NEW YORK As previously reported by HOTEL BUSINESS., Bass Hotels & Resorts is said to be in talks to buy Wyndham International for approximately $4 billion.
Although negotiations between the two companies are reported to still be in the early stages, Jason Ader, senior managing director at Bear Stearns, believes that the impending deal will likely go through as it is indicative of ongoing consolidation patterns in the industry.
Bass attempt to acquire Wyndham follows the expectation that consolidation will continue in the industry. European companies, specifically, are becoming increasingly interested in U.S. assets in the hospitality industry as well as across others, such as the pharmaceutical industry, said Ader.
“This is something that the lodging industry needs to get used to and we will see not only Bass, but also Accor and Hilton making U.S. acquisitions in the future, Ader continued.
With regard to price, Ader believes that $4 billion is fair for the Wyndham portfolio and that it is in line with other recently executed transactions. We ve seen the Le Meridien, Swissotel and Scandic transactions in the 7.5-9 multiple range on cash flow. The $4 billion price tag for Wyndham is consistent with recent trends in asset values, said Ader.
Although it is not yet clear exactly what Bass will do with the Wyndham properties if and when the company brings them into its portfolio, Ader is confident that Bass move is strategically sound.
Wyndham has a really nice collection of owned assets, and Bass is looking to expand its full-service presence in the U.S. I d look for Bass to integrate Wyndham and its real estate into Bass portfolio. It s unclear how they will handle the branding, but it is clear that this is an opportunity for Bass to have a powerful presence in North America, commented Ader. (5/24/01) Kelly Wayne