InterContinental Hotels Group has agreed to acquire Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas from Pegasus Capital Advisors — which is a private equity fund — for $300 million as of Wednesday, February 13, 2019 to further bolster its portfolio of luxury brands of hotel and resort properties.
Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas Acquired by InterContinental Hotels Group for $300 Million
The sale of Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas to InterContinental Hotels Group includes the management of 16 hotel and resort properties and 37 spas in 21 countries under the brand names Six Senses, Evason, Six Senses Spas and Raison d’Etre. Over the next twelve months, resort, hotel and spa projects are under development in Austria, Bhutan, Brazil, Cambodia, China, India, Israel, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand and the United States; and what is now the fourteenth brand of InterContinental Hotels Group is expected to grow by as many as 60 hotel and resort properties within the next ten years.
“The beating heart of every Six Senses property is a Six Senses Spa, working in harmony with each hotel and resort to create a depth of personalized wellness support”, according to this announcement which was recently released from Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas. “Each spa offers a menu of Six Senses signature treatments and therapies plus locally-inspired specialties, yogic programs and a range of feel-good pamperings. Skilled therapists are drawn from all over and Six Senses’ Visiting Practitioners bring an extra depth of knowledge to each spa guest.”
The acquisition of Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas further establishes InterContinental Hotels Group as the largest brand of luxury hotel and resort properties in the world by increasing its global portfolio of open and pipeline luxury hotel and resort properties to 400 with 108,000 rooms.
“Six Senses will sit at the top of IHG’s luxury portfolio, complementing the world’s largest luxury hotel brand, InterContinental Hotels & Resorts; the recently acquired and repositioned Regent Hotels & Resorts; and Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, for which IHG has secured a presence in 14 countries, since its acquisition of the brand in 2015”, according to this announcement which was recently released from InterContinental Hotels Group. “By combining IHG’s scale, systems and operational excellence with Six Senses’ luxury, resort and spa expertise, IHG sees the potential to grow the Six Senses estate to more than 60 properties globally over the next 10 years. This includes bringing Six Senses to important urban markets, with a property already under construction in West Chelsea, Manhattan, New York City.”
Summary
Questions still remain about the outcome of certain aspects of this deal. For example, will the Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas brand participate in the IHG Rewards Club frequent guest loyalty program — and if so, exactly how will that be implemented? Will this brand recognize members who have Royal Ambassador level status?
Those questions may be answered by the way that Regent Hotels and Resorts was integrated into InterContinental Hotels Group after it was acquired last year for $39 million in cash.
Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas was founded in 1995 to provide “the best life has to offer” whose hotel, resort and spa properties “share a leadership commitment to community, sustainability, wellness and design, infused with a touch of quirkiness”; and this may be an opportunity for the brand to become global with the backing of InterContinental Hotels Group — which hopefully will not dilute the brand as it experiences accelerated growth.
Source: Six Senses Bhutan.
