News

Enters French market with portfolio of five luxury hotels in leading upscale destinations

LONDON (August 6, 2019) KSL Capital Partners, LLC (KSL) announced today the acquisition of Les Hôtels d’en Haut (”the Company”) through an affiliate, from Perseus Group, a European hotel developer, owner and operator, for an undisclosed amount. This is KSL’s first significant acquisition in continental Europe.    

Les Hôtels d’en Haut operates five boutique hotels in premier leisure markets across France. Located in the French Alps, the world’s leading luxury skiing destination, Hôtel Le Val Thorens, Hôtel Le Fitz Roy in Val Thorens, and Hôtel des 3 Vallées in Courchevel, allow guests ski-in/ski-out resort accessibility. The mountain retreat setting of Hôtel Alpaga in Megève faces Mont Blanc, affording guests spectacular views and access to the slopes of Megève. Hôtel Les Roches Rouges, in Saint-Raphaël on the French Riviera, offers a private seafront and direct sea access.

Eric Darde will serve as the Company’s President and COO, continuing to grow his leadership role which began in 2014. Eric said, “Les Hôtels d’en Haut is a group of extraordinary properties, made better by very high standards upheld by our committed team members. KSL has owned and operated some of the most prestigious properties in the world, including many in mountain and beach locations. We could not be more fortunate to have a company such as KSL to invest in and help to grow our Company.”

“At KSL Capital Partners, our primary focus is to invest in travel and leisure properties, and we understand the importance of hotels to their local community,” said Martin Edsinger, Senior Vice President at KSL. “Les Hôtels d’en Haut is a hotel company that truly celebrates the desire to travel. We are very excited to step into the stewardship of Les Hôtels d’en Haut and look forward to not only investing in these hotels but bringing the Les Hôtels d’en Haut to new locations with the same ethos.”

Each hotel has a strong identity, inspired by local architecture that mirrors the beauty and history of their individual locations. With a range of 30 to 80 rooms and suites, the portfolio includes a total of 245 hotel rooms. The Les Hôtels d’en Haut brand offers distinctive food and beverage spaces to serve guests and the local clientele. Among the eight full-service restaurants in the portfolio, two have earned a Michelin Star rating – Hôtel Alpaga’s La Table de L’Alpaga and La Terrasse at Hôtel Les Roches Rouges. Luxury amenities at each hotel also include spa services, concierge services, special events, and of course access to the wonders of nature that surround them.

About Les Hôtels d’en Haut‍

Les Hôtels d’en Haut’s hotels offers the opportunity to discover authentic experiences in unique destinations, where the staff embody the values of service and hospitality that have become its trademark. Choosing to stay in a Les Hôtels d’en Haut hotel means first deciding on the destination: snowcapped peaks or the sun-kissed shores of the Mediterranean, where every piece of the experience conjures its own adventure and the chance to indulge in luxurious calm and to absorb the stunning nature of each place. For more information, please visit https://www.leshotelsdenhaut.com/

About KSL Capital Partners

KSL Capital Partners, LLC is a private equity firm specializing in travel and leisure enterprises in five primary sectors: hospitality, recreation, clubs, real estate and travel services. KSL has offices in Denver, Colorado; Stamford, Connecticut; and London. Since 2005, KSL has raised approximately $12 billion of capital across both debt and equity funds. KSL's current portfolio includes some of the premier properties in travel and leisure. For more information, please visit www.kslcapital.com.

About Perseus Group‍

For more information, please visit www.perseuscp.com

DENVER – KSL Capital Partners, LLC (“KSL”) has completed the final closing of its latest travel and leisure focused private equity fund, KSL Capital Partners V, L.P. (“KSL V” or the “Fund”). Together with commitments from the General Partner, KSL V has capital commitments of $2.7 billion.  Surpassing the size of KSL’s prior private equity fund, KSL V is backed by a diverse group of existing and new investors including state pension funds, corporate pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, endowments, foundations, insurance companies and family offices.

“We are grateful to our Limited Partners for their continued support, and are eager to build on our prior success,” said Eric Resnick, CEO of KSL Capital Partners.  “We believe we are well-positioned to capitalize on the continued growth in travel and leisure and consumers’ increasing desire to invest in themselves through new experiences.”

Since the firm’s inception in 2005, KSL has raised approximately $12 billion in equity and debt commitments.  Investment committee participants include Coley Brenan, John Ege, Craig Henrich, Charlie Martin, Peter McDermott, Jared Melnik, Michael Mohapp, Martin Newburger, Eric Resnick, Dan Rohan, Kevin Rohnstock, Hal Shaw, Steven Siegel, Bryan Traficanti and Richard Weissmann.  Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP served as counsel to KSL and the Fund.

ABOUT KSL CAPITAL PARTNERS, LLC‍

KSL is a private equity firm specializing in travel and leisure enterprises in five primary sectors: hospitality, recreation, clubs, real estate and travel services.  KSL has offices in Denver, Colorado; London, England; and Stamford, Connecticut.  For additional information, please see www.kslcapital.com.

ORLANDO, FLA. (April 2, 2019) – Orange Lake Resorts, home to the Holiday Inn Club Vacations® brand, is pleased to announce today that an affiliate of KSL Capital Partners, LLC, (KSL) has made a significant minority investment in the privately held company. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

“KSL has been a leading investor in the travel and leisure industry. We are excited about how this partnership will expand the horizons of our Company and the Holiday Inn Club Vacations brand,” said Tom Nelson, President and CEO of Orange Lake Resorts. “Our company has experienced tremendous growth, and we are making bold moves to position ourselves for the future, including the recently announced global exclusivity and 100-year extension to our strategic alliance with IHG®. Adding KSL, with their expertise in financial markets and travel and leisure, complements our growing capabilities and is another great step toward a bright future for our company and brand.”

Kemmons Wilson founded both Holiday Inn® hotels and then Orange Lake Resorts, establishing a hospitality legacy that has thrived for more than half a century. The Wilson family continues to own and operate Orange Lake Resorts privately. This is the first time the Wilson family has taken on an outside equity partner for the Company.

“For 37 years, the Wilson family has guided and shaped the growth of the Company. Our passion and desire to invest in this Brand and this great team has never been stronger, as evidenced by recent acquisitions in the Lake Tahoe area, New Orleans and the new corporate campus in Orlando. Partnering with a quality firm such as KSL will enable us to grow farther and grow faster,” commented Orange Lake Resorts Chairman Spence Wilson, Sr. “KSL’s history of investing in, as well as positioning and growing travel-based businesses are unmatched and we are excited to see what we can accomplish together.”

“Orange Lake Resorts is one of the top vacation ownership companies in the U.S. and fits perfectly into our investment portfolio,” said Jared Melnik, Principal at KSL. “Our
team has more than two centuries of combined investment and management experience in the travel industry. There is great potential in Holiday Inn Club Vacations today, and we see even more success in the future.”

In the last decade, Orange Lake Resorts has expanded from four to 28 resort properties, while growing its number of owners and Club members from 120,000 to 350,000.

Greenberg Traurig LLP acted as legal counsel to Orange Lake Resorts, while J.P. Morgan Securities LLC acted as financial advisor and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP acted as legal counsel to KSL.

About Orange Lake Resorts‍

Orange Lake Resorts encompasses 28 resorts and 7,600 villas in the U.S., with more than 350,000 timeshare owners and 5,000+ employees.

Orange Lake Resorts, a leader within the vacation ownership industry with more than three decades of proven success, operates Holiday Inn Club®. The Holiday Inn Club Vacations® brand was created in 2008 through a strategic alliance with IHG® (InterContinental Hotels Group), one of the world’s leading hotel companies. The flagship Holiday Inn Club Vacations property in Orlando, Fla., located next to the Walt Disney World® Resort, was established in 1982 by Holiday Inn® founder Kemmons Wilson. For more information on Holiday Inn Club Vacations or to book reservations, visit holidayinnclubvacations.com. Find us on Facebook at facebook.com/hiclubvacations or Twitter at twitter.com/hiclubvacations.

About KSL Capital Partners‍

KSL Capital Partners, LLC is a private equity firm specializing in travel and leisure enterprises in five primary sectors: hospitality, recreation, clubs, real estate and travel services. KSL has offices in Denver, Colorado; Stamford, Connecticut; and London. Since 2005, KSL has raised approximately $11 billion of capital across both debt and equity funds. KSL's current portfolio includes some of the premier properties in travel and leisure. For more information, please visit www.kslcapital.com.

DENVER, Colo. – Dec. 21, 2018 —Under Canvas®, the industry leader and rapidly growing adventure-hospitality company, today announced that an affiliate of KSL Capital Partners, LLC (KSL) has made a substantial investment in the company. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Under Canvas is the leading owner and operator of luxurious camping or “glamping” accommodations near America’s most popular national parks. The company was founded by Sarah and Jacob Dusek in 2009 with the opening of a location in West Yellowstone, Montana, and has grown to include eight luxury glamping resorts. Under Canvas locations feature safari-inspired tents with amenities such as daily housekeeping and fresh towels, plush king-size beds, luxurious linens, en suite bathrooms and even a wood-burning stove for chilly nights. Kids and adults alike delight over evening s’mores around the communal campfire as they share their stories of their day’s adventure.  Guests wake to sounds of nature, perfectly positioned to explore America’s most iconic national parks and monuments.

“We are very pleased to be partnering with KSL for our next phase of growth, and excited about the additional experiences and adventures that we will be able to bring our guests” said Sarah Dusek, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Under Canvas. “They share our passion for the outdoors, commitment to environmental stewardship and focus on continuing to grow Under Canvas as a world-class brand. Together we will take Under Canvas to the next level with additional iconic locations and incredible adventures.”

“Under Canvas has done an amazing job of creating truly memorable experiences - connecting guests with nature while they enjoy high quality, exceptional accommodations in beautiful locations,” said John Ege, a Partner at KSL. “We look forward to working with Sarah and Jacob Dusek and the rest of the Under Canvas team and support their vision to define a new category of hospitality.”

Outside Together‍

Glamping is a term used to define the experience of ‘glamorous camping.’ To Under Canvas, glamping means camping in style, or luxury camping, without any of the hassle or hard work of the conventional kind. A combination of the luxuries of home with the beauty and extraordinary elements of nature to extend guests a once-in-a-lifetime experience, Outside Together. Under Canvas creates a bridge to the outdoors for people who, quite frankly, may not want to rough it. Glamping the Under Canvas way means a consistently incredible outdoor, overnight experience that is impactful, comfortable and incredibly memorable.

Leaders in Environmental Stewardship‍

Under Canvas is committed to the acceleration of the advent of sustainable travel and to holding the hospitality industry to a higher standard. By staying at Under Canvas, guests join a community that is focused on preserving our incredible planet for enjoyment by future generations.

The company boasts a minimal disturbance approach to development, believes that nature is the best architect and strives to leave the land as untouched as possible. A minimal footprint is what Under Canvas is all about.

Under Canvas camps use approximately 87 percent less water than a similar-sized hotel thanks to low-flow toilets, faucets that automatically shut off, and showers that activate only when guests pull a chain. Guests also help by hanging up towels to use again instead of having them replaced daily.

The limited amount of energy used at Under Canvas camps is generated by alternative means wherever possible. The Moab and Zion camp locations can run 100 percent on solar power, and the Yellowstone and Glacier camps use solar to mitigate our electricity needs.

By 2020, Under Canvas aims to join other leaders in the journey to be a zero waste company. This effort includes eliminating plastics, converting plates and flatware to compostable options (REPURPOSE), and extensive recycling

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About Under Canvas‍

Under Canvas, the fast growing adventure-hospitality and event company, offers luxurious glamping accommodations just minutes from America’s most popular national parks. Inspired by the African safari experience, the founders set out to create an immersive outdoor escape that serves as a unique bridge between travel and nature while offering all the comforts of a hotel. Recognized as the “perfect glamping experience” by Vogue, Under Canvas operates locations in Yellowstone and Glacier in Montana; Moab and Zion in Utah; Mount Rushmore in South Dakota; Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee and Grand Canyon and Tucson, Arizona. For more information, visit www.undercanvas.com

About KSL Capital Partners‍

KSL Capital Partners, LLC is a private equity firm specializing in travel and leisure enterprises in five primary sectors: hospitality, recreation, clubs, real estate and travel services. KSL has offices in Denver, Colorado; Stamford, Connecticut; and London. Since 2005, KSL has raised approximately $11 billion of capital across both debt and equity funds. KSL's current portfolio includes some of the premier properties in travel and leisure. For more information, please visit www.kslcapital.com.

Media Inquiries:

Under Canvas: May Lilley
VP Marketing
may.lilley@undercanvas.com

KSL Capital Partners: Julie Messing-Paea
Julie.messing@mac.com
+1 310 691 9979

December 19, 2018 - Baillie Lodges, the leading luxury lodge owner and operator in Australia, announced today that an affiliate of KSL Capital Partners, LLC (KSL) has made a substantial investment in the company, heralding a promising new chapter in Baillie Lodges’ quest to deliver Australia’s finest collection of luxury lodges.

Founders James and Hayley Baillie will lead the new venture and continue to guide the Baillie Lodges’ vision and commitment to delivering wild, experiential luxury.

Building on the sustained success of the Baillie Lodges brand, operations expertise and distribution network, the company is pursuing acquisitions of select luxury lodges to join the Baillie Lodges stable. In addition, the Baillies will continue the development of Remarkable Lodge in Tasmania.  

Any additions to the portfolio will be carefully selected to ensure they meet Baillie Lodges well-established hallmarks of irreplaceable natural locations with access to signature Australian experiences, contemporary Australian architecture and design, relaxed ‘barefoot’ luxury and generous all-inclusive tariffs.

Marking the 15th anniversary of Baillie Lodges, this investment provides myriad new opportunities for Baillie Lodges’ dedicated team, loyal guests and valued trade partners.

Baillie Lodges was founded in 2003 by James and Hayley Baillie, who together bring a wealth of high-end tourism experience to the company.  Built on the foundations of continual reinvestment in their lodges, an unparalleled level of attention to detail, a commitment to sustainability and a proudly Australian ethos, the Baillies have built a family business that is now recognised as one of the best in its field.  

Capella Lodge on World Heritage-listed Lord Howe Island was the company’s first property, followed by multi award-winning Southern Ocean Lodge on Kangaroo Island, which opened in 2008. Longitude 131° overlooking dual World Heritage-listed Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park joined the portfolio in 2013.

“We recognize the significant long-term potential of the Australian luxury travel industry and are excited to work with James and Hayley to expand to new iconic locations.  The Baillie Lodges team has set a high bar for Australian luxury travel with truly exceptional properties and five-star management expertise,” said John Ege, a Partner at KSL.

“KSL demonstrates a unique passion for travel and leisure.  The investment in Baillie Lodges will allow us to bring our version of wild, experiential luxury to more of Australia’s most remarkable destinations,” said James Baillie, Founder and CEO Baillie Lodges.

Baillie Lodges was advised by JLL and Withers Australia.  KSL was advised by Ashurst Australia.

About Baillie Lodges‍

Baillie Lodges is an intimate portfolio of luxury lodges setting new benchmarks for premium experiential travel in Australian style. Set in exclusive locations of unique natural or cultural significance, the boutique properties appeal to the discerning global traveller seeking a remarkable experience. Baillie Lodges was founded in 2003 by life and business partners James and Hayley Baillie, who together bring a wealth of high-end tourism experience to this dynamic venture.  For more information, please visit www.baillielodges.com.au

About KSL Capital Partners

KSL Capital Partners, LLC is a private equity firm specialising in travel and leisure enterprises in five primary sectors: hospitality, recreation, clubs, real estate and travel services. KSL has offices in Denver, Colorado; Stamford, Connecticut; and London. Since 2005, KSL has raised approximately $11 billion of capital across both debt and equity funds. KSL's current portfolio includes some of the premier properties in travel and leisure. For more information, please visit www.kslcapital.com.