UK Hotel Investment Reaches New Peaks: A Mid-Year 2024 Analysis

The UK hotel investment market has seen a significant resurgence in the first half of 2024, with Knight Frank reporting that investment volumes reached an impressive £3 billion between January and the end of June. This marks a substantial increase from the £990 million recorded in the same period in 2023 and exceeds the total investment for the whole of last year, which stood at £2 billion. This remarkable growth can be attributed to several key portfolio transactions and the continued interest of international investors, particularly from the United States. 

Major Transactions Driving Growth
The first half of 2024 witnessed some landmark deals that have driven the overall investment volume. Notable transactions include Blackstone’s acquisition of the Village Leisure portfolio for £850 million, Starwood Capital Group’s purchase of 10 Radisson Edwardian Hotels in London for £800 million, and Landsec’s sale of its hotel portfolio to Ares Management for £400 million. These significant portfolio transactions highlight the increasing attractiveness of the UK hotel market to major investors. 

In total, portfolio transactions accounted for 76% of the total transaction volume, a significant rise from 53% in H1 2019. This shift can be partly attributed to the scarcity of high-quality single asset hotels available for sale, which has led to a 19% year-on-year decline in the number of single asset transactions and a 34% decline in transaction volume. 

Focus on London
London continues to be the epicentre of hotel investment activity, attracting around 70% of the total investment in the first half of the year. This focus on the capital is largely driven by overseas investors, who accounted for acquisitions totalling £1.3 billion, with US investors alone representing 77% of the overall investment activity. The city’s enduring appeal as a global financial, political, and cultural centre ensures steady demand and makes it a resilient market through challenging economic conditions. 

However, with Edinburgh once again being given the top spot in Colliers’ UK Hotels Market Index, London has some very strong competition. Edinburgh’s strong performance in Average Rate, Occupancy and RevPAR has helped it secure this position and will serve to further highlight its appeal to further hotel investment. With high land prices and relatively limited RevPAR growth London has slipped down Colliers’ list, while cities like Belfast, Manchester, Liverpool and Glasgow have risen, giving investors further options in the competitive UK market. 

Market Outlook for H2 2024
The outlook for the second half of 2024 remains optimistic. According to Knight Frank, the momentum for investment in the UK hotel sector is expected to continue building, supported by a diverse pool of well-capitalised investors. The anticipated reduction in interest rates is also likely to enhance investor confidence and drive further activity in the market. Stakeholders are increasingly pressuring owners to bring assets to the market at realistic and deliverable levels, which should facilitate successful and timely sales. 

Henry Jackson, partner and head of hotel agency at Knight Frank, stated, “The direction of travel for the sector is positive, and the volume of portfolio transactions is evidence that the sector remains attractive. An increase in the quality and the number of hotels seeking to transact is expected, as hotel owners who have extended their investment cycles now seek to realise their exit strategies”. This sentiment is echoed across the industry, with a strong pipeline of hotels currently in legal stages, suggesting sustained investment momentum. 

Development Pipeline
The UK is also leading Europe in terms of new hotel developments, with the highest number of new projects in the pipeline by the end of the first quarter of 2024. According to Lodging Econometrics, there are 321 projects (45,257 rooms) under development, with London having the highest pipeline by project count in Europe, featuring 80 projects (14,987 rooms). This robust development pipeline indicates a healthy future supply of new hotels, further boosting the attractiveness of the UK market to investors. 

Challenges and Opportunities
While the overall investment landscape is positive, the market is not without its challenges. The lack of quality single asset hotels for sale has been a notable issue, impacting transaction volumes and leading to a greater reliance on portfolio transactions. Additionally, the increased cost of debt and uncertainty around interest rate stability have put many deals on hold, as seen in 2023 when investment volumes hit their lowest in a decade.

However, the prospect of interest rate cuts is expected to support deal volumes as the year progresses, narrowing the bid-ask gap and aligning buyer and seller expectations more closely. This is crucial for facilitating transactions and driving market activity. 

Conclusion
The first half of 2024 has marked a significant recovery and growth period for the UK hotel investment market, driven by major portfolio transactions and strong international investor interest, particularly from the United States. With London continuing to attract the majority of investment and a robust development pipeline in place, the outlook for the second half of the year is promising. Despite some challenges, such as the scarcity of quality single asset hotels and the high cost of debt, the overall direction for the sector remains positive. As interest rates are expected to decline, further enhancing investor confidence, the UK hotel market is well-positioned for sustained growth and activity in the coming months. 

Working in the United Kingdom

Eligibility to work in the UK

You are currently eligible to work in the UK, and therefore don’t need to obtain an employment visa, if any of the following apply:

  1. You are a British citizen
  2. You are an European Economic Area (EEA) citizen – see list below – who worked in the UK before 31st Dec 2020

EEA countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the UK.

  1.  You are a Swiss national who worked in the UK before 31st Dec 2020

If option 2 or 3 applies to you, you’ll need to apply for settled status in the UK before 30th June 2021 in order to avoid any potential issues when it comes to your employment.
For more information related to EU, EEA and Commonwealth citizens and your rights to working in the UK, please visit: https://www.gov.uk/browse/visas-immigration/eu-eea-commonwealth.

If one of the parameters above does not apply, or you’re not from one of the countries listed, you may still be able to work in the UK. However, you will need to obtain a visa before finding employment in the UK.

Visas
A new points-based immigration system has been introduced in the UK, which aims to attract skilled workers who can contribute to the UK’s economy.

Below are some of the visas that people might be eligible to apply for:

  • Skilled worker visa– This visa has replaced the Tier 2 (General) work visa. In order to apply for this visa, you must work for a Home Office approved employer, have a ‘certificate of sponsorship’ from your employer, and do a job that’s on the list of eligible employers.

For more information about whether you’re eligible for a skilled worker visa please visit: https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa

  • Health and Care Worker visa– This type of visa allows qualified health care professionals (such as doctors and nurses) to come to the UK to help support the NHS. Certain health and care workers will also be eligible. In order to apply for this visa you must also have a ‘certificate of sponsorship’ from your employer.
  • Global talent scheme– The global talent scheme is aimed at highly-skilled scientists and researchers and allows them to come to the UK without a job offer.
  • Graduate immigration– If you’re a foreign national completing a degree in the UK from summer 2021, you may be able to work in the UK at any ability level for up to two years (or three years if you’ve earned a PHD). More information on this visa will be available closer to the time.

You may be able to apply for these visas online, or at an overseas visa application centre. However, this will depend on your country of residence.

For a full list of the applicable visas  please visit: https://www.gov.uk/visas-immigration.

Visa Sponsorship
In order to apply for most work visas, you’ll usually need to gain a job offer with sponsorship from an employer in the UK first.
This employer must also be approved by the Home Office and be on its list of eligible employers.

Job Eligibility
This will depend on the individual employer, the type of role, and your relevant skills and experience.
Whilst some organisations have a licence to sponsor temporary and/or permanent employees to allow them to work at their business, not all of them will be able to do this.
To find out whether the job is something you’d be eligible for, check the job description – or get in touch with the employer directly.

Briefing: Guest satisfaction – Meeting expectations

A new study from J.D. Power has found that the overall hotel guest satisfaction score in the US has risen to a record high of 804 out of 1000 in 2015.

It is a different story in the UK. A survey by Hotel Info looked at guest satisfaction scores in Europe. The UK only scored 7.39 out of 10, which put them second from bottom in the list and far behind the top ranked Slovakia, which had an impressive score of 8.22.

So what makes the difference in these scores, and how important is guest satisfaction anyway? Our experts discuss how to ensure guests have what they want:

J.D. Power’s 2015 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study is in its 19th year and this is the first time the overall score has passed the 800 point, having risen 20 points from 2014. The factors covered in the score are; the reservation, check-in/check-out, guest room, food and beverage, hotel services, hotel facilities, and cost and fees.

The study suggests that there are two very important elements in achieving good scores. One is that staff anticipate needs and offer friendly service. The second is that the overall operation meets the guest’s expectations of that hotel. The expectation element will vary depending on the branding of the hotel, whether it is a luxury or a budget hotel, and the cost. Guests expect to get what they pay for, and seek out good value.

The survey put The Ritz-Carlton top of the luxury segment, and put Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham top of the Economy Segment in the US.

Hotel Info’s survey of six million guest evaluations compared guest satisfaction in cities in the UK.  Sheffield had the highest score in the UK at 8.03 whereas the UK’s biggest market and capital city, London, lagged behind with a score of 7.12.

If you’ve been sent to this page and you’re not yet on the circulation list to receive these regular briefings and you would like to sign up, you can do so here. It’s free.

Video clips produced by yBC for the Hospitality Channel, including interview from industry conferences such as the IHIF conference as well as specific Hospitality Channel shoots.

Briefing: a focus on the UK hospitality market

The mature UK market has seen many changes in the last few years, not least in the change for demand in new hotel product as well as the lack of funding for new projects. One factor, however, has remained a constant.

The contrast between the provincial market and the London market has never been so different. London is a safe-haven for investors and good assets are at a premium. This of course isn’t the case in the provinces with many of the markets still struggling.

Is this about to change? And where is the future of the UK market? Experts in this briefing discuss, including comment from:

  • Andrew Taylor, National Head of Leisure at NatWest, on the future of the UK market
  • Rob Gray, Director & Head of Hotels & Leisure within RBS Global Restructuring, on the downturns seen in the UK market
  • Patrick Sanville, Director of Hotels at BNP Paribas Real Estate on where the funding is coming from for this market
  • And Rob Seabrook, Head of Hotel Transactions at Savills on liquidity returning to the provincial UK market
 


If you’ve been sent to this page but you’re not yet on the circulation list to receive these regular briefings and you would like to sign up, you can do so here. It’s free.

Video clips produced by ybc.hpgcms.wpengine.com for the Hospitality Channel, including interviews from industry conferences such as the most recent IHIF conference as well as specific Hospitality Channel shoots.

Briefing: the hotel industry in the UK

The hospitality industry in the UK is not a unique one. However, the gap between London and the rest of the country is seemingly getting larger. In fact the BBC reported this week that ‘London’s top ten boroughs alone are worth more, in real estate terms, than all the property of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, added together.’

Where is the future of the UK market? How has it been impacted by the continuing lack of deal-making? What hotel product will work well in this market? All questions raised and answered in this week’s briefing, with:

  • Chris Boulton, CEO of yoo on the UK polarisation
  • Joe Stenson, of Queensway Group and the growth in the budget sector
  • Peter Malone, Managing Director of Madison Mayfair on the UK fragmentation
  • And John Brennan, CEO of Jurys Inn Hotels on what he understands the UK market to be like
 


If you’ve been sent to this page but you’re not yet on the circulation list to receive these regular briefings and you would like to sign up, you can do so here. It’s free.

Video clips produced by ybc.hpgcms.wpengine.com for the Hospitality Channel, including interviews from industry conferences such as the most recent IHIF conference as well as specific Hospitality Channel shoots.

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