The CEO of NH Hotel Group takes stock of 2019 at FITUR

The Managing Director advanced that the results of the Company in 2019, which will be officially communicated next February, will meet the objectives set at the beginning of last year and that went through placing EBITDA * at 285 million euros and achieving a profit recurring net * close to 100 million euros by the end of 2019.

In addition, Aragonés highlighted the close collaboration during the year with Minor Hotels, which has allowed, among others, that the Group double the number of brands with which it operated in Europe. In addition to the NH Collection, NH Hotels and nhow shows, the Company has started operating in 2019 with the Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas, Tivoli and Avani brands, thus increasing its positioning in higher segments. Specifically, Aragonés recalled the entry into the luxury segment with the incorporation into NH Hotel Group of three properties under the Anantara brand last year: The Marker Hotel, first of the Company in Ireland and which will be re-launched under this brand soon; the opening of the Anantara Villa Padierna Palace hotel in Marbella; and the incorporation into the operation of the Anantara Vilamoura Algarve Resort Hotel Group in Portugal.

* Recurring EBITDA and Net profit excluding the impact IFRS16, IAS29 and the positive contribution of Minor Hotels hotels in Portugal.

During his speech, the Managing Director of NH Hotel Group also pointed out the leadership position achieved in Portugal, after formalizing the integration of the operation of the hotels of both groups in this country in the middle of the year. It is worth mentioning that Minor Hotels had been operating in Portugal 13 hotels and NH Hotel Group another 4. The agreement has resulted in a joint portfolio of 17 hotels located in the main cities and destinations of the country, which have been fully operated by NH Hotel Group.

On the other hand, Aragones highlighted another 11 openings during 2019 under the NH Collection and NH Hotels brands, to which 9 additional hotels will be added in 2020. On the latter, it is worth noting the prominence of the nhow brand, which will open 4 new properties during the exercise. Among them are the nhow London hotel and nhow Amsterdam RAI, both open in January. The first, located next to the Shoreditch district of London, collects in its 190 rooms all traditional British icons with a modern and disruptive vision. For its part, the 650 rooms of the nhow Amsterdam RAI hotel occupy an iconic building - the largest hotel in Benelux - whose interior has been designed to reflect the multicultural spirit of the Dutch city. Also in 2020 will highlight the opening in New York of the NH Collection Madison Avenue, located very close to the Empire State Building.

The Company currently has 32 signed projects that will open in Europe and Latin America until 2023 and that will be operated under management or rental contracts.

In addition to the openings and ongoing projects, Ramón Aragonés, stressed the effort that the Company has been making to reposition the hotels of the Company. In this regard, NH Hotel Group has carried out partial or total renovations of 28 hotels in 2019, including NH Collection München Bavaria in Germany, NH Collection Amsterdam Flower Market in the Netherlands or NH Málaga in Spain, the latter that has doubled its capacity becoming the largest offer of the urban center of the city. Another of the initiatives that the Company is carrying out to improve the customer experience has been the launch of Lobbies Alive, turning hotels into open spaces to the city, with creative proposals aimed at inspiring and connecting local customers and visitors. . With pilots already operating in Spain (NH Madrid Nacional) and Italy (NH Milano Touring), the Group plans to expand this concept to hotels in Germany, Belgium and Argentina.

To conclude, the CEO of NH Hotel Group wanted to highlight one of the most stimulating projects for the Company in 2020. This is the recent agreement reached with Covivio, one of the leading European real estate investors, to operate a unique portfolio of 8 hotels of high-end, located in privileged locations in Rome, Florence, Venice, Nice, Prague and Budapest. The agreement will consolidate the Company's commitment to the luxury segment, while strengthening its leadership position in Italy and increasing its presence in competitive destinations in France and Eastern Europe.

The portfolio includes hotels from the portfolio previously known as Boscolo and involves adding 1,115 rooms to the Group's growing range of luxury. With a privileged location in coveted destinations, the collection of six 5-star and two 4-star hotels stands out for emblematic properties such as Palazzo Naiadi in Rome, Plaza in Nice, Carlo IV in Prague and New York Palace in Budapest. All hotels, on which the property will promote a reform program, will be relaunched gradually under brands such as Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas and NH Collection.