HNA Group out of Hainan, China, was involved in a number of
industry shakeups in 2016. Most notably, its HNA Tourism Group division
acquired Carlson Hotels and Carlson's 51.3 percent majority stake in Rezidor
Hotel Group. (Swedish takeover law requires HNA to buy the rest of Rezidor or
sell off to bring its share below 30 percent.)
The deal reportedly led to a tiff among board members at NH
Hotels Group, where HNA is also a majority stakeholder. Some NH Hotels board
members saw HNA's majority interest in two hotel companies as a conflict of
interest, and the quarrel led to the ousting of the Spanish hotelier's CEO and
four board members as a strike against HNA. The Carlson transaction closed this
month.
In October, HNA also acquired Blackstone's 25 percent stake
in Hilton Worldwide for $6.5 billion. Hilton Worldwide president and CEO
Christopher Nassetta said Hilton hopes to connect its hotel system to HNA's
customers through HNA's online and offline travel agencies, airline network and
"tens of millions of loyalty members."
HNA also made inroads beyond the hotel industry in 2016. As
the parent company of Hainan Airlines and a 52 percent stakeholder in Hong Kong
Airlines, HNA in June purchased a 13 percent stake in Virgin Australia for
$114.9 million. It also acquired a 23.7 percent stake in Brazilian low-cost
Azul Airlines for $450 million and a 7 percent stake in Atlantic Gateway, which
owns 45 percent of TAP Portugal.