Jurys Inn Hotel Group and Hilton Worldwide have signed a franchise agreement, under which three Jurys Inn properties in London will join the Hilton Worldwide portfolio of hotels.
According to the terms of the 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, and the three hotels will continue to be owned and operated by Jurys Inn.
The hotel improvement programme will include the addition of 143 guest rooms at the DoubleTree by Hilton – London Islington. Guests at the Hilton Garden Inn London Heathrow will see a full renovation including the addition of a Pavilion Pantry, as well as benefiting from other amenities, including an on-site fitness centre and guest laundry.
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.’
Commenting on behalf of Hilton Worldwide, Jim Holthouser, executive vice president of global brands, said, ‘Both DoubleTree by Hilton and Hilton Garden Inn have seen dramatic growth in the UK and are earning increased loyalty and preference both amongst UK guests and international visitors. We are delighted to be taking this next step with a partner such as Jurys Inn.’
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.
‘We are delighted to be working with Jurys Inn’s visionary leadership team who will continue to be instrumental as we launch these superbly placed properties within our London portfolio, which includes 36 hotels trading or under development.’
A mid-market hospitality group, Jurys Inn has 32 hotels spread across the UK, Ireland and the Czech Republic. Hilton Worldwide is a global hospitality company that manages and operates 10 hotel brands, comprising more than 650,000 rooms in 90 countries and territories.
