Bahrainis buy flagship Four Seasons hotel for £100m

A branch of Bahrain’s royal family has expanded its hotel portfolio in the UK with the acquisition of the 219-bedroom Four Seasons Park Lane in London. Bahrain’s al Khalifa family, through investment vehicle Premier Group, has paid Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal’s Kingdom Hotel Investments £100m for the hotel. Kingdom is also the majority owner of the Four Seasons hotel operating company. The new owner plans a major refurbishment of the hotel, which is one of the most rundown of the luxury hotels along Park Lane, W1. Four Seasons will continue to operate the property. Sources claimed the secretive Khalifa family was also in talks to buy the 133-bedroom Four Seasons Hampshire in Dogmersfield Park, Hook. It is understood to be bidding £80m. The award-winning five-star hotel, which is Four Seasons’ only UK property outside the capital, was dogged by delays during its development. The luxury country house hotel was scheduled to open in 2003, but was not operational until 18 months later. The al Khalifa family is understood to have an existing relationship with the hotel chain, as it is involved in the 220-bedroom Four Seasons hotel being developed at its $2.5bn (£1.2m) Bahrain Bay development. The hotel is scheduled to open in 2009. This latest London hotel acquisition follows its purchase in May 2006 of the 157-bedroom Marriott Park Lane from Marylebone Warwick Balfour for £105m. A hotel expert said: “Middle Eastern groups are becoming increasingly interested in the hotel market. “Hotels are attractive because many Middle Eastern groups travel and stay in high-profile hotels so know these properties. They also like to own the places they stay in.”