBVA was keen to wait for a better offer and set a limit below which it was not willing to divest. In the end, the partners have broken their shareholders’ agreement, which has opened the door to Occidental for Barceló.

In terms of convincing BBVA, the close ties that unite the companies work in the tourism group’s favour. Barceló, BBVA and FCC created an asset company Grubarges in 1998, with the aim of channelling its surplus investors and growing in the hotel sector. Grubarges was dissolved in 2004 due to strategic differences between the partners, but the relationship is still strong.

If Barceló acquires 100% of Occidental, it will strengthen its position in the Caribbean, one of the priorities on its roadmap to become the world leader in the holiday hotel sector. Through the integration, Barceló would obtain a presence in new countries – Colombia, Aruba and Haití – and would strengthen its position in the Dominican Republic, Mexico and Costa Rica. Furthermore, the transaction would involve an investment plan to reposition Occidental’s properties.

Barceló currently operates 94 hotels and 30,000 rooms in 16 countries. In 2014, the company generated profits of €46.4 million, up 85.6% and turnover of €2,056.6 million, up 6.2%.

Original story: Expansión (by Yovanna Blanco)

Translation: Carmel Drake

Socimis Come To The Hotel Sector’s Rescue

17 March 2015 – Expansión

Trend / Listed real estate investment companies (REITs or Socimis) are paving the way for (hotel) groups to separate the management and ownership of properties – the vehicles provide significant tax advantages and boost the professionalism of the industry.

Socimis – ‘socidedades cotizadas de inversion inmobiliaria’ or listed real estate investment companies – are playing an increasingly important role in the hotel sector due to the tax benefits they offer and also because they allow (hotel) chains to separate the ownership of their properties from the management of the facilities, in line with the Anglo-Saxon model.

These types of vehicle, which are used to purchase and refurbish assets for rental, must invest at least 80% of their funds in property and pay out at least 90% of their rental income (from said properties) in the form of dividends. They also have a special tax regime.

To publicise this alternative funding formula, the Mallorcan Hotel Business Federation (‘Federación Empresarial Hotelera de Mallorca’ or FEHM), Armabex Asesores Registrados and Garrigues have organised a seminar entitled “Socimis as an instrument for restructuring the real estate property of hotel groups”, which will be held today in Mallorca. At the event, the tax advantages of this investment vehicle will be analysed, together with their legal status and the process for incorporating Socimis into the Alternative Investment Market (Mercado Alternativo Bursátil or MAB), amongst other considerations.

The purpose is to raise awareness amongst (hotel) chains and professionals in the real estate sector of the importance of ensuring that the management of hotels and the ownership of the property are in different hands; this is the biggest challenge facing the industry. We will also analyse in more detail the value that Socimis have as a tool for reducing risk, being more competitive and efficient and also their tax advantages”, says Inmaculada Benito, Executive Vice-President of the FEHM.

Antonio Fernández, Chairman of Armabex Asesores Registrados, stresses that “the restructuring of real estate capital in the sector has been triggered by the lack of financing, the decrease in prices and the existence of an appropriate legal and fiscal framework”. On that last point, Fernández highlights that “investors may now own properties without having to manage them and hotel groups can continue with their management without having to be owners”.

José Manuel Cardona, partner at Garrigues, says that “Socimis are a tool that help to address many of the challenges facing the hotel sector in a single solution”. In his opinion, “they not only represent a funding formula; they also facilitate expansion and internationalisation, provide a solution to the problem of succession in family businesses and pave the way for integration between larger groups and small chains”. Furthermore, “they encourage greater transparency and control, the professionalization of management teams and carry the requirement to distribute minimum dividends, which results in more objective valuations of the assets and rents”.

First case

Barceló was the first company to adopt this formula, through its alliance with Hispania. Bay, the first hotel-sector Socimi, was created with 16 hotels and two shopping centres, worth €421 million. Experts believe that it will not be the only one and that there will soon be more hotel Socimis, that will own both holiday and urban hotel properties. “2014 was the year for shopping centres (in the real estate sector) and this year, hotels will be the leading players”, predicts Fernández.

Original story: Expansión (by Yvonna Blanco)

Translation: Carmel Drake