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1. Arrow Buys Three Hotels From Dom Pedro
Manchester-based asset manager Arrow Global has completed its acquisition of several major assets of Lisbon-based Dom Pedro Hotels & Golf Collection, including three hotels — Dom Pedro Portobelo, Dom Pedro Marina and Dom Pedro Villamor — and five golf courses. Every asset is in Portugal’s Algarve region.
Not all of Dom Pedro has been bought, and the Portuguese company still owns and operates five hotels — four in Portugal, one in Brazil — and several restaurants. English-language news source Madeira Island News reports the deal is estimated at approximately 250 million Euros ($273 million).
2. Henderson Park Acquires Edinburgh Waldorf
London-based real-estate investment fund Henderson Park via its division Klarent’s Hospitality has bought the Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh-The Caledonian, CoStar News' Paul Norman reports.
The acquisition price is understood to be approximately £80 million ($101.5 million), Norman reports. The 241-room hotel built in 1903 is in a listed building that has welcomed Queen Elizabeth II and President Barack Obama. Nick Weber, founder, CEO and chief information officer of Henderson Park, said “as custodians of this landmark property, we have a number of planned investments that will improve the guest and visitor experience and ensure the ‘Caley’ retains its status as one of Edinburgh’s most emblematic hotels.”
3. 15,000 Hotel Employees Strike in LA
Approximately 15,000 employees across Los Angeles County — members of the union Unite Here Local 11 — went on strike on Sunday to demand higher wages and benefits, ABC7 in Los Angeles reports. The employees work for several hotels from brands such as IHG Hotels & Resorts, Millennium and Ritz-Carlton.
Contracts between the union and the hotels ended at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, although the union had reached a new agreement with one hotel that might have been embroiled in the dispute, the Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites. Hoteliers at the properties affected said operations will continue as normal, with non-union employees helping out. On June 8, 96% of the union’s members ratified the union’s plan for strike action.
4. Brits Still Travel-Crazy
According to Accor, in a survey of 2,000 Brits, travelers from the United Kingdom still are putting much emphasis on travel, despite financial headwinds hitting them harder than in the U.S. and other major European economies. In research from the French hotel firm, 36% of British people said they would “prioritize holidays to boost their mental wellbeing and leave stresses behind ... while more than a quarter … say that taking a trip is crucial to maintain a work-life balance.”
The survey added that on average, consumers are planning to take three trips before the end of 2023, with 32% saying they intended to invest more in travel this year than they did in 2022.
5. French Riots Over Police Shooting Enter Sixth Day
Rioting continued for a sixth night throughout France following the death of a teenager, shot by a police officer, on June 27 in Nanterre, west of Paris. The disturbances have led to the death of a fireman on Sunday who was attempting to put out fires set off in numerous cars in an underground car park and to an attack on the family and home of the mayor of Marseilles, which led to his wife breaking a leg, according to the BBC.
The troubles have eased a little in terms of the number of incidents and arrests, but anger at what some sections of society see as victimization and discrimination remains palpable, the media outlet added. French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to meet with 220 municipal mayors to discuss the situation. More than 45,000 policemen have been deployed since the unrest began.
Reuters reported late last week that Britain warned its nationals of travel disruption amid the protest.