Kentish Express Ashford & District
Group adds town hotel to its franchise portfolio
One of Ashford’s two Holiday Inn hotels has a new owner.
The Canterbury Road hotel is among 19 Holiday Inn hotels bought this week by Kew Green Holdings Ltd (Kew Green) from LRG Holdings Ltd.
The acquisition increases Kew Green’s portfolio of Holiday Inns to 38 and makes it the InterContinental Hotels Group’s (IHG) largest Holiday Inn franchise partner in Europe.
The hotels had been managed by IHG on behalf of owners LRG, a consortium comprising Lehman Brothers, Real Estate Partners, GIC Real Estates and Realstar Asset Management.
The Ashford Central hotel, part of it a restored 17th century barn, has 103 bedrooms and a meeting suite for 120 delegates.
Ashford’s other Holiday Inn hotel, on the A20 between Ashford and Charing, is not included in the sale.
The 18 other Holiday Inn hotels included in the sale are mainly in the Midlands, East Anglia and North of England.
They will continue to trade as Holiday Inn hotels under a new franchise agreement and will all undergo extensive refurbishment over the next few years.
Paul Johnson, founder and chief executive officer of Kew Green said: “This is an exciting acquisition for us which will enlarge our portfolio to 53 hotels with almost 6,700 bedrooms. These hotels will all benefit from a refurbishment programme to ensure they remain ‘Great Hotels Guests Love’.”
Kew Green has grown rapidly over the past 18 months making it one of the leading hotel owners and management companies in Europe.
The company now employs more than 3,600 staff and operates 53 hotels across the UK under six major brands; Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Crowne Plaza, Ramada Encore, Ramada and Courtyard by Marriott. They also operate The Richmond Hill Hotel in south west London and The Grand Brighton.
When the hotels were put up for sale at the start of the summer a spokesman for Christie’s, which advised the owners on the sale, said: “Investors are simply looking to realise their investment to pursue opportunities elsewhere.”
A spokesman for IHG said staff in the 19 hotels involved in the sale would have their current terms and conditions of employment protected with the incoming employer. This legal safeguard comes under an act called TUPE, Transfer of Undertaking Protection of Employment.