HAMILTON, Bermuda, June 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Orient-Express Hotels
Ltd. (NYSE: OEH) (http://www.orient-express.com), owners or part-owners and
managers of 51 luxury hotels, restaurants, tourist trains and river cruise
properties operating in 25 countries, today confirmed that it has sold its
Lisbon hotel, Lapa Palace, to a private Portuguese investor for EUR29.4
million, ($41.8 million).
Orient-Express Hotels' President & Chief Executive Officer, Paul White
said, 'We have previously stated our intention to dispose of non-core assets.
Lapa Palace has become one of Europe's most distinctive hotels but we felt we
had developed it and grown our business there as far as we could. While
Lisbon is a key European capital city, it is not a prime leisure destination,
and as such does not have sufficient appeal for our elite leisure audience.
City RevPAR is constantly under pressure from the downward trend in corporate
and conference business which is not our primary market. We are very
satisfied with this deal which represents 18 times 2007 EBITDA, 22 times 2008
EBITDA and is evidence that values of luxury hotel assets in Europe remain
robust.'
SOURCE Orient Express Hotels Ltd