NEC hotel sold after collapse of Carillion
INDEPENDENT operator Starboard has acquired a hotel at the NEC owned by Carillion.
The hotel is one of four running under the Ibis Styles brand which Starboard has bought from the troubled construction group which went into liquidation in January.
It has 166 bedrooms and is in Bickenhill Lane close to Birmingham International station.
The quartet of hotels will remain as Ibis Styles venues and be operated by Starboard under franchise from Accor.
The other hotels are in Barnsley, Crewe and Haydock and increase Starboard’s portfolio to 19 sites with nearly 2,000 rooms.
Carillion’s shares in the hotelowning companies were brought to market over a year ago for offers in excess of £30 million and have been bought by Starboard for an undisclosed sum.
Paul Callingham, managing direc- tor of Starboard Hotels, said: “This is a substantial acquisition for Starboard and an important investment in protecting the future of these hotels and the people who work there.
“The four hotels fit perfectly within our portfolio and represent a significant investment for our business.
“Individually, the hotels are in excellent geographic locations and further increase our presence in the UK hotel sector across the country.
“We are thrilled to be bringing the four Ibis Styles hotels into the Starboard family and provide long-term ownership and security to our people. These are exciting times for the industry and we are on course for continued growth with further acquisitions already in the pipeline for the early part of this year.”
Wolverhampton-based Carillion collapsed in to liquidation in January after struggling with debts of £900 million and a pension deficit of £589 million.