Certares Closes $284 Million Fund for Hospitality Real Estate

Certares, a private equity firm that invests in travel, said on Wednesday it had closed its first real estate hospitality fund, with $284 million of equity commitments.

The fund is acquiring hospitality real estate assets in U.S. growth markets. It has already made investments in 10 hotels that together have more than 2,100 keys.

The New York-based investments specialist has invested heavily in travel companies — most prominently American Express Global Business Travel, car rental brand Hertz, the airline Azul, and Liberty Tripadvisor Holdings.

"A targeted real estate strategy is a natural extension of our experience in travel and hospitality," said Greg O'Hara, founder and senior managing director at Certares.

The 10 hotels that Certares has made investments in include:

• AC Hotel Santa Rosa Sonoma Wine Country
• Sea Crest Beach Hotel in Cape Cod
• Courtyard San Diego Downtown
• EAST Miami in downtown Miami
• Ashore Resort & Beach Club in Ocean City, Maryland
• Doubletree Suites Doheny Beach in Dana Point, California
• Embassy Suites Midtown Atlanta
• Hilton San Antonio Hill Country
• Le Meridien Tampa
• The ARC Hotel in Washington, D.C.

The fund's operators can take advantage of Certares’ leisure and business travel distribution assets, which it said "enhance demand and provide market intelligence for the hotels."

The fund has an active pipeline of new investments, said Nolan Hecht, senior managing director and head of real estate at Certares, in a statement. Hecht previously oversaw hotel investment and asset management at Square Mile Capital Management.