Latest news: £79M refi in London; rebrand in DFW suburb; Concord adds to portfolio

£79M refi for 2 in London. London-based Z Hotels Metro Bank has secured £79 million in refinancing for two London hotels located at Covent Garden and Leicester Square. London-based Metro Bank provided the refinancing facility. Founded in 2011, Z Hotels is a luxury hotel group with locations across the UK in London, Liverpool, Glasgow and Bath.

Newcrestimage rebrand in Plano. Dallas-based Newcrestimage is opening the rebranded The Clara Hotel in Plano in the second quarter of 2026. The former NYLO hotel has undergone extensive renovations and will retain its affiliation with Hilton’s Tapestry Collection. The 176-key hotel will have two F&B outlets.

Concord adds to management portfolio. Raleigh, North Carolina-based Concord Hospitality expanded its management portfolio in 2026 with new additions. Concord opened the 237-key Hilton Jacksonville at Mayo Clinic in Florida. It also assumed management of South Shore Harbour Resort & Conference Center, Southeast Texas’ largest waterside resort, in Clear Lake, Texas. Concord is also expanding its presence in the lifestyle boutique segment through its Opus Collection, with three new properties joining, including the 148-key The Waymark in Chattanooga and the 100-key The Union Hotel, a Tribute Portfolio property in Flemington, New Jersey.

Hyatt first Destination in Portugal. Hyatt Hotels Corp. has opened Masana Algarve, the first Destination by Hyatt-branded resort in Portugal. The 33-key branded residential hotel opening builds on the brand’s recent launches in Lisbon and Madeira and reflects Hyatt’s continued brand expansion across Portugal, with plans to triple the room count of Hyatt hotels in the country by 2027. 

SLH adds 3 in Florida. Key West Historic Inns, a collection of boutique properties located in Key West, Florida, has officially joined Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH). The properties joining SLH are Lighthouse Hotel, Winslow's Bungalows, Ridley House and Ella's Cottages.

Zedwell converting in UK. London-based Zedwell is converting a property in York, U.K., into a new Zedwell hotel. The property was built in 1907 and will undergo adaptive reuse to preserve its history and architecture.

Sofitel adds in Brazil. Sofitel will open the reimagined 172-key Sofitel Rio de Janeiro Ipanema at the end of 2026, making it the brand’s first flagship hotel in Brazil.

OPO adds in India. New Delhi, India-based OPO Hotels has expanded its hospitality footprint in the National Capital Region with the signing of the 50-key OPO Horizon Lyro, which strengthens the brand’s presence in Gurugram.

Two ski hotels in France trade. French owner-operator The Friendly Hotels Group, together with French real estate management company 123 Investment Managers, French national investment bank Bpifrance (through its France Investissement Tourisme 3 fund) and French private equity firm Smalt Capital, has acquired the 60-key Le Grand Aigle Hôtel & Spa in La Salle-les-Alpes, France and the 96-key Hôtel Totem - Friendly Hotel & Spa in Arâches-la-Frasse, France, according to HVS. Both properties are scheduled to reopen for the 2026-2027 winter season.

Atom sells Spanish hotel. Spanish REIT Atom Hoteles SOCIMI has sold the 85-key AC Hotel Ciutat de Palma in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, to an undisclosed Spanish family office for €19.35 million, according to HVS. Following this divestment, Atom’s portfolio includes 22 hotels.