Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund GIC and Dutch pension fund APG are acquiring a ‘substantial stake’ in The Student Hotel from Aermont Capital.
”The Student Hotel (TSH), APG, Aermont Capital, Charlie MacGregor and GIC have reached an agreement as part of which GIC and APG will acquire a substantial stake in TSH and commit to invest to fuel further expansion for the hybrid hospitality leader, subject to customary regulatory approvals,” said the companies in a joint statement.
The transaction values The Student Hotel, including assets currently under development, at €2.1 billion.
The deal sees APG and founder Charlie MacGregor increase their current stake in TSH. APG first invested in TSH in 2015. MacGregor and Aermont Capital entered into business in 2014 after MacGregor opened the first The Student Hotel in 2012. GIC now joins as a new investor.
TSH’s hybrid hospitality model combines student accommodation, hotel rooms, co-working and meeting spaces, bars and restaurants.
Founded in 2012, TSH is headquartered in Amsterdam and has 650 employees. All TSH properties offer a mixed-use campus with accommodation, bars, restaurants, gyms, retail shops, meeting and event spaces and high-profile, co-working space.
”With APG and GIC’s commitments, TSH is able to accelerate its growth strategy to expand into key European cities and grow its presence to 50 hotels from 25 hotels under ownership today, of which 15 are currently operational and 3 are opening in 2022, in Madrid, Barcelona and Toulouse,” said in the statement.
Lee Kok Sun, Chief Investment Officer of Real Estate, GIC, said: “We are pleased to invest in The Student Hotel as its assets are well-located, enjoy good connectivity to city centres and transportation networks, and are in close proximity to universities and other amenities. We are confident that this investment will generate resilient long-term returns.”
Tracy Stroh, Region Head of Europe, Real Estate, GIC, said: “The Student Hotel’s hybrid hospitality model is unique. Anchored by purpose-built student accommodation that appeals to the student demographic, yet still catering to both business and leisure uses, this flexibility enables TSH to capture opportunities as demand patterns fluctuate throughout the year. We look forward to partnering with TSH and APG to generate more value-add over the long term.”
Robert-Jan Foortse, Head of European Property Investments, APG, said: “We are excited about the opportunity to increase our exposure to TSH, and to support the further growth of the platform. We want to thank Aermont for all of its efforts over the past years, and for being a great partner. Together with GIC, Charlie McGregor and the rest of the TSH team we are looking forward to further expand TSH’s unique hybrid and exciting concept across Europe. We are convinced that TSH will provide an attractive long term, stable investment return for our pension fund client ABP, and its participants.”
Vincent Rouget, Partner at Aermont Capital, said: “Since 2014, we have been the proud partners of Charlie MacGregor, The Student Hotel and its management team, and APG. This great journey which started with one promising project in Amsterdam turned into an unrivalled portfolio of 25 prime assets and projects across 8 countries in Europe. The Student Hotel investment underscores well Aermont Capital’s expertise and experience at supporting operational real estate platforms to fulfil their potential through real estate led strategies. Charlie’s vision of building a truly hybrid hospitality operating model has positioned The Student Hotel at the forefront of both hospitality and real estate trends, and TSH’s future is bright under its new shareholders’ stewardship.”
The transaction is subject to approval from the relevant regulatory authorities.
