Jurys Inn Hotel Group and Hilton Worldwide have signed a franchise agreement for three Jurys Inn properties, all of which will join the Hilton Worldwide portfolio of hotels.
Under the new agreement, Jurys Inn’s Chelsea and Islington hotels will be rebranded as DoubleTree by Hilton (during Spring and Summer 2014 respectively), while the Heathrow property will become Hilton Garden Inn London Heathrow in December 2014.
Jurys Inn will invest approximately £20 million in the planned rebranding, incorporating the current capital investment programme in the Chelsea and Islington hotels. The three hotels will continue to be owned and operated by Jurys Inn.
Commenting on the announcement, John Brennan, CEO of Jurys Inn Hotel Group, said, “This initiative will see three of our London hotels leverage their prime locations, a significant investment programme and Hilton’s upscale brands to further optimise future revenues and deliver exceptional service to our guests.
“The excellence of our leadership team and employees within these hotels, working in conjunction with our new partners in Hilton Worldwide, will ensure a smooth and seamless transition for our guests to DoubleTree by Hilton and Hilton Garden Inn.”
Hotel improvement programme
The hotel improvement programme will bring a number of new facilities, including the addition of 143 guest rooms to the DoubleTree by Hilton – London Islington as part of a substantial extension. Guests at the Hilton Garden Inn London Heathrow will see a full renovation including the addition of a Pavilion Pantry®, as well as benefitting from other amenities for which Hilton Garden Inn is known, including an on-site fitness centre and guest laundry.
2,767 quality rooms in London
Patrick Fitzgibbon, senior vice president, development – Europe & Africa, Hilton Worldwide, said, “This is an incredible testament to the strength of our brands in London and the wider UK market. In the five years since we introduced DoubleTree by Hilton into the UK, it has grown rapidly, and with this signing we will have 10 hotels in the capital, 2,767 quality rooms, and yet more to come.”
Jurys Inn portfolio
The remaining 29 hotels within the Jurys Inn portfolio will continue to trade as Jurys Inn, building on the success the Group has achieved to date on the back of a sustained recovery in trading across all its hotels.
Jurys Inn recently completed a successful financial restructuring which saw new and existing shareholders commit substantial additional equity, in combination with a significant reduction in debt. The restructuring has allowed Jurys Inn to accelerate its future growth and development plans.