It’s already been a huge 2023 for Salter Brothers with the acquisition of the Spicers Retreats, Milton Park and Escarpment Group portfolios and now the company is launching into the third-party management space with Salter Brothers Hospitality, HM can exclusively reveal.
Salter Brothers Managing Director, Paul Salter, said the launch was about “addressing a gap in the market for a specialised and dedicated boutique lifestyle luxury manager with regional and CBD capabilities and expertise”.
He said whilst Salter Brothers had an established team that focused on core hotel management functions, separate to its ever-growing investment management division following the acquisition of Spicers Retreats, Milton Park and Escarpment Group, it was decided to amalgamate a number of functions into a single platform.
Salter Brothers Hospitality currently operates 17 operating retreat hotels and estates; more than 20 restaurant and bars; 8 Spa Anise spas and other wellness facilities; and Spicers Scenic Rim Trail, one of the largest ecotourism ventures in Queensland with 38 rooms over five camp sites.
Combined, Salter said, these operating assets generate more than AU$110 million annually, employing more than 500 staff, and in addition, Salter Brothers Hospitality directly employs over 40 staff operating from offices in Brisbane (head office), Sydney, Melbourne and Vietnam.
“Over the years we have had many enquiries for us to manage assets on behalf of owners, but our main focus has always been in the management of our own assets,” he said.
“Now with the number of assets we are operating in our hotel and retreat portfolio, it warrants us establishing the hospitality platform as a stand-alone division and we will be announcing a number of senior appointments in the coming weeks.”
Salter said it is expected that this platform will see hotels, restaurants and bars, and spa and wellness facilities under management double in the next 24 months.
In particular, Salter Brothers has been excelling when it comes to food and beverage, operating operates over 20 restaurants and bars, with 12 venues hatted in the portfolio.
This is an area of expertise Salter Brothers certainly has an x-factor with and the company is confident of growth when it comes to operating award-winning food and beverage offerings.
“Whilst we will continue to grow our branded portfolio of assets, we will also seek to provide our unique skills and capability to the broader hospitality sector in Asia Pacific,” he said.
Salter is also expecting further growth when it comes to white label and third-party management as a another key reason for launching Salter Brothers Hospitality.
“In Europe and the USA, third-party management is the predominant operational model over hotel management agreements, which exist in this part of the world – we expect this model to change over time and there to be a growing demand for this type of service in the Asia Pacific region.”
The move is also expected to grow Salter Brothers’ owned brands in the portfolio across the region.
“Salter Brothers Hospitality is seeking to grow the number of properties operated under the Ardour Hotels and Estates, Spicers Retreats and Lodges and Spa Anise brands as well as the number of high-quality, celebrated restaurant and bars,” he said.
Salter Brothers recently announced the launch of Ardour Hotels and Estates, which is coming to market in 2024. It is a brand specifically developed for large groups, events and corporates to experience a retreat-style escape at a range of boutique lifestyle luxury hotels and estates in unique settings, according to the company.
The Australian-owned global fund manager with a focus on hotels, property, private equity and credit, Salter Brothers currently has assets under management over AU$3 billion.
The portfolio currently stands at 5,084 rooms across 36 hotels, making it one of the largest hotel owners in Australia.