Sales in Valencia’s Hotel Real Estate Market Reach €100 Million During the First Six Months of 2019

9 September 2019

The volume of sales in the Valencian hotel sector totalled 110 million euros during the first semester of 2019, 57% more than during all of 2018. Two major transactions significantly boosted that figure, including the sale of the Meliá Valencia hotel for 42.3 million euros and the sale of the Travelodge hotel, a 116-room hotel next to the Valencia airport, for €15 million.

Socimis and investment funds have been the principal drivers of the sales, as the city and its tourism sector have seen a sustained uptick in growth. In parallell, the markets in Madrid and Barcelona have also seemed to reach maturity, providing returns below 5%, about 50 to 75 basis points below those in Valencia.

Original Story: Nexotur

Adaptation/Translation: Richard D. K. Turner

Kronos Forces the Auction of Salvador Vila’s Star Plot in Valencia Worth €67M

20 February 2019 – Expansión

The court has approved the execution requested by the fund (Kronos), which purchased the debt associated with the plots on Avenida de las Cortes Valencianas, opposite the former Hilton hotel, from Sareb and is claiming €47 million from the Valencian property developer (Salvador Vila).

One of the last undeveloped plots on Avenida de las Cortes Valencianas has just gone to judicial auction. It is the plot of land located opposite the Hotel Meliá Valencia (formerly the Hilton), where the plan was to build a 114-metre tall tower containing homes. It was set to be a genuine icon but was never constructed because of the real estate crisis.

The land still belongs to one of the large Valencian property developers, Salvador Vila Soria, who also constructed several of the large towers located on the same avenue. Nevertheless, a change of hands appears imminent, given that the Court of First Instance number 27 of Valencia has approved the mortgage auction of the property at the request of Vistanova Developments, a company linked to the manager Kronos, which through Kronos Homes is one of the new large operators in the residential market.

Kronos acquired the debt that Salvador Vila held with Sareb and which included the mortgage secured by this land as collateral. In fact, the Managing Director of Kronos, Saïd Hejal, explained to Expansión in May his firm’s intention of starting construction on a 34-storey residential tower this year, which was going to be the tallest in Valencia, after taking over the debt from Sareb.

The legal auction officially started on 8 February and the period to submit bids ends at the beginning of March. According to the court, the debt claimed from Salvador Vila in the mortgage foreclosure lawsuit amounts to €47.62 million, of which €40 million proceeds from the principal and the rest from interest.

The value of the property for the auction is set at €67 million. The plot spans 6,926 m2 and has a buildability of 20,900 m2 (residential use) and another 3,100 m2 for tertiary use (…).

Original story: Expansión (by A.C.A.)

Translation: Carmel Drake

Bankinter’s Socimi Negotiates the Purchase of Hotel Meliá Valencia

18 February 2019 – Expansión

Atom wants to strengthen its portfolio with the acquisition of one of the main hotels in Valencia for €50 million.

Bankinter’s hotel Socimi, Atom, wants to strengthen its portfolio and add the Meliá Valencia (formerly the Hilton Valencia) to its list of assets. The property is one of the main hotels in the city, located on Avenida de las Cortes Valencianas, close to the Palacio de Congresos.

Atom, which made its debut on the Alternative Investment Market (MAB) in November, is holding negotiations with the fund Colony to purchase the 4-star hotel for around €50 million, according to explanations provided by market sources speaking to Expansión. Those same sources state that, although the negotiations are in an advanced stage, no agreement has yet been reached between the parties.

History

The hotel, located in a tower standing more than 110m tall, was officially inaugurated in February 2008 and has had several owners since then. The establishment, which has around 300 rooms and 21 meeting rooms, with the capacity to host up to 875 people, is managed by Meliá.

Colony purchased this asset along with some other Spanish hotels just a year ago from the investor group Continental Property Investment, controlled by the Lebanese businessman Boutros El-Khouri (…).

With this operation, Atom would increase its portfolio, which currently comprises 21 hotels and 5,232 rooms, with a gross value of €485 million. 82% of the hotels in its portfolio are 4-star properties and 60% are holiday establishments (…).

Original story: Expansión (by R. Arroyo, R. Sampedro & A.C. Álvarez)

Translation: Carmel Drake