KUALA LUMPUR: Starhill Real Estate Investment Trust (Starhill REIT) is acquiring the hotel properties and business assets of three Marriott hotels in Australia for A$415mil (RM1.3bil) cash.

YTL Corporation Bhd managing director Tan Sri Francis Yeoh Sock Ping said on Wednesday the acquisition of these hotels would enlarge the trust's portfolio to about RM3bil from RM1.58bil now.

Starhill REIT had on Wednesday inked the agreements to acquire the Sydney Harbour Marriott Hotel, Brisbane Marriott Hotel and Melbourne Marriott Hotel from Commonwealth Managed Investments Ltd, 30 Pitt Street Pty Ltd, 515 Queen Street Pty Ltd and Lonex Pty Ltd.

Yeoh, who is also CEO of Pintar Projek Sdn Bhd, the manager of Starhill REIT, said the acquisitions would result in more than half of Starhill REIT's property value constituted by its hotel assets in Australia and Japan.

He said the acquisitions would make this the largest portfolio of overseas property investments of any Malaysian REIT.

"The acquisition represents a yield accretive opportunity for the trust, generating two income streams, firstly, stable fixed lease rentals arising from its existing property portfolio and, secondly, variable income from the three Marriott hotels, increasing the potential for distribution per unit growth and variations.