”The Arbor City Hotel auction on behalf of Dominvs Group represents an excellent example of why hotel operators should work with us to reduce their clearance costs, generate significant funds and sustainably re-use their second-hand equipment. Over 700 items were given an extended life, with c250 going to local SMEs, whilst generating £86,000 and massively reducing landfill waste. We've worked with multiple hotel owners since and look forward to delivering more of the same in the coming years.”
Paul Esson, NCM Auctions
Dominvs Group acquired the Arbor City Hotel and were partnering with Hilton Worldwide to rebrand Arbor City to a Hampton by Hilton, as part of its London focused strategy and growing UK hospitality portfolio. The 115-room, East London hotel held many high‑value assets, soon to be surplus to requirements; including the hotel bar, restaurant, conference facilities and cinema room. Dominvs Group approached NCM Auctions as a partner for the project who could clear the hotel and release value from surplus assets before its redevelopment.
> Quickly achieve the highest realisation for the disposal and sale of surplus assets
> Provide a complete solution for Dominvs Group with a single point of contact and responsibility
> Dispose of saleable assets while supporting a range of downstream supply chains
> Evidence the social, environmental and economic benefits of partnering with NCM Auctions
> Demonstrate a new clearance and sales channel for Dominvs Group
NCM Auctions were appointed late in the process – leaving just ten days to catalogue, market, auction and clear the building. As the first step, an initial site survey identified over 2,000 ‘saleable’ assets. The main asset categories were catering equipment, hotel room furniture, restaurant furniture, plant, fixtures and fittings.
With time constraints so tight, we advised Dominvs Group to focus on 700 hero lots, identified as being the fastest assets to bring to market and achieve maximum returns. NCM Auctions built the sale catalogue and put together a multi-channel marketing plan for the auction.
A 7-day campaign was immediately actioned, launching simultaneously across both traditional and digital channels.
Marketing
Our marketing campaign ran across a number of platforms including Google Ads, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Linkedin, Youtube, Email campaigns and Auction Industry advertising platforms. Our marketing approach led to a huge return on investment for us and our client:
Impressions = 71,000
Ad Reach = 53,000
Email Reach = 50,000
The Arbor City Hotel auction was simulcast across multiple platforms providing global reach for bidders. The auction lots achieved over 7,000 bids and over 74,000 auction views, with 82% of all lots sold, raising £86,000 at hammer value.
Sustainability
Alongside the financial benefits, it’s important to demonstrate the proven environmental gains and advantages to the local community and economy by reusing surplus assets. The result is a tangible set of outcomes that can be used to help validate corporate, social and environmental responsibilities. Over 500 tonnes of potential waste was diverted from landfill.
Helping Communities
The auction has allowed surplus assets to be re-purposed – growing companies, launching new business ventures, helping communities and charities across the UK and beyond. The type of assets and equipment included in the Arbor City Hotel auction are especially important to third sector non-profits. C275 assets were purchased to be reused by SMEs.
