Tag: Wanda Group

Trinitario Casanova Invests €15M in a Logistics Platform in Barcelona

21 February 2017 – Expansión

Through the Baraka Group, the Murcian businessman has purchased a plot of land measuring more than 30,000 m2 from Consum, where it is going to build a logistics warehouse.

The construction group Baraka, controlled by the well-known businessman Trinitario Casanova, has completed the purchase of a plot of land dedicated to logistics-industrial use, located in the municipality of Sant Esteve Sesrovires, in Barcelona.

The land, owned until now by the Consum group, spans 30,665 m3; and Baraka is going to build a 19,213 m2 complex on the site, split into modules of around 6,000 m2, with the aim of leasing them to three operators, said the company. Currently, Baraka is negotiating with two companies interested in the project, say sources at the group, speaking to Expansión.

Sources at the company highlight the location of the future platform in the “strategic enclave of the Can Estella industrial estate, located next to the A-2 and AP-7 motorways, which connect the Mediterranean Arc with Barcelona, the main traffic route from Europe through the Mediterranean and Pyrenees, with Madrid”.

In total, Baraka is going to invest €15 million in this project.

In parallel to this industrial project, Baraka is working on the marketing of the commercial area of Edificio España, the property that it acquired last June from the Chinese Wanda Group, only to immediately sell it onto RIU Hotels.

In addition to the Edificio España operation, Casanova acquired a building on c/Preciados 13, also in Madrid, as well as the adjacent building, which houses the Carlos V Hotel. In the case of c/Preciados 13, Baraka has teamed up with the real estate group Hines, which is acting as the financial partner, whilst the Spanish firm is taking care of the building work and the search for a new tenant.

Original story: Expansión (by Rocío Ruiz)

Translation: Carmel Drake

Baraka Seeks Tenant For Edificio España’s Shopping Arcade

9 March 2017 – Expansión

The Baraka Group is looking for a tenant for the 15,000 m2 retail space that it will open in Edificio España. Galerías Lafayette is holding negotiations with the Murcian group. El Corte Inglés and Printemps are also interested.

With less than a month to go before construction work begins at Edificio España, the Baraka Group already has suitors to occupy the first few floors of the building, which will house a shopping arcade. Galerías Lafayette is one of the parties interested in leasing and managing the retail space, which will have a surface area of 15,000 m2, spread over three floors and one basement area.

If it manages to reach an agreement with Baraka, Galerías Lafayette’s entry into Edificio España would also represent its arrival in Spain. The large Parisian department store already has four stores outside of France. (…).

The Baraka Group has also said that other parties are interested in leasing the retail space in Edificio España, including the French firm Printemps and El Corte Inglés. The group chaired by Dimas Gimeno already owns stores on Calles Princesa and Preciados, as well as in Callao, and so, a priori, this project is not strategic for the Spanish chain.

“Nothing has been agreed yet. We have received bids from lots of interested parties, some of them have been rejected and others are being considered. All of the major players in the world of retail are interested”, explained the President of the Baraka Group, Trinitario Casanova, yesterday.

The businessman emphasised that there is still plenty of time to analyse the bids. “The company is not going to receive any rental income for another two years, so there is no rush. The negotiations – some of which are in advanced stages – could take three to six months or even a year”.

In addition to the shopping arcade, the skyscraper will also house a hotel, which will occupy twenty-three floors, with around 700 rooms, as well as a sky bar on the roof, meeting rooms, themed restaurants and a swimming pool.

The Murcian group signed an agreement in July last year with the Wanda Group to buy the asset for €272 million, €7 million more than the Chinese Group paid Banco Santander for the property in 2014. (…).

Original story: Expansión (by Rebeca Arroyo)

Translation: Carmel Drake

Wanda Confirms Sale Of Edificio España To Baraka For €272M

26 July 2016 – Cinco Días

The Wanda Group has confirmed that it has reached an agreement with the Murcian group Baraka (the investor group owned by Trinitario Casanova) to sell Edificio España for €272 million, but it has made it clear that the deal has not been formalised yet, according to a statement presented to the Hong Kong stock exchange.

The price represents €7 million more than the €265 million that Wanda spent when it acquired the property in 2014.

In its statement, Wanda echoed the information circulating in the press that the Group owned by Wang Jianlin has reached an agreement with Baraka to sell Edificio España and it detailed the terms of the sales agreement reached with the Spanish group.

The company owned by Wang Jianlin stated that on 12 July, Wanda European Real Estate Investment and Baraka Global Invest signed a “memorandum of understanding” relating to the negotiation and possible sale “of all of the issued shares, amounting to €272 million.

Under the framework of this memorandum, continued Wanda, Baraka has paid €1 million as a deposit to the Chinese group, which grants the buyer exclusive rights to proceed with the sale until 15 October 2016. Next, it added that the sale is still “under discussion and consultation and is subject to a final agreement between the parties”.

For this reason, it warned that “investors should pay attention to the possible sale, which may or may not go ahead”.

Abandoned plans

The Chinese group put Edificio España up for sale after giving up on its plans for the property, citing technical difficulties. Wanda had wanted to remodel the building to construct a hotel, shopping centre and luxury homes.

The main obstacle was that the Town Hall required the Wanda Group to maintain the façades of the original building.

Original story: Cinco Días

Translation: Carmel Drake

The Puerto Banús Sale Runs Into Difficulties

4 May 2016 – El Confidencial

Puerto Banús (Marbella) has always been a clear object of desire. Its name is associated with glamour, parties and luxury. And it has been up for sale for several months now. The company behind this leisure and port complex in Marbella wants to generate cash. But the death of Alberto Vidiella, the Chairman of Puerto Banús, in February is making the sales process more complicated. The death of Vidiella and the harsh conditions imposed by the Andalucían Government are making the sale of the company to a Swiss/Chinese consortium, led by Credit Suisse, more difficult and theirs is the only firm offer that the company has received to date.

Several auditors analysed the balance sheet of Puerto Banús at the end of 2015. No price has been set yet, but experts in the sector calculate that the cost of the company will not exceed €100 million. (…). Is the Wanda Group behind the Swiss/Chinese consortium? The owners deny any conversations with the Asian corporate giant. (…). But according to real estate sources in Madrid, Wanda would be willing to pay up to €250 million for the company. (…).

Meanwhile, Wanda could be behind the purchase of the iconic Marbella Club Hotel, according to the ABC newspaper in Sevilla. However, an official spokesman for the luxury tourist complex denied that claim to this newspaper. “There is nothing in it. We have invested a lot of money in the hotel in recent years and there are always rumours. But we are not for sale”, said Rudolf Graf von Schönburg, advisor to the complex. (…).

The Andalucían Government is aware of the offer from the Swiss group. The Public Agency for Ports in Andalucía, led by Alfonso Rodrígeuz Gómez de Celis, confirmed to this newspaper that it received a letter on 29 January, from an international consortium interested in finding out more about the conditions for a possible expansion (of the marina) into the open sea and extensions of the concession term. The regional government is not responsible for either matter; the State is. (…).

For the time being, no other offers have been received for Puerto Banús, although conversations and interest from other overseas investors, above all high profile British and German funds, are continuing in a steady trickle (…).

One of the main problems facing all of the parties interested in buying Puerto Banús are the intentions of the Regional Government to not allow the construction of any hotels or shopping centres on the site in the future. The plans only include an increase in the number of berths, by 450, worth at least €75 million. (…).

Original story: El Confidencial (by Agustín Rivera)

Translation: Carmel Drake

Hines & Emperador Bid For Edificio España

2 March 2016 – El Confidencial

Two of the largest real estate investors in the world want to buy Edificio España. The US giant Hines and the Philippine group Emperador, which has just acquired Torre Espacio, have already taken up their positions in the sales process launched by the Wanda Group for the skyscraper, according to several sources close to the operation.

The Chinese group has engaged the consultancy firm JLL to find a new owner for the property, which it has decided to sell after failing to reach an agreement with the Town Hall of Madrid regarding the handling of the renovation.

Not even the meeting held yesterday between Manuela Carmena and Laurent Fischler, Wanda’s Global Head of Real Estate, managed to put a stop to JLL’s sales mandate, although the consultancy firm declined to make any comment. This meeting was held at the request of the mayoress, anxious about the earthquake unleashed by the Asian group’s decision to leave Madrid. But the only thing she managed to agree with Wang Jianlin’s envoy was the firm’s willingness to remain in the capital, provided the town hall gives something in return.

Nevertheless, there are only a handful of investors with the capacity to undertake the purchase, which could range between €250 million and €300 million (Wanda paid €265 million two years ago), a quantity to which another €100 million should be added for the subsequent construction work to renovate the property.

And that figure is mounting, because the final cost of the renovation will depend heavily on the agreement that the Town Hall of Madrid approves, and the survival of Norman Foster’s project, who has threatened to take Wanda to court if it breaks the agreement signed to develop the architecture project.

The reality is that Wanda inherited this contract from Banco Santander and in theory, the buyer would also be subrogated to it, according to real estate sources. But that honour has discouraged some of the large international funds from bidding for Edificio España, as they prefer to avoid large firms because they make the construction work more expensive.

Giants in the market

By contrast, the profile of Hines and Emperador fit well, given that their investments typically focus on iconic buildings, located on the main thoroughfares of large capital cities and, in many cases, linked to unique architectural projects. Ingredients which, if the negotiations with the town hall are unblocked, are present in abundance in the case of Edificio España.

The US firm Hines is an expert in this kind of development and is currently involved in a growth plan in Spain, which has led to the signing of two operations – for the Desigual store next to Portal del Ángel in Barcelona and number 44, on Madrid’s Gran Vía – in less than two months, for a combined total of €78 million.

And its future plans are even more ambitious, as shown by the fact that it is actively seeking out large transactions in both Madrid and Barcelona. With $87,000 million (€80,000 million) in assets under management, Hines is the fourth largest real estate investment management company in the world.

Meanwhile, Grupo Emperador is one of many companies that comprise the business empire of the Philippine-born Andrew Tan, one of the richest people in the world according to Forbes. (…).

Despite all of these possessions, Tan was virtually unknown in our country until last November when he acquired Torre Espacio with a bid for €558 million, an amount that he largely financed in cash and with a syndicated loan for €280 million from ING Wholesale Banking.

This operation is just the tip of the iceberg of the group’s plans. Emperador has also set itself the objective of multiplying its investments in Spain, both in the real estate sector, as well as in those markets linked to the world of spirits, where it has worked in conjunction with González-Byass for many years.

Original story: El Confidencial (by Ruth Ugalde)

Translation: Carmel Drake

Indian Tycoon To Convert Café Berlin Into Luxury Hotel

10 December 2015 – El Mundo

An Indian tycoon has purchased the Café Berlin building, close to Plaza de Callao, where he plans to construct a luxury hotel. The current managers of the legendary jazz club must close the venue by 31 December 2015.

On 31 December, the last song will be played in Café Berlín. After more than 40 years lighting up the Madrilenian nights, one of the few jazz clubs still open in the centre of the capital, will be closing its doors. A new hotel will be opened in its place within the next few months. Its new owners are Indian with Hong Kong passports, specifically, the Mohinani family, and they have not only acquired the property that houses the café, Calle Jacometrezo, 4, they have also acquired the two adjoining buildings (Calle Jacometrezo, 6 and 8), an unbeatable location, just 20 m from Plaza de Callao and Gran Vía, to benefit from the high visitor numbers in the area. Work will begin at the site within 6 months.

At first glance, you do not notice anything, but the panel of owners of the properties in the centre of Madrid is changing at top speed. And it is not only the vulture funds and the traditional millionaires, such as Amancio Ortega, who are pouncing on the most coveted buildings. With the stock market in the doldrums and the Chinese economy rather battered, rich Chinese, Philippines, Indians and South-East Asian investors are finding that properties in European capitals are the perfect place for them to put their money for safe keeping.

Buying in Europe is fashionable to such an extent that, in two years, the magnate Harry Mohinani, aged 50, and his partners have invested €180 million in half a dozen properties in Madrid and Barcelona. The Mohinani family comes from the textile trade – Grupo Mulitex – and has been selling cheap clothes in Spain for years. Although their factories are in India, China and Bangladesh, their operational headquarters is in Hong Kong. Alongside them, 10 other families from the Asian textile sector are investing. They arrived in Spain two years ago, following in the wake of the Wanda Group, owned by the Chinese businessman Wang Jianlin. (…).

In Madrid, the family’s real estate company Platinum Estates operates at the hand of Reveals Inversiones, itself owned by the businessman Juan Luis Segalerva and with legal support from Garrigues, the legal firm that is acting as the gateway to capital inflows from Asia. “Before the end of the year, we will buy another three properties for around €100 million”, explains Segalerva. Between the two of them, they have woven a web of property companies, 11 companies in total, which are, in turn, subsidiaries of other companies also headquartered in Hong Kong.

The sellers, wealthy Spanish families, have no liquidity to renew the buildings or are in financial straits. These include the Echevarría family – owner of Jacometrezo – or the Salazar family, historical shareholders of Sos Cuétara (today Deóleo) and owners of the Gran Hotel Velázquez and the El Rocío restaurant, who sold Hotel Asturias, in Plaza de Canalejas to the same Indian family one year ago.

Original story: El Mundo (by José F. Leal)

Translation: Carmel Drake

Wanda Negotiates Purchase Of 75% Of Marina d’Or For €1,200M

2 December 2015 – Expansión

The Wanda group is holding negotiations to acquire 75% of the shares in the Spanish holiday complex Marina d’Or, located in Oropesa del Mar (Castellón), which is currently owned by the businessman Jesús Ger.

The purchase will amount to around 8,200 million Chinese Yuan (i.e. around €1,200 million), according to reports yesterday by Diario del Pueblo.

The newspaper reports in its digital edition that the founder and president of the group, Wang Jianlin, the richest man in China, has already visited the complex (which includes a golf course, a theme park, five hotels and a spa, amongst other buildings) together with other representatives from the company.

The official body of China’s Communist Party cites own sources for the basis of its information. When contacted by Efe, the Wanda group declined to make any comments on the subject for the time being.

Meanwhile, the Castellon group did not want to confirm or deny the talks and merely stated that it has been in touch with several Arab, Chinese and other investors over the last few months regarding their interest in its iconic project: Marina d’Or Golf, an urban development plan that was suspended several years ago. The group itself valued the project at €1,300 million, even though not a single brick has yet been laid.

In July, Jianlin revealed that his company would make at least three major overseas acquisitions over the next six months, after it expanded its entry into the sports sector this year with the purchase of Triathlon Corporation, the owner of events’ rights such as Ironman, and Infront, one of the largest sports rights companies in the world. (…).

Original story: Expansión

Translation: Carmel Drake

BlueBay Signs JV With Nadhmi Auchi To Operate Hotel Miguel Angel

18 September 2015 – Cinco Días

The Madrilenian Hotel Miguel Angel is going to be operated by a prestigious player once more, but not one that has a significant international presence. The hotel chain BlueBay will manage the property from now on, after it reached an agreement with the owner, the Iraqui born Briton Nadhmi Auchi, who has been running the hotel since December 2013, when Occidental Hoteles departed, whereby putting an end to its operations in Spain.

All of the international hotel chains have had their eyes on Hotel Miguel Angel, amongst others, since the Four Seasons announced its arrival in Madrid, in the Canalejas complex, and Mandarin announced its acquisition of the Ritz. In the end, the Spanish firm BlueBay, owned by investor Jamal Satli Iglesias, will take over the management of the property, which has 267 rooms, under an agreement that will involve the creation of a joint venture between BlueBay and Nadhmi Auchi. Together, they will invest around €35 million on the refurbishment. The renovation will be completed over the next few months and will involve the creation of new facilities and the expansion of the gastronomic offer, according to the chain, which aims to convert the hotel into “one of the most emblematic luxury, 5-star establishments in the city and in Spain”, said the CEO of BlueBay, Joaquín Janer.

This operation is BlueBay’s first foray into Madrid – traditionally, the company has a strong presences in the holiday hotel market, but not in the city hotel segment – it owns one 3-star hotel in Barcelona and two hotels in Mérida (one 5-star and one 4-star). BlueBay’s portfolio contains 52 properties across 27 locations. It will soon add eight more assets as a result of its international expansion, which will take place in the Middle East, Latin America and Europe. In April, it announced its expansion into Morocco and it plans to start constructing four hotels in Brazil this quarter.

In Spain, BlueBay is also working to open two other properties, in Marbella and Estepona, in 2018, which will require an investment of around €100 million. The chain, founded in 1976, operates six brands, including the urban specialist BlueCity. The brand used to be owned by Marsans, but following that company’s bankruptcy in December 2009, the businessman Jamal Satli Iglesias acquired it from Posibilitum, in an operation that included the management of 11 hotels. Satli Iglesias also holds a stake in Málaga Football Club, through which he has a dispute pending with its chairman, Abdullah Al Thani.

Renovation of Madrid’s luxury hotels

The refurbishment of Miguel Angel will represent a new boost for the 5-star segment in the capital, following the arrival of Four Seasons, which resulted in a “pull effect” in Madrid for other major international operators. During this time, Mandarin joined forces with the Olayan Group to purchase the Ritz. Despite this, the city’s hotel market is still missing companies such as Hyatt, Kempiski, Hilton, W and Shangri-La, although the details of the Wanda group’s plans for its hotel project at Edificio España have not yet been revealed. One of the most tempting properties for investors and operators over the coming months will inevitably be the Villa Magna, whose owner rejected a purchase offer from Jaime Gilinski in August for €190 million, and the (Westin) Palace. The owners of the latter have set a sales price of €330 million for the establishment.

Original story: Cinco Días (by Laura Salces Acebes)

Translation: Carmel Drake

Investors Spend €12,000M On RE Assets In 15m To Mar 15

5 June 2015 – Expansión

International funds, private investors and other companies have purchased assets worth almost €12,000 million during the last 15 months. American investors favour large properties, whilst Asians players prefer hotels.

The purchases of almost €12,000 million…mean that the Spanish market has returned to its pre-crisis levels and illustrate the focus that investors from around the world have placed on our country. But, what is the profile of these buyers? And which assets do they prefer?

According to data from the last 15 months, office buildings and shopping centres have been the star investments. Nevertheless, rather than making direct purchases, investors, both Spanish and overseas, have chosen to participate in the market through the new listed companies for real estate investment (Socimis).

For their stock market debuts, the four large Spanish Socimis – Merlin Properties, Hispania Real, Axiare and Lar España – raised funds amounting to more than €2,550 million; and this year they have undertaken capital increases to raise another €1,300 million…Hispania raised €550 million for the IPO of its Socimi subsidiary, from large international investors such as the US magnates George Soros and John Paulson. Just a few weeks ago, it raised a further €337 million from investors with a similar profile. Meanwhile, the real estate company GMP secured €300 million from the Singapore fund GIC.

Offices

The four Socimis have created portfolios worth around €4,000 million. These companies, headquartered in Spain, have been the major investors. Thus, 64% of the €2,727 million invested in offices was disbursed by Spanish investors. “The main Spanish investors are Socimis, but they also include investment funds, private equity firms, wealth managers and family offices. The average price for this type of transaction is €29 million, compared with the large deals carried out by British investors (above all investment banks and private investment companies), which exceed €100 million”, explain sources at the consultancy JLL.

Spanish investors have also exceeded foreigners in terms of the purchase of retail premises; 78% compared with 22%, respectively. “During 2014 and Q1 2015, Spanish investors spent €738 million on retail premises. The average price of these transactions was €37 million and the typical buyers were retail operators (such as fashion brands), family offices and private investors”, say JLL.

Meanwhile, international buyers dominate the market for shopping centres and hotels. Of the €3,092 million invested in shopping centres between January 2014 and March 2015, 82% was foreign capital, thanks to the purchases made by US funds such as Tiaa Henderson and specialist companies, such as the French firm Klépierre.

Almost €2,500 million has been invested in hotels in the last 15 months and 55% of the capital invested was foreign. Furthermore, it was very diversified, with Chinese investors such as the Wanda Group and Qatari funds, such as Katara Hospitality buying hotels in Spain – the latter acquired the InterContinental Hotel in Madrid. (…)

In the residential segment, several US funds have chosen to buy land in Spain. The clearest case is Lone Star, which has become the largest developer of land in the country. (…)

Original story: Expansión (by R. Ruiz)

Translation: Carmel Drake

Wanda’s Plans For Edificio España Get Green Light

30 January 2015 – Expansión

Yesterday, the Governing Board of the Community of Madrid gave the green light to the refurbishment of the Edificio España, owned by the Chinese group Wanda, controlled by the magnate Wang Jianlin.

The businessman, who also owns 20% of the football club Atlético de Madrid, will invest €114 million in the renovation of the property, located in Madrid’s Plaza de España, which it purchased from the Santander Group for €265 million. Inside the Madrid skyscraper, he will create a luxury hotel, more than 300 homes and a retail space, which he plans to expand to 15,000 sqm.

The permission to refurbish the Edificio España has been granted in parallel to the negotiations that the Wanda Group’s team is conducting with the Madrid and central Governments to create a macro-complex on the site of the old barracks in Campamento, in Madrid.

To this end, the Secretary of State for Defence, Pedro Argüelles, met yesterday with the CEO of the Wanda Group, Laurent Fischler, to discuss the purchase of that land, which covers around 200 hectares, and where Jianlin plans to invest €3,000 million in the development of a residential, housing and leisure complex.

Original story: Expansión (by R. Ruiz)

Translation: Carmel Drake