Financier Hands eyes stay at Hotel du Vin and Malmaison hotels

The backstage equity steadfast founded by Guy Hands, the seasoned financier, is exploring an connection to bargain Hotel du Vin and Malmaison, 2 of Britain's best-known edifice chains.

Sky News has learnt that Terra Firma Capital Partners, which is present tally by Mr Hands' son, Richard, is among the suitors who person been successful talks with advisers to the chains' owner.

The prospects of a steadfast woody materialising were unclear connected Thursday.

If a transaction did instrumentality place, it would beryllium the latest successful a drawstring of salient UK assets to person been owned by Terra Firma.

Among its investments - immoderate of which turned retired to beryllium financially and reputationally notorious - were the euphony institution EMI, the attraction homes relation Four Seasons Health Care and Annington Homes, the erstwhile proprietor of thousands of Ministry of Defence homes.

More recently, it has focused connected managing Mr Hands' family's money, though it does inactive person immoderate outer investors.

The elder Mr Hands retired from his full-time roles astatine Terra Firma 2 years ago, having built it implicit respective decades.

His wife, Julia, is seat and main enforcement of Hand Picked Hotels, a postulation of erstwhile stately homes which trades crossed the UK.

Its sites were acquired from Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group successful 2001.

Malmaison and Hotel du Vin beryllium nether the aforesaid ownership structure, and trades from 37 hotels successful 27 UK cities, with the portfolio divided astir arsenic betwixt the 2 brands.

The chains person been done a succession of owners implicit the past 20 years, including the backstage equity steadfast KSL Capital Partners.

They are present owned by Singapore-based Frasers Hospitality Group, which reportedly paid much than £360m to get the radical successful 2015.

Among the different imaginable bidders for the chains has been Fortress Investment Group, Sky News reported respective months ago.

Cushman & Wakefield (C&W), the commercialized spot agent, is handling the auction.

A Terra Firma spokesperson declined to comment.