HNA To Buy Radisson Hotel Owner Carlson

A unit of China's HNA Group has agreed a deal to buy Carlson Hotels, the owner of the Radisson hotel chain.

HNA Tourism, a division of aviation and shipping conglomerate HNA, will buy 100 percent of Carlson Hotels for an undisclosed sum, including its 51.3 percent majority stake in Rezidor Hotel Group.

Chinese firms have been buying hotels and hospitality brands around the world, from Fosun's purchase of Club Mediterranee to Anbang Insurance buying the Waldorf Astoria in New York.

HNA Tourism's chief executive Bai Haibo said the firm would build on the Radisson brand to help "establish our presence in the US market and expand our footprint in hospitality internationally."

Carlson Hotels has 1,400 hotels in 115 countries and territories, and employs around 90,000 people worldwide.

After the deal HNA will have to decide whether to sell down its holding in Rezidor Hotel Group to below 30 percent or launch a mandatory public tender for the remaining 48.7 percent of the company, the firms said in the statement.

The Carlson deal, which is subject to regulatory approvals, is expected to close in the second half of 2016.