Watson Farley & Williams (“WFW”) is pleased to announce that the acquisition of W Maldives and Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort & Spa by an affiliate of KSL Capital Partners from Universal Enterprises and Marriott International, on which the firm advised the vendors, has been recognised as the ‘M&A Deal of the Year 2022’ at the recent Hotel Investment Conference Asia Pacific (“HICAP”).
The HICAP Deal of the Year Awards highlight the most dynamic deals and developments and honour the ongoing achievements of the industry’s leaders.
This deal represents one of the largest open-market transactions in the Maldives, reinforcing the Maldives’ position as a destination for institutional capital. The resorts are located on their own private islands and offer a combination of overwater villas, beach villas, and extensive guest amenities amid a diverse biosphere of marine life immediately surrounding the islands.
The cross-border WFW team that advised Universal Enterprises and Marriott International was led by Sydney Partner and Asia Pacific Head of Hotels & Hospitality Robert Williams and Singapore Hotels & Hospitality Partner Lada Shelkovnikova, working closely with Associate Sven Hofmann. The team was supported by Maldivian local counsel Salih, Shihab & Co.
Robert commented: “We are delighted that HICAP attendees, the regions industry leaders, have recognised this transaction. This sale cements WFW’s regional hotels & hospitality team as the market-leading legal advisors on Indian Ocean resort deals. We have advised on a number of HICAP ‘Deal of the Year’ transactions, and this one is just as satisfying as our first. Congratulations and many thanks to our clients for trusting us with this deal”.
