Five Star UK Regional Hotel Investment
Strategic Investment Management (SI) was the sponsor and operator of SI Limited Partnership No 6, a limited partnership offering investors a potentially tax efficient means of investing directly in the UK commercial property market.
In March 2007, the Partnership acquired a five star hotel located in a prime Glasgow city centre location for a total acquisition price of £68m. The Radisson SAS hotel is considered the leading five star hotel in the buoyant Glasgow hotel market. Part of the Rezidor Hotel Group, Radisson SAS UK is an experienced hotel operator with 155 hotels globally and a further 30 under development (as at May 2007).
Rather than a lease, the hotel is operated under a management agreement which is becoming increasingly common in this market.
The hotel has consistently traded above forecast and the terms of the acquisition provides for guaranteed income levels up to 2012.
The property was acquired through an SPV company, maximising the tax efficiency of the acquisition. Investor equity raised by the Partnership totalled just under £16m, with the remainder of the funding provided by a bank loan from HBOS.
It is intended that SI will seek to realise the investment in the properties within five years of the investment.