UBS Asset Management’s (UBS-AM) Real Estate & Private Markets (REPM) business has acquired a Travelodge hotel in Haymarket, Edinburgh, for £9.4 million, reflecting a net initial yield of circa 5.25%.
The property was bought from a private individual on behalf of the UBS Long Income UK Property Fund (UBS-LIF Property, the Fund), and will continue to be operated by Travelodge Hotels Limited on a long-term lease running to 2042, with a landlord option for a further five years.
Having been refurbished in 2013, the five-storey hotel comprises 73 en-suite bedrooms, along with a restaurant and common space lobby on the ground floor.
The property is let on a long-lease subject to five-yearly uncapped RPI upwards-only rent reviews. Given the asset’s location in Edinburgh’s West End, its investment value is heavily underpinned by a robust alternative use value. This acquisition, which is fully in line with UBS-LIF Property’s investment strategy, further diversifies the tenant mix within the Fund, supports the Fund’s distribution yield and enhances the portfolio’s WAULT.
Jonathan Hollick, Head of Transactions for REPM’s Real Estate UK team, commented: “Travelodge is one of the largest brands within the UK budget hotel sector, and we look forward to a strong partnership with them as the hotel’s continued operator and occupier. The stable long-term, indexed cashflow offers attractive income distribution for the Fund’s investors while also providing diversification benefits to the rest of their fixed income and property portfolios.
“Moreover, the performance of Edinburgh’s hotel market is second only to London in terms of occupancy and RevPAR growth, and with the Haymarket regeneration scheme set to add further value to a city already receiving above-average levels of hotel occupancy, we expect this acquisition to provide strong returns for our investors.”
UBS-LIF Property targets a net income return of 5% p.a. and offers investors the opportunity to access a portfolio of long-lease assets benefitting from indexed rental increases, with a focus on alternative sectors.
JLL acted for UBS-AM and both Cushman & Wakefield and Greenberry Advisors acted for the vendor.
