LWS Hospitality Group is a long-established player in the managed real estate sector, operating throughout France. Through its brand capétudes, the group manages 19 student residences in France, representing over 2,200 units. In parallel, it is developing new operational models, ranging from hotel residences to high-end franchised hotels. LWS Hospitality has also created several service solutions for its investor clients, including unit sales (under the LMNP tax scheme), rental management, condominium management, as well as accounting and tax assistance.
With a turnover of €15 million in 2024, LWS Hospitality’s goal by 2030 is to double its portfolio of residences to exceed 5,000 units under management, work with 3,500 partner owners (LMNP), and reach €50 million in revenue.
To achieve this, LWS Hospitality is bringing Capitem Partenaires and Crédit Agricole Alpes Développement into its capital structure, with the aim of strengthening its equity base and supporting its growth. As a former subsidiary of the real estate development group Réalités, this capital transaction also completes its path to independence and gives the management team the means to become majority shareholders.
Damien Gassies, Managing Director of Capitem Partenaires: “LWS Hospitality is a recognized player in the para-hotel residence sector, particularly in student housing. Its transversal and integrated model gives it great agility in offering turnkey services to its investor owners. Our conviction is above all based on a duo of complementary and experienced leaders – the kind of profiles we typically support. The commitment of the executives and the mindset of the teams immediately made us want to join this journey and support this ambitious project.”
In this transaction, Capitem Partenaires is teaming up with Crédit Agricole Alpes Développement as co-investor. This complementary alliance combines Capitem’s entrepreneurial spirit with the strength of the Crédit Agricole Group, notably through its real estate agency network, Square Habitat.
Cécile Exertier, Private Equity Investor at Crédit Agricole Alpes Développement: “As a stakeholder committed to supporting regional businesses, C2AD is delighted to support and assist Philippe Menguy and Christophe de Brebisson in this new phase of development for the LWS Hospitality Group — a specialist in managed student and business real estate — alongside Capitem Partenaires.”
Philippe Menguy, President of the Group: “We have been working with the management team on this capital entry since February, and we are thrilled to bring this project to fruition with two such high-caliber partners as Capitem Partenaires and Crédit Agricole. The resources these two partners bring will, without a doubt, be invaluable assets in helping us reach our goals.”
PARTIES INVOLVED IN THE TRANSACTION
Company: LWS Hospitality (Philippe Menguy and Christophe de Brebisson)
Financial Investor: Capitem Partenaires (Stéphane Grès, Philippe Pruvot, Damien Gassies, Leatitia Grosgogeat, Nicolas Schlitz)
Legal Counsel to Capitem: CJA Avocats (Alexis Roger, Jean-Baptiste Mercier, Thibault Lagnier, Claire Zapotocky)
Financial Due Diligence: Squareness (Maxime Mazuy, Mathilde Derouvroy, Edouard Robin)
Management Legal Counsel: Addleshaw Goddard (Antoine Martin, Edouard Verhoeven, Dorine Reda, Jules Goddet)
