SJ Berwin has landed its largest-ever mandate in the thriving hotel and leisure sector, with the City firm advising Vector Hospitality on its £2.64bn float on the London Stock Exchange.

The City firm bagged the headline role on the back of its longstanding relationship with one of the company's investors, Alternative Hotel Group (AHG).

AHG was one of three investors – alongside HBOS and Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) – to pool their assets into Vector, which was launched as a real estate investment trust (REIT) earlier this year.

The deal, which was announced last week, will make Vector the largest specialist real estate company on the market and the first non-conversion REIT since new legislation introduced the vehicle.

The new company draws together 78 hotels from the Hilton, DeVere, Malmaison and Hotel du Vin portfolios as well as four landmark hotels including the Waldorf and the Cumberland in London.

SJ Berwin fielded a heavyweight team, with London corporate real estate partner David Ryland in the lead role. Ryland was supported by an 11-partner team that included corporate partners Delphine Currie and Peter Anderson and real estate partners Rob Thompson, Ed Page and Stephen Wilson.

Ryland told Legal Week: "This was previously a limited market but now there is a lot more people out there who are keen to invest in the hotels sector."

The deal generated roles for a number of other City firms. Mandated lead arrangers Deutsche Bank and RBS were advised by Linklaters corporate partner John Lane and Berwin Leighton Paisner private equity partner Ian Ivory respectively.

DLA Piper London corporate partner Jonathan Richards represented both AHG and investment manager Cameron Investment Managers while Clifford Chance real estate finance partner Arthur Dyson acted for RBS as an investor and HBOS as lender.