CDL acquires Holiday Inn Kensington High Street

City Developments Limited (CDL) has expanded its hospitality portfolio in Central London by acquiring the Holiday Inn London - Kensington High Street for £280 mln (€328 mln). 

Holiday Inn London - Kensington High Street 

This acquisition, made through its subsidiary Copthorne Hotel Holdings Limited, secures a valuable 6,356 m2 freehold property in the prestigious Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.
The 706-room hotel boasts an excellent location, just a two-minute walk from Kensington High Street, renowned for its upscale shops, department stores, eateries, and cafes. Despite its proximity to this vibrant area, the hotel itself is situated in a peaceful setting. Its convenient access to Kensington High Street Station provides easy routes to major landmarks such as Kensington Palace, the Royal Albert Hall, Hyde Park, Holland Park, and elite shopping destinations like Harrods. It's also near Imperial College London and South Kensington's Museum Quarter, and a short walk from the redeveloping Olympia London exhibition and convention centre.
Capitalising on London's enduring appeal as a global hub, the hotel has demonstrated strong financial performance. It achieved occupancy rates exceeding 97% for the first nine months of 2025 and has consistently outperformed its competitors. With total revenues over £39 mln (€45.7 mln) in the past year, the acquisition is anticipated to yield more than 6%.
Kwek Leng Beng, CDL’s executive chairman, said, “This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to secure an ultra-prime freehold site in Central London. Freehold sites in this location are exceptionally scarce, and it is even rarer to find one directly adjacent to our Copthorne Tara hotel. With this acquisition, the Group will now own two of the largest freehold sites in London’s most affluent Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.” 
This acquisition significantly boosts the Group's footprint in Central London, bringing its total hotel room count to over 3,000. This expanded portfolio now includes prestigious properties like The Biltmore Mayfair (307 rooms), Millennium Hotel London Knightsbridge (222 rooms), Millennium Gloucester Hotel London (611 rooms), The Bailey’s Hotel London Kensington (212 rooms), The Chelsea Harbour Hotel and Spa (158 rooms), and Copthorne Tara Hotel London Kensington (833 rooms). The Millennium Hotel London Knightsbridge is scheduled for renovation, with completion expected in 2026.