KSL Capital Partners is all about the pork. The private equity firm has acquired the parent company of The Pig Hotels, a portfolio of eight smallish boutique hotels located in the South Coast Counties in England, in partnership with its co-founder Robin Hutson, who will stay on as chairman of the company. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
The move by KSL is a continuance of a strategy that strays beyond its core focus. A year ago, KSL launched Mission Hill Hospitality, which currently has 18 properties in its portfolio and invests in the select-service and extended-stay segments.
At a recent hotel investment conference in Atlanta, Mission Hill's CEO Greg Kennealey said that the company targeted institutional-quality assets—newer vintage premium brands with higher revenue per available room—in a fairly specific geographical perspective.
The first is drive-to leisure. “That's been a staple in KSL’s strategy forever,” Kennealey said. “We were pretty early to that, which I think has served us really well.”
The Pig Hotels was founded in 2011 and the current collection of eight hotels average just around 30 guestrooms each.
“Having been admirers of what Robin has built over the last decade, we could not be more excited to work hand-in-hand with him and the entire team, and to help continue the growth of The Pig. The team at The Pig has created something truly unique and exceptional: hotels set in the English countryside which are dedicated to providing genuine hospitality and are at the forefront of environmental responsibility. We look forward to being part of this journey and supporting the management team,” said Tina Yu, principal at KSL Capital Partners.
KSL noted that it will now look to grow the portfolio of Pig Hotels "through the acquisition and development of complementary properties throughout the UK."
“KSL invests in some of the most iconic and well-known hotels in the world and has had great success preserving what makes each asset unique. The investment will allow us to continue to grow and expand our collection, while offering our guests the same home away from home quality they expect at each of our hotels,” said Robin Hutson.