NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY IN, INTO OR FROM ANY JURISDICTION WHERE TO DO SO WOULD CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF THE RELEVANT LAWS OR REGULATIONS OF SUCH JURISDICTION
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Recommended Cash Offer
for
Elegant Hotels Group plc
by
International Hotel Licensing Company S.à r.l.
a wholly-owned indirect subsidiary of
Marriott International, Inc.
COURT SANCTION OF SCHEME
On 18 October 2019, the boards of Elegant Hotels Group plc ("Elegant") and International Hotel Licensing Company S.à r.l. ("IHLC"), a wholly-owned indirect subsidiary of Marriott International, Inc. ("Marriott"), announced that they had reached agreement on the terms of a recommended all cash offer to be made by IHLC for the entire issued and to be issued ordinary share capital of Elegant (the "Acquisition").
The Acquisition will be effected by way of a Court-sanctioned scheme of arrangement under Part 26 of the Companies Act (the "Scheme") and is subject to the terms and conditions set out in the scheme document relating to the Acquisition (the "Scheme Document").
Further to the announcement made on 21 November 2019 in relation to the results of the Court Meeting and General Meeting, the boards of Elegant and IHLC are pleased to announce that the Court has today sanctioned the Scheme pursuant to which the Acquisition is being implemented.
The Scheme will become effective upon the Scheme Court Order being delivered to the Registrar of Companies, which is expected to take place on Monday 9 November.
Dealings in Elegant Shares are expected to be disabled in CREST with effect from 6.00 p.m. on the date of this announcement and suspension of trading of Elegant Shares is expected to occur at 7.30 a.m. on 9 December 2019. Subject to the Scheme becoming effective, Elegant Shares will be cancelled from admission to trading on AIM at 7.00 a.m. on 10 December 2019.
Capitalised terms used but not defined in this announcement have the meanings given to them in the Scheme Document.
Enquiries:
Elegant Hotels Group plc Sunil Chatrani, Chief Executive Officer Jeff Singleton, Chief Financial Officer
|
+1 (246) 432 6500 |
Liberum Capital Limited (Financial adviser, nominated adviser and broker to Elegant) Clayton Bush Chris Clarke James Greenwood Edward Phillips William Hall
|
+44 (0) 203 100 2222 |
Powerscourt (Financial PR to Elegant) Lisa Kavanagh
|
+44 (0) 207 250 1446 |
International Hotel Licensing Company S.à r.l. Betsy Dahm, Investor Relations Laura Paugh, Investor Relations
|
+1 (301) 380 3000
|
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (Financial adviser to Marriott and IHLC) Jon Raggett Samantha Ward
|
+44 (0) 20 7583 5000 |
Important notices
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (''PwC"), which is authorised and regulated in the
Liberum Capital Limited ("Liberum"), which is authorised and regulated in the
This Announcement is for information purposes only and is not intended to and does not constitute, or form any part of, an offer to sell or subscribe for or any invitation to purchase or subscribe for any securities or the solicitation of any vote or approval in any jurisdiction pursuant to the Acquisition or otherwise.
The Acquisition will be made solely on the terms set out in the Scheme Document and the accompanying Forms of Proxy, which contain the full terms and conditions of the Acquisition, including details of how to vote in respect of the Acquisition. Any approval, decision or other response to the Acquisition should be made only on the basis of the information in the Scheme Document. Elegant Shareholders are strongly advised to read the formal documentation in relation to the Acquisition. Each Elegant Shareholder is urged to consult its independent professional adviser immediately regarding the tax consequences to it (or its beneficial owners) of the Acquisition.
This Announcement does not constitute a prospectus or prospectus equivalent document.
Overseas shareholders
The release, publication or distribution of this Announcement in or into jurisdictions other than the
Copies of this Announcement and any formal documentation relating to the Acquisition will not be and must not be, directly or indirectly, mailed or otherwise forwarded, distributed or sent in, into or from any Restricted Jurisdiction or any jurisdiction where to do so would violate the laws of that jurisdiction and persons receiving such documents (including custodians, nominees and trustees) must not mail or otherwise forward, distribute or send them in, into or from any Restricted Jurisdiction. Doing so may render invalid any related purported vote in respect of the Acquisition.
Additional information for US investors
The Acquisition relates to the shares of a
Financial information relating to Elegant included in this Announcement and the Scheme Document has been or will have been prepared in accordance with accounting standards applicable in the
It may be difficult for US holders of Elegant Shares to enforce their rights and any claims they may have arising under US Federal securities laws in connection with the Acquisition, since Elegant is organised under the laws of a country other than
The Acquisition may, in the circumstances provided for in this Announcement, instead be carried out by way of a Takeover Offer under the laws of
Disclosure requirements of the Code
Under Rule 8.3(a) of the Code, any person who is interested in 1 per cent. or more of any class of relevant securities of an offeree company or of any securities exchange offeror (being any offeror other than an offeror in respect of which it has been announced that its offer is, or is likely to be, solely in cash) must make an Opening Position Disclosure following the commencement of the Offer Period and, if later, following the announcement in which any securities exchange offeror is first identified. An Opening Position Disclosure must contain details of the person's interests and short positions in, and rights to subscribe for, any relevant securities of each of: (i) the offeree company and (ii) any securities exchange offeror(s). An Opening Position Disclosure by a person to whom Rule 8.3(a) applies must be made by no later than 3.30 p.m. (
Under Rule 8.3(b) of the Code, any person who is, or becomes, interested in 1 per cent. or more of any class of relevant securities of the offeree company or of any securities exchange offeror must make a Dealing Disclosure if the person deals in any relevant securities of the offeree company or of any securities exchange offeror. A Dealing Disclosure must contain details of the dealing concerned and of the person's interests and short positions in, and rights to subscribe for, any relevant securities of each of: (i) the offeree company and (ii) any securities exchange offeror, save to the extent that these details have previously been disclosed under Rule 8. A Dealing Disclosure by a person to whom Rule 8.3(b) applies must be made by no later than 3.30 p.m. (
If two or more persons act together pursuant to an agreement or understanding, whether formal or informal, to acquire or control an interest in relevant securities of an offeree company or a securities exchange offeror, they will be deemed to be a single person for the purpose of Rule 8.3.
Opening Position Disclosures must also be made by the offeree company and by any offeror, and Dealing Disclosures must also be made by the offeree company, by any offeror and by any persons acting in concert with any of them (see Rules 8.1, 8.2 and 8.4).
Details of the offeree and offeror companies in respect of whose relevant securities Opening Position Disclosures and Dealing Disclosures must be made can be found in the Disclosure Table on the Takeover Panel's website at www.thetakeoverpanel.org.uk, including details of the number of relevant securities in issue, when the Offer Period commenced and when any offeror was first identified. You should contact the Takeover Panel's Market Surveillance Unit on +44 (0)20 7638 0129 if you are in any doubt as to whether you are required to make an Opening Position Disclosure or a Dealing Disclosure.
Publication on website and availability of hard copies
In accordance with Rule 26.1 of the Code, a copy of this announcement will be made available (subject to certain restrictions relating to persons resident in Restricted Jurisdictions), free of charge, on Elegant's website https://www.eleganthotelsgroup.com/investor-information/regulatory-news by no later than 12:00 noon on the Business Day following the date of this Announcement. For the avoidance of doubt, neither the contents of such website nor the content of any other website accessible from hyperlinks on such website is incorporated into, or forms part of, this Announcement.
In accordance with Rule 30.3 of the Code, a person so entitled may request a hard copy of this Announcement, free of charge, by contacting Link Asset Services Limited on 0371 664 0321 (from within the
Information relating to Elegant Shareholders
Please be aware that addresses, electronic addresses and certain information provided by Elegant Shareholders, persons with information rights and other relevant persons for the receipt of communications from Elegant may be provided to IHLC during the Offer Period as required under section 4 of Appendix 4 of the Code.
Helpline
A shareholder helpline is available for Elegant Shareholders. If you have any questions about the Scheme Document, the Court Meeting, or the General Meeting, or how to complete the Forms of Proxy, please call Link Asset Services on +44 (0) 371 664 0321. Calls are charged at the standard geographical rate and will vary by provider. Calls to this number from outside the
Please note that Link Asset Services cannot provide comments on the merits of the Scheme or provide any financial, legal or tax advice and calls may be recorded and monitored for security and training purposes.
This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the