Leonardo Hotels has completed a transformational deal to add 12 hotels in the Netherlands, by acquiring the Zien Group. The addition will take the Leonardo brand to a presence of 28 hotels across the Benelux region, cementing its presence and filling in a gap in the group’s broader European portfolio.
The additions add up to 1,522 rooms and include five hotels in Amsterdam plus properties in Rotterdam, The Hague, Eindhoven, Groningen, and Maastricht. They include some local landmarks including the Eden Hotel, The Lancaster Hotel, and The Manor.
Turnaround for Eden
Zien was created by investors KSL Capital Partners, and Garden Capital Group who during the pandemic in 2021 bought a portfolio of properties operated by the Dijkstra family as Eden Hotels. Since then, the hotels have been refurbished and improved operationally, so that today they are performing ahead of levels seen prior to the pandemic.
“These new hotels will benefit from the synergies of being part of a much larger hospitality group, providing our guests with access to a robust portfolio of hotels in an increasingly attractive hospitality sector,” said Guy Vardi, m&a director of Fattal, the listed Israeli company that owns the Leonardo brand. “our investors can look forward to having strong returns from their investments as we continue to grow.”
Leonardo is effectively the European division of Fattal, and today alongside the eponymous brand also has sub brands Leonardo Royal, Leonardo Boutique, Leonardo Limited Edition and NYX. It owns and manages more than 300 hotels in 21 countries.
Fattal is in acquisitive mood. At the beginning of June, the company bought Hotel Gotham in Manchester, adding to its 54 strong portfolio of hotels in the UK and Ireland. The landmark five star property was launched by Bespoke Hotels in 2015, and has welcomed many celebrities through its doors. The 60 room luxury property will become part of the Leonardo Limited Collection.
Adding rooms in Rome
In April 2024, the group acquired the Hotel Cicerone in Rome, and revealed plans for a comprehensive renovation of the property before releaunching it as NYX Hotel Rome in early 2025. The large hotel, with almost 300 rooms, will join an existing Leonardo presence in Italy of two hotels in Rome and a total of seven across Italy.
The same month, Fattal opened the first Leonardo Limited Edition in Germany. The Nikolai Hotel Hamburg was relaunched after the group acquired the 94 room Sir Nikolai hotel, created from an original office overlooking the Nikolai Fleet Canal, from Sircle Collection. The group also announced plans for a second NYX hotel in the Czech Republic. NYX Brno, with 170 rooms set across seven floors, will open in mid 2028 as part of a new mixed use urban development project named Dornych.