Warrington-based Village Hotels is in the sights of US-based private equity giant, Blackstone.
Last September, current owner, US-based private equity group KSL Capital Partners – which acquired the group in 2014 for a reported £485m from De Vere Group – announced it was considering a sale process.
Now, Blackstone is in exclusive talks over a potential sale for the group, valued at £850m, according to Sky News.
Village Hotels, which operates from more than 30 sites around the UK, is being auctioned by bankers at Morgan Stanley.
It was founded in 1995 as Village Urban Resorts, and is now one of the UK’s biggest mid-market hotel chains, featuring pub-style restaurants and gyms.
Based in Centre Park, Warrington, the group comprises 33 sites, from Aberdeen to Bournemouth.
At the time of KSL’s acquisition, the Village portfolio featured 25 locations, with three further properties scheduled to open.
Before the coronavirus pandemic devastated the hospitality sector, Village Hotels had announced plans to invest £480m to expand the number of properties to 50 by 2026, creating 2,400 jobs.