Banco do Brasil

Crescente: Bovespa President Edemir Pinto & Banco do Brasil CEO Aldemir Bendine at this month's offering.

With the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics on the horizon, there’s no question about all eyes being on our neighbor to the north. With the world poised to descend on Brazil in the coming years, it is interesting to note how Brazil is beginning to look beyond its borders and engage with foreign countries. Right now, for example, the slopes of Bariloche are teeming with well-heeled paulistas and cariocas, and lilting Portuguese accents can be heard around BA’s finest restaurants and gallerias. But the Brazilian Foreign Investment Experiment (BFIE for short) is starting to expand well beyond tourism and into the boardroom with Argentina being the logical first step, says the Latin Business Chronicle. “The country’s corporate sector has embraced globalization,” writes LBC, “and many Brazilian companies have chosen neighboring Argentina for their first foreign venture. To date, over 400 Brazilian companies have done JV’s or outright purchases of Argentine companies in sectors ranging from cement to beverages to auto parts manufacturing. Now many olhos brasileiros are focusing on opportunities in the banking sectors. The analysts and professors interviewed by LBC describe the phenomenon of “follow sourcing” as a logical pattern where Brazilian banks are increasingly following their best corporate clients into Argentina to fund the growth and expansion of their Argentina subsidiaries. University of Palermo professor Rodolfo Rapán puts the importance of Brazil’s FDI in context: “Since 2003, an average of about $4 billion in foreign funds has flowed into Argentina each year, and 40 percent of those funds have come from Brazil.”  (Full article in English)

Argentina Hotel Boom

From ultra-luxury to fractional ownership to upscale boutiques, hotel opportunities abound in BA.

Foreign buyers. Global brands. Mega-deals. Few sectors of the local economy can compete with the luxury hotel business for headlines and superlatives. Coveted parcels are the object of bidding wars, while others are selling for as much as $21 million. Today Cronista gives a sweeping analysis of el sector hotelero in both Argentina and Uruguay while highlighting emerging trends like condo-hotels, green projects and fractional ownership. Brazil may be hosting the World Cup in 2014, but by then Argentina will have a leg up in terms of luxury properties. Alvear will christen—not one—but two new BA hotels, a St. Regis will rise in Puerto Madero, Nordelta will welcome an InterContinental and, as discussed in April, several new luxury boutiques will open in Palermo and Recoleta. Major chains are also capitalizing on the sheer beauty and natural amenities in destinations like Iguazú (Hilton, Loi Suites), Bariloche (Sofitel), Córdoba (NA Concepts), Brandsen (HoJo) and Tandil (Mülen). And while the four and five-star projects generate the most PR, the most active sector in terms of units under construction and fractional units for sale is the Sub-4 (star) sector. Projects like La Defensa, Hollywood Suites and Dazzler San Telmo are prime examples of the type of in-demand condo and fractional opportunities awaiting foreign developers today and foreign travelers tomorrow in Buenos Aires, Montevideo and other regional tourist destinations. For more information on local sector opportunities, download a free copy of our premium newsletter, InvestBA Privada.

algodon-suite

A suite at the new Algodon Mansion hotel being built by New York City developers in Recoleta.

While new hotel construction slowed in Argentina in 2008-09, the sector is starting to come back to life thanks to a more favorable peso/dollar exchange rate and the determination of international investor groups, according to Ellen Hoffman of Hotel News Now (HNN). The current 3.8 peso/dollar exchange rate, about 20% higher than two years ago, has helped New York-based developers like DPEC Partners get new hotels across the finish line. Their project, a beautifully restored 1912 property in Recoleta called Algodon Mansion, is a prime example of the type of ultra-luxury boutique hotel opportunity awaiting foreign investors in BA. Private investor groups continue to target the high-end by renovating historical in-town landmarks, while large international chains like HoJo and IHG continue to explore new opportunities in the suburbs and surrounding provinces. According to government sources, hotels under construction in Argentina represent US$1.7 billion of investment; HNN says 59% of those funds are for new hotels in Buenos Aires, while the remainder are going toward new projects in cities like Mendoza, Cordoba and Bariloche.  Hotel research firm STR Global says 690 guestrooms are currently under construction in Buenos Aires, while HVS reports a 71% occupancy rate (1Q10) for BA’s 5-star hotels, an 11% increase over 1Q09. In other BA hotel news, the Park Hyatt Buenos Aires will play host to the 2010 Masters of Food & Wine three-day event next week. Click here for more information.

Howard Johnson, the largest hotel chain in Argentina features luxury projects in BA with polo fields.

Howard Johnson S.A., the largest hotel chain in Argentina features luxury projects with polo fields.

As the wave of new developments and gated communities grows in Buenos Aires, Clarín reports on the simultaneous growth in the number of local projects featuring luxury hotels and resort-style amenities. “The goal is to offer a value-added service to the property owner,” says Clarín, “giving them benefits within the development (assorted discounts) and enhancing the overall comfort level of the project. Several of these mega-hotels are located in the interior of the country (the majority in the Patagonia), taking advantage of the benefits and natural beauty in this part of Argentina.” But BA residents don’t have to travel all the way to Bariloche or San Martín de los Andes to find these types of luxury developments. In fact, several hotels are being built in the surrounding Province of Buenos Aires, and U.S. investors will recognize one of the names behind some of the most high-profile projects. Located in Brandsen, roughly 60 miles from downtown BA, the Howard Johnson Finca Maria Cristina features a 40-room hotel, Spa, Convention Center and Polo Fields. A HoJo with PoLo? That’s the level of style and sophistication the chain has  achieved in Argentina where the Master Franchisee, H.J. Argentina S.A., has become the largest hotel chain in the country with 23 completed hotels and 18 under construction. In addition to professional polo instruction and a helicopter transportation option, the Finca Maria Cristina project features a variety of accommodation styles including large,  six-person Boutique Villas. The developer currently plans to build 15 of these upscale villas and make them available to the public.

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