British owner operator Starboard Hotels has agreed a transformative deal to add seven hotels to its portfolio.

The properties, all under Ibis or Novotel branding, have been acquired from seller Ares Real Estate Funds, and EQ Group. In a first for Starboard, they have been acquired in a joint venture with a funding partner, LaSalle Investment Management. Totalling 913 rooms, the properties are in across Birmingham, Sheffield, Luton, Southampton and London. Starboard will continue the existing franchise agreements in place with Accor.

New Partners Work Together

“This is a first private equity joint venture transaction for us and we are very excited to be working in partnership with LaSalle to bring this established portfolio into our hotel family,” commented Starboard managing director Frazer Callingham. “It is exciting to be a part of both new cities and brands with great potential to grow and improve.”

At a stroke, the deal grows Starboard’s portfolio of UK hotels to 28 properties, all directly managed by the company. Of those properties, 15 operate under Accor brands, and three are located at UK airports. Starboard should enjoy operational efficiencies from its property clusters, with four hotels in Birmingham, three in London and two in Sheffield.

For private equity investor LaSalle, this partnership could be the route to further investment, explained Leif Skogland, vice president for value-add investments at LaSalle. “We believe further opportunities will arise across the UK for us to expand our joint venture with Starboard.”

Starboard continues to improve its existing portfolio of hotels. In summer 2026, it relaunched a property in Birmingham, following a GBP4 million refurbishment and upgrade. Originally acquired in 2018 at an Ibis Styles hotel, the asset has been repositioned and is now the AC Hotel by Marriott Birmingham NEC and Airport. Starboard expects the transformation of the 169 room hotel to set a benchmark for other repositioning exercises across its current portfolio, potentially expanding its relationship with Marriott and its brands.

A Strategic Disposal

For Ares and EQ, the deal completes the disposal of a package of 18 hotels the pair bought in 2024. The duo paid around GBP400 million for the portfolio after it was put up for sale by UK listed property group LandSec. They previously sold three regional hotels to the SanRaj Group, and in Manchester agreed to sell two hotels to European hostel group a&o, for conversion to their hostel format.

Accor currently has a modest UK pipeline for its economy brands. A dual branded project is under way in Gateshead, with the 140 room ibis at The Sage Gateshead to be built alongside a 204 room Novotel, in a development that includes a 14 storey tower. Novotel is also destined for a dual branded project in Manchester. There, the Westcombe Group is to build a combined Novotel and Novotel Living aparthotel. The hotel element will have 171 rooms, alongside 61 long stay units.