"This is a highly attractive business with enormous growthopportunities which we are delighted to acquire," says QP directorPauline Bradley, who negotiated the deal for the internationalproperty and private equity investment and advisory firm. PrincipalThomas Dowd says the venture "demonstrates [QP's] ability tocomplete attractive deals quickly," also citing capital partnerAnglo Irish Bank for helping accomplish that feat, especially foran asset that attracted plentiful competition.

The sale completes a strategy by locally based JDHG toconcentrate on its luxury hotel portfolio, a group assembled in theUK and the US, where the firm has one hotel in Boston and three inWashington, DC. The Inns division was then offered for sale byJDHG, which developed most of the properties as a public companybefore going private in 2005. Located in city centers, 14 of thehotels divested are in the UK and six are in Ireland.

QP officials say they intend to expand the brand in existingmarkets and beyond. New regions will also be pursued, especiallyCentral and Eastern Europe. "Quinlan Private's track record ofmanaging hotel assets for investors and our expertise in Western,Central and Eastern Europe will be key in rolling out the Jurys Innproduct in those markets," QP chief executive Olan Cremin says in astatement.