Howard Kennedy has advised Westmont Hospitality, alongside partners BHP Hotels SICAV fund and PPF Real Estate, on the sale of The Westminster London, Curio Collection by Hilton, to RIU Hotels & Resorts. The transaction represents the largest single-asset hotel deal in London for four years.
The investors had held the asset for over eight years and were looking to recycle capital following its acquisition from Blackstone in 2017. The sale signals the resilience of London’s hotel market and continued global investor confidence in prime hospitality assets.
Located at 30 John Islip Street, near the Palace of Westminster and Westminster Abbey, the 464-room freehold hotel includes five conference rooms. Developed in 2003 and previously operated under a Hilton franchise, the asset will be rebranded as Hotel Riu Plaza London The Westminster, marking RIU’s second UK property.
Anthony Hunt, Head of Hotels and Co-Head of Corporate Real Estate at Howard Kennedy, commented:
"We are proud to have supported our clients on this landmark transaction. It is a great demonstration of our ability to manage complex, cross-border, high-value hotel deals involving destination assets and global capital."
The Howard Kennedy team included Anthony Hunt, Benjamin Filmer (Franchise), Astrid Stanley, Anna Armstrong (Real Estate), Jade Chalmers and Danielle Coglin (Planning), Leor Mizrachi (Construction), Aaliyah Freemantle (Banking), and Philip Vickery (Tax).
Howard Kennedy worked alongside BBH, Prague as co-corporate counsel on the legal aspects of the sale, with Andrea Adamcová and Petr Přecechtěl advising. Clyde & Co’s Richard Elks and Sarah Ridley acted for the buyer.
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