TFE Hotels has signed a multi-property management agreement with New Zealand’s Heritage Hotels, which will see half of the Heritage portfolio refurbished and rebranded under the Adina and Rendezvous brands.
TFE Hotels CEO Antony Ritch made the announcement on stage at the third annual AHICE Aotearoa conference at the Te Pae Conference Centre Christchurch on Thursday morning.
“We look forward to working closely with Heritage Hotels and the local team to build on their stellar reputation with the continuation of a refurbishment programme across the portfolio,” Ritch said.
Under the agreement, TFE Hotels will manage more than 500 rooms across five properties – Adina Citylife Auckland, Adina CityLife Wellington, Rendezvous Heritage Hotel in Christchurch, Rendezvous Heritage Auckland, and the 175-room Rendezvous Heritage Queenstown – with Heritage Hotels retaining ownership of its portfolio.
“TFE Hotels is an owner, manager and developer and we see their impressive presence in multiple markets – which includes more than 50 properties in Australia, a strong pipeline of properties and ties to Singapore and Europe – as complementary to our vision for the future,” said Heritage Hotels’ Managing Director, Jeffrey Tang.
“In partnering, we’re bringing together two values-aligned, businesses and brands to work together in elevating guest experiences, strengthening our position in the competitive hospitality landscape, leveraging capability, and providing guests with a fresh, globally connected hotel experience.”
Tang said Heritage Hotels will also benefit from TFE Hotels’ global distribution systems and centralised service model.
TFE Hotels is set to establish a New Zealand Country Office in Auckland to support its growing presence in the market.
“Auckland and Wellington are key target markets for us, with our Adina and Travelodge brands already well established,” said TFE Hotels’ Group Chief Operating Officer, Chris Sedgwick.
“The reintroduction of the much-loved Rendezvous brand into New Zealand – through the Rendezvous Heritage Christchurch and Rendezvous Heritage Queenstown – provides Asia Pacific scale to the portfolio and will see TFE venture into Otago for the first time.”
The partnership comes as New Zealand’s overseas visitor arrivals climb to 3.22 million in the July 2024 year, an increase of 604,000 from the July 2023 year.
Heritage Hotels and TFE Hotels are set to explore further opportunities to expand and develop together beyond the initial five properties.
The next 12 months are shaping up to be an important time for TFE as we continue to invest in technology and in growing our quality, design-led hotel portfolio in strategic locations,” Ritch added.
“As our New Zealand hotels continue to forecast robust revenue growth for the year ahead.”