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Safestay

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FY2018 Annual Report · Safestay
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Safestay plc1a Kingsley WayLondon N2 0FWT: 020 8815 1600F: 020 8815 1601 www.safestay.comSafestay plc Report and Financial Statements 20181

Welcome 

Our ongoing vision

A unique brand of hospitality.  
A place for backpackers, weekend 
adventurers, families, groups & 
festival goers alike.

TOTAL REVENUES

from 2017 (£10.1m)

HOSTELS EBITDA

 £14.6m 39% 
 £3.4m 6.8% 
 75.6% 3.8% 

GROUP OCCUPANCY 

72.8% in 2017

from 2017 (3.2m)

As a leading player in the 
premium hostel market,  
we’re transforming  
perceptions city by city.  
Stylish, comfortable and  
safe, our offering has  
redefined the experience 
guests can expect from  
a hostel. In 2019 we’ll  
continue our European 
expansion, bringing the  
unique Safestay experience  
to more gateway cities  
across the continent. 

1  Welcome

2  Our Achievements 

4  Our Mission

8  Locations

14  Our Digital Platform

18  Chairman’s Statement

32  Independent Auditor’s Report to the Members of Safestay plc

38  Consolidated Income Statement

39  Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income

40  Consolidated Statement of Financial Position

41  Consolidated Statement of Changes in Equity

42  Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows

21  Officers and Professional Advisers

43  Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

22  Strategic Report

24  Directors’ Report

29  Directors’ Remuneration Report

31  Corporate Governance

68  Company Statement of Financial Position

69  Company Statement of Changes in Equity

70  Company Statement of Cash Flows

71  Notes to the Company Financial Statements

Safestay plc Report & Financial Statements 2018Design: energydesignstudio.com2

Our Achievements 

3

Our Achievements 

Our achievements so far

Since opening the  
doors of our first 
London hostel in 2014, 
growth has been rapid 
and international.

We now operate  
12 hostels and are 
present in 7 different 
countries, offering  
a combined total of  
nearly 3000 beds.

Today Safestay hostels 
provide stylish and safe 
stopovers for millions of 
journeys across Europe. 

Edinburgh

York

UK

London Kensington Holland Park

London Elephant & Castle

Brussels
BELGIUM

Paris (coming 2020)

FRANCE

PORTUGAL

Lisbon

Madrid

SPAIN

Barcelona Passeig de Gracia

Barcelona Gothic

Barcelona Sea

London. Lisbon. Paris. Vienna. You’ll find  
a Safestay hostel in many of Europe’s most 
vibrant and enduringly popular cities. Once 
we’ve settled on a desired city, we set out to 
find an iconic location. A building that ticks 
all the Safestay boxes. It needs to be a great 
building in a central location with good access 
to transport. It needs to be a location close to 
the beating heart of the city’s coolest areas. 

Prague

CZECH REPUBLIC

Vienna

AUSTRIA

2018 new acquisitions

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM
Opened October 2018 
88 beds

VIENNA, AUSTRIA
Opened November 2018  
107 beds

BARCELONA PASSEIG DE GRACIA, SPAIN
Opened March 2018 
380 beds

Safestay plc Report & Financial Statements 2018Safestay plc Report & Financial Statements 20184

Our Mission 

5

Our Mission 

Our mission

Style. Safety. Comfort. Cleanliness. Value for money.

Every one of these attributes has been fundamental to our success. When guests stay at a 
Safestay hostel they are guaranteed a safe, comfortable night’s sleep in a stunning location 
close to the centre of a major city. Far beyond the basics, our hostels offer incredible facilities 
and communal spaces where guests can share travel stories and find new friends. 

WHY HOSTELS?

A rapidly growing industry 

A cash generative business model

The broad appeal of contemporary hostels 

A flexible product – unlike traditional 
hotels, almost any building can be 
adapted to become a hostel

WHY SAFESTAY?

An experienced management team with a 
successful track record of building new brands

The brand has already become established  
and trusted

A successful history of acquiring prime sites  
in major European cities 

The speed at which new sites are developed  
to maturity 

The pursuit of an ambitious international  
roll out plan

OUR JOURNEY SINCE 2014

Since the first London hostel opened 
in 2014, Safestay has delivered 66% 
annual (CAGR) growth. The brand now 
operates 12 hostels and is present in  
7 countries. The growth of the brand 
can be measured by a range of 
different statistics. Today the Safestay 
story includes: 

2,890 beds in 12 hostels

Presence in 7 countries

Nearly 650,000 sleepers  
in 2018

25,000 followers and 
750,000 impressions

250 team members

Why does this work?

Safestay is taking the hostel experience  
to a whole new audience.

Every location is designed to appeal to a wide range of guests, 
from families and school groups to backpackers and economy-
minded business travellers. Clear and consistent Safestay 
branding across hostels is key to driving visibility of the product, 
customer awareness and brand recall. The consistency of the 
brand, and of every Safestay guest experience, fuels positive 
feedback and further investment. 

WHAT IS NEXT?

In December 2018, £10 million in capital was successfully raised to fund 
expansion of the Safestay network. In 2019 Safestay is aiming to pass the 
one million mark for sleeps in Safestay beds. The brand will continue to 
add further destinations to an expanding international portfolio.  
Every new location must meet stringent Safestay criteria, including:

•  Popular tourist cities
•  Centrally located
•  With capacity for 200+ beds
•  Either leasehold or freehold
•  Hostel acquisition, hostel conversion or new developments

London Elephant 
and Castle 
Opened 2014 
413 total beds

London Kensington 
Holland Park 
Opened 2015 
319 total beds

York 
UK 
Opened 2015 
147 total beds

Edinburgh 
Scotland 
Opened 2015 
607 total beds

Barcelona Sea 
Spain 
Opened 2017 
96 total beds

Barcelona Gothic 
Spain 
Opened 2017 
132 total beds 

Lisbon 
Portugal 
Opened 2017 
150 total beds 

Madrid 
Spain 
Opened 2017 
228 total beds 

Prague 
Czech Republic 
Opened 2017 
150 total beds 

Barcelona Passeig 
de Gracia, Spain 
Opened 2018 
380 total beds 

Brussels 
Belgium 
Opened 2018 
88 total beds 

Vienna 
Austria 
Opened 2018 
107 total beds

Safestay plc Report & Financial Statements 2018Safestay plc Report & Financial Statements 20186

Our Customers 

7

Our Customers 

“My stopover at Safestay 
was amazing! Super 
beautiful hostel and 
very clean. It is located 
close to the city centre 
which made my stay 
there easier. Moreover, 
the receptionist Diana 
was very kind with 
me, answering all my 
questions. A very big 
applause for her way  
of treating the guests!”

Madrid  
January 2019

Safestay plc Report & Financial Statements 2018Safestay plc Report & Financial Statements 20188

Locations 

9

Locations 

 Safestay 
London  
Elephant & Castle

Safestay London Elephant & Castle is perfectly placed to 
visit many of London’s most iconic landmarks. Once the 
headquarters of the Labour party, the site has found new 
life as a stylish Safestay hostel. Tower Bridge, Big Ben and 
the London Eye all lie within walking distance. When guests 
return from their adventures they can bond with fellow 
travellers over pizza and drinks in the hostel’s buzzing bar, 
a venue for frequent music events and meetups.

413

Beds

 82%

Occupancy

 Safestay 
Edinburgh

Nestled in the heart of Edinburgh’s old town, a few metres 
from the Royal Mile, our hostel is ideally placed to make the 
most of Scotland’s much-loved capital. From the moment 
they arrive, guests are immersed in an authentic Scottish 
experience. Whisky and traditional favourites like ‘haggis and 
tatties’ can be sampled in the many nearby restaurants and 
bars. Edinburgh Castle delivers panoramic views of the city. 
Great shopping and street performers can be found 
wandering around the city’s cobbled streets. During the 
Edinburgh Festival, the hostel offers guests a perfect staging 
post for catching the best of the action. Throughout the 
festival the hostel’s Bar 50 becomes a popular hot spot for 
students and performers.

 607

Beds

73%

Occupancy

 Safestay 
London Kensington 
Holland Park

Safestay London Kensington Holland Park occupies a 
stunning period building surrounded by private gardens 
within one of London’s most prestigious parks. Close to 
Kensington High Street and Holland Park Underground 
stations, the hostel offers an elegant oasis of calm within 
easy travelling distance of the many attractions that make 
London enduringly popular. 

319

Beds

80%

Occupancy

Safestay 
York

Safestay York is housed in a beautiful Georgian 
townhouse in the city centre. The surrounding area is 
filled with historic pubs and restaurants, many in their 
original medieval buildings. The York Dungeon, the 
River Ouse and York Castle Museum all lie within 
walking distance. The city’s most famous street, York 
Shambles, said to be the inspiration for Diagon Alley, 
also lies close by. Potter fan or not, the quintessentially 
English Safestay York can make anyone feel at home.

 147

Beds

53%

Occupancy

Safestay plc Report & Financial Statements 2018Safestay plc Report & Financial Statements 201810

Locations 

11

Locations 

Safestay 
Lisbon

Lisbon is a city with something for everyone, and Safestay 
Lisbon puts you in the heart of it all. Guests can soak up the 
sun on the hostel’s roof terrace, or soak up culture on the 
city’s lively, historical streets. The Chiado, Bairro Alto and 
Restaurados neighbourhoods are all within a short walk.  
The ancient part of the city, Alfama, can be explored to reveal 
the best city views. The best of Portuguese and ethnic cuisine 
can be found in restaurants and bars in the local area. In a 
city proud of its artistic and musical heritage, the hostel’s 
terrace rooftop bar certainly plays its part frequently playing 
host to live music, DJs and guest meetups.

 150

Beds

80%

Occupancy

Safestay 
Prague

The doors of Safestay Prague open onto the city of a 
hundred spires. A short walk takes you back in time 
to the stunning National Theatre, the famous Charles 
Bridge and into the picturesque 14th century Old 
Town. Thirsty travellers can refresh with some of the 
world’s best beer. The hostel boasts big, bright and 
airy rooms and staff conversant in English, Czech, 
Finnish and Russian.

 150

Beds

 77%

Occupancy

Safestay 
Vienna

Safestay Vienna is two metro stops from  
the Vienna State Opera and four stops from 
Schönbrunn Palace. Our stylish hotel occupies  
a historic building in Vienna’s central 5th 
district. The popular restaurants, food stalls 
and art nouveau buildings of the Naschmarkt 
area can be reached on foot in minutes.  
The immaculate palace grounds provide  
a great backdrop for guests as they explore  
a city rich in music, history and strudel.

 107 

Beds

 52

Rooms

Safestay 
Brussels

350 yards from Brussels’ central Grand Place and an 
8-minute walk from the Central Railway Station, Safestay 
Brussels is in a prime location for tourists and business 
travellers. Central shopping areas, popular restaurants 
and the coolest bars lie on the doorstep. The Comic-Book 
Museum, The Chocolate and Cocoa Museum and The 
Fashion and Lace Museum are found within easy reach. 
From famous winter markets to spring shopping trips,  
to one the many summer music festivals, the appeal of 
Safestay Brussels remains strong all year round.

88

Beds

49

Rooms

Safestay plc Report & Financial Statements 2018Safestay plc Report & Financial Statements 201812

Locations 

13

Locations 

 Safestay 
Barcelona Sea

A modern and cosmopolitan European city with over 
four kilometres of Mediterranean beaches, Barcelona  
is a city blessed. The Barcelona Sea Hostel looks directly 
over the beachfront. Located in a traditional fisherman’s 
neighbourhood, Barceloneta, the hostel sits practically 
on the beach. Local restaurants serve delicious seafood 
on sunny terraces. A walk along the beachfront brings 
you to Port Olímpic, home to Barcelona’s best bars and 
clubs. Close to the hostel and a favourite with party 
goers, Pacha hosts a variety of events throughout the 
week including Spanish dancing classes. 

 96

Beds

 79%

Occupancy

 Safestay 
Barcelona
Passeig de Gracia

With Antonio Gaudi’s Casa Batlló as a neighbour, Safestay 
Passeig de Gràcia hostel is ideally placed for reaching many 
of Barcelona’s famous sites. Located on one of Barcelona’s 
most famous walking boulevards, guests are never short of 
something to do. Local tapas bars let guests indulge in local 
delicacies like patatas bravas, cured hams, cheeses and 
sangria. The 7th floor rooftop terrace bar is one of the best 
spots in the city for catching a beautiful Catalan sunset with 
fellow travellers. A dedicated hostel team is always on hand 
to organise bar crawls, day trips and tours around the city.

380

Beds

71%

Occupancy

 Safestay 
Barcelona Gothic

Safestay Barcelona Gothic is a charming hostel in the 
oldest part of Barcelona. The Gothic Quarter is filled with 
narrow medieval streets, tiny plazas, trendy bars, clubs, 
and tapas restaurants. The hostel is a short walk from the 
Gothic Cathedral and the famous Arc de Triomf which leads 
into the Ciutadella Park. The hostel has an expansive open 
lounge, perfect for breaking the ice with fellow travellers. 
Walking tours, bar crawls, paella nights, live music and 
meetups can be arranged through the hostel team who 
work closely with the other Safestay hostels in the city. 

 132

Beds

 78%

Occupancy

 Safestay 
Madrid

Home to the Royal Palace, Plaza Mayor and thousands of 
cantinas and food markets, it’s no surprise Madrid was voted 
the one of the best cities in Europe. Located in Madrid Centro, 
our hostel offers the perfect balance between trendy budget 
accommodation and access to the most elegant haunts in 
Madrid. A maze of narrow lanes filled with cantinas, beer and 
tapas; Barrio de la Latina is a foodie’s heaven. The hostel’s 
Sagasta 22 Terrace Bar offers views over the city’s most 
vibrant neighbourhoods. Guests can party into the night at the 
Speakeasy Pub. Our super friendly team are always on hand to 
organise bar crawls, trips to flamenco dancing shows or daily 
walking tours of the Spanish capital.

 228

Beds

 74%

Occupancy

Safestay plc Report & Financial Statements 2018Safestay plc Report & Financial Statements 201814

Our Digital Platform 

15

Safestay plc Report & Financial Statements 2018

Our Digital Platform 

Our digital platform

Our vision is to create an integrated 
user experience through search, 
mobile, web, social and the in-hostel 
experience.

2018 saw us make a significant investment in digital which included 
a number of exciting marketing campaigns such as the popular £1 
bed sale, along with improvements to the website user experience.

As a like for like comparison on our 4 UK properties, bookings made 
via the website grew over 50%. 

With the addition of our newly acquired European properties,  
our website revenue grew over 125% for transient business.  
Our penetration into these new markets was coupled with growth 
from users in Spain, Portugal and Czech Republic with 150%, 180% 
and 230% more sessions from users in these countries respectively. 

In 2018 43% of all sessions were from our Millennial target audience 
of 25-34 year olds and 21% from our second most desirable 
audience, Generation Z 18-24 year olds. The male and female split 
remained consistent year on year with 60% female and 40% male 
users. There were also 65% more returning visitors as a result of 
social media competitions & marketing campaigns during key sale 
periods, which created spikes in traffic to bring in returning users  
to the site. 

Year on year mobile traffic grew 95% and accounted for 50% of all 
traffic to the website. It’s a growing source of traffic and our user 
experience improvements this year have been geared towards 
improving navigation for mobile users in particular. We are making 
an investment in our booking engine to ensure seamless usability 
across mobile and desktop, as well allowing us to be more strategic 
in pushing the right offers and packages that encourage more direct 
bookings.

Instagram has been a big success story this year, going to almost  
15K engaged followers. Our plan has been to curate a feed that tells 
a travel story and helps to convert users as part of a multi-channel 
funnel during vertical searches. We ran a 3-month summer long 
campaign called Hostel of the Week by creating and sharing videos 
of the teams providing local recommendations on things to do and 
see in their cities.

INCREASE IN TRANSACTIONS

INCREASE IN WEB SALES

 +93%
 +126%
 605k 53% 

INCREASE IN ONLINE SESSIONS

from 2017 (395,000)

INCREASE IN UNIQUE USERS

from 2017 (293,000)

434k 49% 
25k+ EMAIL  
29k+ SOCIAL  

MEDIA  
FOLLOWERS

NEWSLETTER  
SUBSCRIBERS

Safestay plc Report & Financial Statements 201816

Our Customers

17

Our Customers 

“As the name says, I felt 
very safe and happy in 
this hostel. The staff were 
friendly and helpful, they 
have a lovely café, the 
bedding was good quality 
and the hostel is very 
clean and organised.”

London Kensington Holland Park 
January 2019

Trustyou 
5,462 verified reviews

Safestay plc Report & Financial Statements 2018Safestay plc Report & Financial Statements 2018 
 
 
18

Chairman’s Statement 

19

Chairman’s Statement 

Chairman’s Statement

Another exceptional 
year which saw 
further expansion  
across Europe  
in line with our 
growth plans. 

Larry Lipman, Chairman

 “2018 was a positive year for the business and I am confident that 2019 will deliver  
continued growth. The portfolio is maturing and shows the benefits of the Group gaining  
from economies of scale, geographic spread and group wide automation. This, together  
with continuing global demand for the modern hostel experience means we are well  
placed to sell an increasing number of bed nights in 2019 and add further destination  
cities to our portfolio.”

Introduction
I am very pleased to present the results for the year to  
31 December 2018 which show the Group performing strongly, 
recording a 39% increase in revenues alongside occupancy 
improving across the portfolio to 75.6%. 

Since establishing its first hostel, Safestay has expanded rapidly 
achieving a 66% CAGR (Compounded Average Annual Growth 
Rate) in revenues over the last 4 years. Initially focused in the 
UK with hostels in London, York and Edinburgh, Safestay moved 
into mainland Europe in 2017 with new hostels in Madrid, 
Prague, Lisbon and Barcelona. In 2018, 3 new properties were 
opened in the popular cities of Brussels, Barcelona and Vienna. 
Today, the Company operates 2,890 beds in 12 hostels spread 
across 6 countries, with a flagship hostel under construction  
in the centre of Paris due to open in 2020.

Perceptions of the hostel market have changed substantially 
over the last 5 years and Safestay’s contemporary properties 
have played a part in this cultural shift. Offering a stylish, 
comfortable and safe stay to a broad profile of guests within 
beautiful buildings that are centrally located in popular cities  
but still with an average bed rate of just £20. This has proven  
to be a successful formula for Safestay and along with other 
modern hostel operators has led to the concept of a premium 
hostel becoming more widely recognised which in turn is 
increasing the global customer base as awareness spreads.

2018 was a good year, the Group grew significantly whilst 
strengthening central platforms, systems and operational 
profitability. This, together with the successful £10.36 million 
fund raising completed in December 2018, ensures the Group  
is well place to both to continue to make selective acquisitions 
as well as drive operational improvements.

Financial Results

Revenue
Group revenue for the financial year ended 31 December 2018 
increased by 39% to £14.6 million (2017: £10.5 million). £6.2 
million came from non-UK properties representing 43% of total 
revenues, up from 19% in 2017, reflecting the successful 
expansion of the Group and the ability to diversify into new 
markets.

Food & beverage sales in 2018 were £1.7 million (2017:  
£1.4 million). In the UK, this segment grew by 7% in a challenging 
environment. With the opening of the Rooftop bar in Madrid in 
July 2018 and the renovation of the restaurant in London Elephant 
& Castle completed in February 2019, we expect this trend to 
continue in the current year.

Adjusted EBITDA
Adjusted EBITDA provides a key measure of progress made. 
Adjusted EBITDA for the year to December 2018 was £3.4 million 
(2017: £3.2 million). 

Operating Profit

Add back:

Depreciation

Amortisation

Gains / Losses on disposal fixed assets

Exceptional expenses

Share based payment expense

2018
£’000

1,044

2017
£’000

971

1,421

1,538

181

74

662

34

161

—

495

34

Adjusted EBITDA

3,416

3,199

The exceptional expenses totalled £0.66 million and included 
costs in relation to acquisitions made in 2018 as well as costs  
in relation to projects which did not materialise.

Finance Costs
Finance costs in 2018 were £1.6 million (2017: £1.8 million). 
There has not been significant change since 2017 when the Group 
refinanced its borrowings with a 5-year £18.4 million secured 
bank facility with HSBC. 

The properties in Edinburgh and London Elephant & Castle were 
also refinanced in 2017 and have been accounted for as finance 
leases. Our lease at London Kensington Holland Park is also being 
accounted for as a finance lease rather than an operating lease, 
under IAS17 (to be superseded by IFRS16 from 1 January 2019).

Earnings per Share
Basic loss per share for the year ended 31 December 2018 was 
2.56p (2017: loss 2.55p) based on the weighted number of shares, 
35,387,458 (2017: 34,219,134) in issue during the year. 

The total number of shares in issue as at 31 December 2018  
was 64,679,014 following the 30,459,880 share issue completed 
on 17 December 2018

Cash flow, capital expenditure and debt 
Net cash generated from operations was £1.8 million (2017:  
£1.9 million). The increase in cash from the hostels was partly 
offset with the increases in the central costs, in line with the 
growth of the business. The Group had cash balances of  
£9.9 million at 31 December 2018 (2017: £4.5 million). 

The cash was used in 2018 to make acquisitions and grow the 
European network. £2.2 million was invested in the acquisition  
of a third property in Barcelona (380 beds on Passeig de Gracia)  
in March. Of the consideration payable, £0.62 million was paid 
immediately on acquisition with the balance due in 4 annual 
instalments from 2019. In October, the Group purchased an 
existing company in Belgium for £1.2m to take over a hotel 
operating under leasehold in the tourist quarter in Brussels.  
The take over an existing hotel in Vienna under a new leasehold 
did not involve any consideration.

In the UK, the Group undertook the extension of the London 
Elephant & Castle property adding a further 73 beds. The project 
completed in January 2019 for a total cost of £2.4 million. In line 
with the property refinancing agreement, on completion Safestay 
received £1.18 million back from the landlord which helped 
finance the extension with the balance being financed from 
internal cash resources. 

The Group also invested £0.1m in adding a rooftop bar and 
terrace to the Madrid hostel which completed in July 2018.

From the beginning of 2019, 4% of revenue generated from  
the hostel operation will be set aside to invest in a continual 
programme of renovation and upkeep across the portfolio.  
This will ensure the brand is maintained as a premium product  
in line with our guests expectations of a Safestay hostel. 

In addition, the successful placing and open offer competed  
in December 2018 increased our cash balance by £9.7 million  
(net of £0.65 million of fees). This gives us the capital to 
implement our roll-out plans and continue to grow our network 
though existing and new leaseholds as well as acquisitions.

Safestay plc Report & Financial Statements 2018Safestay plc Report & Financial Statements 2018 
20

Chairman’s Statement

21

Chairman’s Statement

Chairman’s Statement continued

In parallel, we have built an in-house revenue management 
expertise to better control and yield the average bed rates in  
all properties. The roll out of one property management system 
(Cloudbeds) in all properties give this data consistency and 
integrity which is the foundation for an efficient yield and 
distribution management.

We have also reinforced our central group sales team to grow and 
support more efficiently this segment of business and deliver the 
more customised service and product needed. 

The Board
Following the expansion of the board in 2017 with the 
appointment of two new non-executive directors, Michael Hirst in 
May 2017 and Anson Chan in December 2017, a new appointment 
was made in August 2018. Hervé Deligny joined the board as CFO. 
Hervé Deligny has spent 20 years in the hospitality industry, with 
Accorhotels and onefinestay. He brings a wealth of knowledge in 
the operational finance and property investment area and has 
been instrumental to the successful acquisition and fund raising 
in December 2018. Paul Cummins was appointed alternate 
director for the non-executive director Anson Chan.

Outlook
In a challenging market, our forward bookings are strong and  
we are on track to achieve our forecast this year.

The modern hostel sector is a fast-growing market and we 
believe Safestay is well placed within it. The brand is gaining a 
good reputation for offering safe, stylish accommodation in well 
located attractive buildings. In 2019, we will distribute over one 
million bed nights, move into net profitability and become self-
funding as the Group benefits from the growing economies and 
group wide automation. 

Larry Lipman 
Chairman
9 April 2019

Outstanding bank loans was £18.1 million (2017: £18.2 million). 
This includes a £18.2 million loan with HSBC (2017: £18.4 
million), as well as £0.2 million local loans in Belgium and Spain 
(2017: £0.1 million), minus the £0.3 million amortised loan fees 
(2017: £0.3 million). The finance lease obligations amount to 
£21.2 million (2017: £21.2 million). This results in a £39.3 million 
debt at 31 December 2018 (2017: £39.4 million). The gearing ratio 
(inclusive of obligations under finance lease) has reduced from 
207% in 2017 to 141% in 2018. The company is fully compliant 
with the HSBC debt covenants as at 31 December 2018: The 
historic (376%) and projected (450%) interest cover as well as  
the historic (287%) and projected (280%) service cover are all 
significantly in excess of the minimum covenant ratios (150%).

Net asset value per share decreased to 43p (2017: 55p) as a result 
of the successful share issue completed on 17 December 2018 at 
a price of 34p per share.

Operational Review
In 2018, our primary focus was to increase our operational 
profitability whilst also seeking to improve the quality of the 
Safestay proposition.

It was pleasing therefore to achieve operational efficiencies, 
particularly on the payroll costs, that led to an improvement in 
EBITDA margins in the UK to 47.4% (2017 44.4%) adding a further 
£0.2 million to net profit.

2018 was the first full year of trading for 5 European properties 
purchased in 2017 in Spain, Portugal and the Czech Republic. It 
was extremely satisfactory to see that these hostels all achieved 
occupancy levels in excess of 70% in 2018, with an average 
occupancy of 76.8% (versus 70.6% in 2017 achieved over the last  
6 months of the year). 

In total, the mainland European business generated £6.2m 
revenue in 2018, £4.2m more than in 2017. The EBITDA margin  
in these hostels which are all operated under leasehold has also 
increased up from 19.1% to 20.1% with room to improve further 
as the sites mature and benefit from further economies of scale. 

The new sites in Brussels and Vienna added in 2018 are currently 
operating as hotels and will be converted to hostels in 2019.

The operating performance achieved to date in Europe confirms 
our belief in the scalability of the business outside the UK which 
has increased our confidence in achieving our portfolio growth 
targets.

Revenue management in 2018 was also a core focus. We are 
targeting generating a revenue split of 40% from a broad range  
of group bookings, 20% from direct bookings into our website and 
40% through Online Travel Agencies (‘OTAs’). To achieve this will 
be a shift away from OTAs to the more higher margin direct and 
group bookings. 

To support these objectives the website was refreshed in Q4 2018 
along with a fully revamped booking experience for our guests 
which is expected to increase traffic, conversion and ultimately 
grow contribution from direct booking channels. 

Financial Highlights

39% increase in total revenues to £14.6 million  
(2017: £10.5 million)

8% increase in like-for-like sales in mainland Europe with group 
like-for-like sales up 1% to £11.1 million (2017: £11.0 million) as 
UK down by 1% due to the addition of 73 additional beds in 
London Elephant & Castle

43% or £6.2 million of net revenue now coming from mainland 
Europe versus 19% in 2017

Occupancy grew to 76% (2017: 73%)

Adjusted EBITDA of £3.4m (2017: £3.2 million)

Loss before tax reduced to £0.60 million (2017: £0.86 million)

Loss per share 2.56p (2017: 2.55p)

Completed successful £10.36 million capital raise in December 
2018 to fund future expansion

Operational Highlights

Added 575 beds with 3 new properties in the key gateway cities 
of Barcelona, Brussels and Vienna

Significant improvements in operating margins led to profit 
before tax from UK hostels increasing by 14% to £1.76 million 
(2017: £1.55 million)

Hostel EBITDAR margins have increased by 7% to 48%  
(2017 44.8%)

Guest recommendation rate increased to 81% (2017 80%)

Enhanced website and booking engine implemented in Q4 2018

Unified property management system (Cloudbeds)  
now operating in all hostels

Madrid rooftop bar opened in July 2018

Post-Year End

Completed 73-bed extension to London Elephant & Castle  
on 20 January 2019, triggering a £1.18 million final payment  
to Safestay under the sale and lease back transaction 

Officers and Professional 
Advisors

Directors
Larry Lipman 
Chairman

Nuno Sacramento 
Chief Operating Officer

Hervé Deligny 
Chief Financial Officer & Company Secretary

Stephen Moss CBE  
Non-Executive Director

Michael Hirst OBE 
Non-Executive Director

Anson Chan 
Non-Executive Director

Paul Cummins 
Alternate Non-Executive Director

Registered Office
1a Kingsley Way 
London N2 0FW

Company Number
8866498

Nominated Adviser and Broker
Canaccord Genuity Limited 
88 Wood Street 
London EC2V 7QR

Corporate Solicitor
Dechert LLP 
160 Queen Victoria Street 
London EC4V 4QQ

Auditor
Grant Thornton UK LLP 
30 Finsbury Square 
London EC2P 2YU

Registrar
Link Asset Services 
The Registry 
34 Beckenham Road 
Beckenham 
Kent BR3 4TU

Bankers
HSBC Bank plc 
69 Pall Mall 
St James’s 
London SW1Y 5EY

Safestay plc Report & Financial Statements 2018Safestay plc Report & Financial Statements 201822

Strategic Report

23

Strategic Report

Strategic Report

Principal activity
The principal activity of the Group comprises the operation and 
development of high-quality traveller accommodation under the 
Safestay brand in properties that are either owned or occupied 
on long leasehold.

The Business Model
The Safestay business model is to develop and operate a brand 
of contemporary hostels in the UK and key strategic cities in 
Europe. The Safestay brand is positioned at the premium end 
of the hostel spectrum with appeal to a broad range of guests. 
Core elements of the model are:

 — Development

Identifying potential properties in target cities, acquiring the 
properties and their contemporary, stylish refurbishment to 
fit with the brand

 — Operational

Deploying a strong hostel expertise and cost control  
to achieve best in class operating margins 

 — Brand

Building the Safestay brand value

 — Scale

Building the platform to efficiently add further hostels  
to the Group

 — People

Investing in the right people where automation cannot  
be adopted

 — Guest experience

Providing a comfortable, safe and enjoyable stay in our 
hostels for a reasonable price with a focus on customer 
satisfaction, a strong community experience and repeat stays

Review of business and future prospects
Key Metrics

Occupancy

Average Bed Rate

Room Revenues (£’000)

Total Revenues (£’000)

Net cash generated from operations 
(£’000)

Net assets per share

2018

2017

75.6%

72.8%

£20.3

£21.4

12,171

8,461

14,620

10,547

1,832

1,863

43p

55p

The 2017 Room revenue was restated to reallocate the rental 
income in Edinburgh from Hostel accommodation to Other 
income. This rental income was £330,000 in 2017.

The underlying business generated revenues of £14.6 million 
(2017: £10.5 million). Operating profit before exceptional costs 
was £1.7 million (2017: £1.5 million) and an underlying adjusted 
EBITDA, as defined in the Chairman’s statement, of £3.4 million 
(2017: £3.2 million) for the year to 31 December 2018. 2018 has 
been an important year for Safestay, which has seen it continue 
to grow to 12 operating hostels with one under development. 
With a total of 2,817 beds in December 2018, Safestay is well 
positioned as one of the leaders in the hostel arena.

The key operational performance indicators in 2018 resulted  
in an average bed occupancy of 75.6% and average bed rate  
of £20.3 for the group as a whole.

In 2018 management have decided to review the way it 
calculates the ABR (Average Bed Rate) and occupancy. These 
metrics are now calculated using the units sold by the hostels 
instead of using the beds. A unit is either a bed in a dormitory 
or a private room which may include more than one bed. 
This methodology is aligned with the one used in the booking 
and property management systems. It therefore gives us 
full consistency in the metrics used across the business and 
guarantees a perfect integrity in the data used to assess the 
performance of the hostels. The 2017 ABR was restated from 
£19.3 as reported in 2017 when using beds, to £21.4 when using 
units.

The hostel industry and Safestay in particular have shown some 
resilience in the recent market disruption, including a softer 
market in the UK following the uncertain European future of 
the UK. The split of our revenue between the UK and the rest of 
Europe gives a us a good balance and a natural hedging against 
local market disruptions and currency volatility.

The Chairman’s statement includes further analysis of the 
business performance and future prospects of the Group. 

Financial risk
In 2018, the Group has a £18.2 million debt facility secured 
until 2022. This provides an efficient base from which to grow 
the business at a reduced margin over LIBOR. However, any 
increases in LIBOR will increase the cost of these loans and 
therefore impact the net profit of the business (a 0.5% change  
in LIBOR would impact the net profit before tax by £91,000). 
Strict financial controls are in place to ensure that monies 
cannot be expended above the available limits or to breach  
any banking covenants.

In 2018 Safestay has demonstrated its ability to raise additional 
equity to provide new source of cash and finance its expansion 
whilst reducing its gearing (inclusive of obligations under 
finance lease) from 207% to 141%.

A proportion of Safestay’s business comprises group bookings 
and there is a risk of booking cancellations which will leave the 
hostel with unforeseen beds to sell at relatively short notice. 
To offset this risk, all group bookings require a non-refundable 
deposit of 10% at time of confirmation and staged payments in 
advance of the group arrivals. 

Except for a small number of credit sales for which applied 
credit limits are verified through external sources, Safestay  
has a policy of full payment upfront for guests staying which 
is the norm for hostels. As such there are negligible trade 
receivable risks.

Approved by the board of Directors and signed on behalf of  
the board.

Larry Lipman
Chairman
9 April 2019

Principal risks and uncertainties
The principal risks and uncertainties that could potentially  
have a material impact on the Group’s performance are 
discussed below.

Business risk
Safestay operates in the hospitality industry which, over the 
years, has experienced fluctuations in trading performance. 
Traditionally, the hotel sector’s performance has tracked 
macro-economic trends, feeling the strain during the economic 
downturn and becoming more buoyant during recovery. The 
hostel sector, which leans more heavily on leisure travellers 
and has a lower price point, has proved more resilient and has 
delivered more robust cash flows through the economic cycle 
and has quickly recovered from isolated terror acts which may 
limit travel in the short term. The hospitality sector in the UK 
continues to face a number of cost headwinds from the National 
Living Wage, business rates, commodity price inflation and 
foreign exchange rate fluctuations. 

A proportion of Safestay’s business in the UK comes from 
Europe, including a number of school groups. In addition, nearly 
half of the turnover is coming from hostels located in mainland 
Europe. The business is therefore susceptible to changes in 
the source market, schools’ education, travel policies and any 
fluctuations arising in the market from the ‘Brexit’ process 
together with risks arising from exchange rate fluctuations. 
Conversely, this balance between the UK and mainland Europe 
offers a natural hedging against fluctuations of each local 
market and currency where Safestay operates.

Whilst demand in Safestay’s markets is projected to strengthen, 
the provision of new supply will dilute the trading performance 
within the competitor set. It should be recognised the barriers 
to entry are quite high with the availability of suitable real estate 
limited. Safestay’s defence to such threats is the combination 
of our premium locations and high standard of accommodation 
and operations. As supply increases, the business’ focus on 
revenue, customer service, and sales and marketing activity 
is key in order to protect and grow market share, brand loyalty 
and reputation. 

Safestay’s property management system is deployed via SaaS 
(software as a service). As such the Group is dependent on 
robust internet connectivity and the resilience of the provider’s 
third-party data centre and back-up protocols to operate. 
Whilst the arrangement carries risks, these are deemed to be 
reduced when compared to an in-house option which would 
lead to higher management overhead costs for the business. 
Management believe this current arrangement is more suitable 
to the business needs as well as being more cost effective due 
to the small size of our business. The other systems used are 
not deemed to be business critical.

Accessing expansion opportunities at the right price and in the 
right locations is, by its nature, an opportunistic exercise. Whilst 
the leadership team has a track record in securing properties 
to support business growth, there is no guarantee that future 
opportunities can be secured. 

Safestay plc Report & Financial Statements 2018Safestay plc Report & Financial Statements 201824

Directors’ Report

25

Directors’ Report

Directors’ Report

The directors present their annual report on the affairs of the Company and Group together with the financial statements for the 
year ended 31 December 2018.

Directors 
The directors who have served in the year to 31 December 2018 were as follows:

Larry Lipman 
Nuno Sacramento 
Hervé Deligny (appointed 14 Aug 2018)

Stephen Moss CBE 
Michael Hirst OBE 
Anson Chan

Paul Cummins (Alternate director  
for Anson Chan. Appointed 13 Sep 2018) 
Sharon Segal (resigned 31 July 2018) 

Larry Lipman and Stephen Moss were re-elected at the Company’s AGM in 2018. 

Larry Lipman 
Chairman

Larry Lipman (aged 62) has been the main driving force behind the Safestay business 
since its establishment. He is responsible for the Group’s strategy and business 
development. He has extensive experience of the property market, gained over thirty 
years, throughout which he has been the managing director of Safeland plc, where his 
primary focus is on trading opportunities and the assessment of potential investments 
and refurbishment projects. He was also a key executive in each of Safeland’s previous 
demergers, including Workspace and Safestore, and, in each case, he continued after 
the demerger to be closely involved with the growth of those businesses as well as 
continuing to manage the core businesses of Safeland.

Nuno Sacramento 
Chief Operating Officer

Nuno Sacramento (aged 51) was appointed as Chief Operating Officer on 1st February 
2018. His significant hospitality background with international brands gives him the 
right platform to take the Safestay brand to the next stage of growth. Prior to joining 
Safestay, Nuno was Operations Director for Whitbread, managing a portfolio of 100 
Premier Inns with on-site restaurants and Costa Coffee in key locations. Whitbread is 
the UK’s largest hotel, restaurant and coffee shop operator with 50,000 employees and 
a leading FTSE 100 business. Nuno was a key contributor to the success of Whitbread, 
primarily its Premier Inn brand, where he had an influential role shaping the business. 
He headed the transition from fixed pricing to dynamic pricing, had a key role in defining 
the operating format and shaping evolving structures and labour models. Previously, 
Nuno ran his own businesses in Brazil and the UK and held various management roles 
with Accor, from Sofitel to Novotel in Russia, Argentina, France and Brazil.

Hervé Deligny 
Chief Financial Officer & Company Secretary

Hervé Deligny (aged 46) is the Chief Finance Officer of Safestay. He joined the business 
in August 2018 to bring his experience in hospitality, finance and hotel investment and 
help to deliver the ambitious growth plan at Safestay. Hervé came from onefinestay,  
a luxury private rental operator managing 10,000 properties worldwide, where he 
was CFO. Previously, Hervé was with Accorhotels in Paris and then London where he 
was CFO of the UK business from 2006, becoming head of the UK investment arm in 
2013 and managing a portfolio of 100 hotels in the UK. Hervé began his career in Audit 
at PricewaterhouseCoopers and has over 20 years’ experience in finance. He holds a 
Masters degree in Finance from University Paris IX Dauphine. He lives in London  
with his wife and three children.

Stephen Moss CBE 
Non-Executive Director

Stephen Moss (aged 66) is Chairman of Grosvenor Securities, a Central London 
commercial property investment and development company and of Mr Lee’s Pure Foods 
Co, an innovative, award-winning, healthy food business. He was Chairman of Bibendum 
PLB Group, a leading drinks distribution company, until its sale in 2016 and, prior to that, 
was Managing Director of BCP Airport Parking which he had grown into one of the leading 
booking agents for travel ancillaries via a mix of internet bookings and distribution 
agreements with leading travel agents, tour operator and airlines. Stephen founded 
Springboard in 1990, a charity which promotes careers in hospitality, leisure and tourism, 
of which he remains Chairman, and its board and corporate partners include many of the 
UK’s leading hotel groups. In 1992 he was awarded an MBE for services to the restaurant 
industry and, in 2002, a CBE for his contribution towards education and training.

Michael Hirst OBE 
Non-Executive Director

Michael Hirst (aged 75) is consultant to CBRE Hotels, the world’s leading hotel 
experts. He also advises hospitality and tourism businesses and has acted as an 
Arbitrator for the International Court of Arbitration in hotel dispute resolution.  
He is a Director of CP Holdings Ltd, a diversified industrial and services group, which 
includes hotels and thermal spas in Central Europe. He is Chairman of the Business 
Visits & Events Partnership, representing Britain’s Events Industry and recently 
appointed Chairman of the UK Government’s Events Industry Board. He is a director 
of The Tourism Alliance, bringing together all the major tourism organisations in the 
UK and is appointed to the Tourism Industry Council, a collaboration between the UK 
Government and the tourism industry. He was awarded OBE in 2004 for services to 
Tourism in Britain.

Anson Chan 
Non-Executive Director

Anson Chan (aged 55) is a respected Hong Kong businessman who has accumulated a 
variety of management and investment experiences. Over the years, he has served as 
an executive director for his family’s real estate development and investment business, 
the Bonds Group of Companies. Before joining his family business, Mr. Chan was an 
associate director in the proprietary investments group for a Japanese investment 
bank, Nomura International, from 2000 to 2004, and of AIG Investment Corporation 
from 1998 to 2000. He was responsible for developing new investment opportunities in 
private equity in Greater China. In addition, Mr. Chan is a seed investor and responsible 
officer of an Asia-focused fund, Evenstar Fund. From 2005 to 2008, he also served as a 
senior advisor to Elliott Associates, a leading U.S. based activist investment fund with 
assets under management in excess of US$10 billion.

Paul Cummins 
Alternate Non-Executive Director

Paul Cummins (aged 54) is the alternate non-executive director for Anson Chan.  
He is a qualified chartered accountant and is currently Investment Director of Pyrrho 
Investments Ltd, Safestay’s largest shareholder. He has previously worked at Nomura 
International in both Hong Kong and London as a proprietary trader, he also worked 
at KPMG in Hong Kong and BDO in London. He is currently Chairman of Pacific Jade 
Holdings Ltd, a Hong Kong based tax and company secretarial business.

Safestay plc Report & Financial Statements 2018Safestay plc Report & Financial Statements 201826

Directors’ Report

27

Directors’ Report

Directors’ Report continued

Directors’ indemnity provisions
The company has granted an indemnity to each of its directors against liability in respect of proceedings brought by third parties, 
subject to the conditions set out in section 234 of the Companies Act 2006. The company purchases Directors and Officers liability 
insurance which gives appropriate cover for any legal action brought against its directors. Such qualifying indemnity provision 
remains in force as at the date of approving the directors’ report.

Directors’ interests in shares
The following directors directly own share capital of the company:

Stephen Moss

Larry Lipman

Hervé Deligny

Nuno Sacramento

Michael Hirst

Ordinary shares of 1p each

Fully paid number

Percentage %

233,988

206,054

44,117

37,160

97,142

0.4

0.3

0.1

0.1

0.2

Larry Lipman also owns one-third of the share capital of Safeland Holdings (2008) Corporation (“SHC”) a corporation incorporated 
in Panama and 1.7% of Safeland plc. SHC owned 3,112,484 ordinary shares in the Company, representing 4.8% of the Company’s 
shares in issue as at 31 December 2018. SHC owned 69.8% of Safeland plc, a company incorporated in the UK. Safeland plc owned 
2,597,334 ordinary shares of the Company, representing 4.0% of the Company’s shares in issue at 31 December 2018.

Anson Chan is not considered to be independent due his interest in Pyrrho Investments Limited which is a significant shareholder  
in the company, owning 19,025,638 ordinary shares representing 29.4% of the Company’s shares in issue at 31 December 2018. 

Directors’ interests in options over the equity share capital of the company at 31 December 2018 were as follows:

Larry Lipman

Nuno Sacramento

Granted

396,521
250,000

500,000
100,000

Lapsed

–
–

–
–

At 31 Dec 
 2018

396,521
250,000

500,000
100,000

Exercise  
price

Exercisable  
from

Exercisable  
to

50p
60p

50p
42p

02/05/2017
14/07/2020

21/07/2020
11/10/2021

01/05/2024
13/07/2027

20/07/2027
12/10/2028

Other substantial shareholdings
The Company had been notified of the following shareholdings which constitutes three per cent or more of the total issued ordinary 
shares of the Company as at 31 March 2019.

Pyrrho Investments Limited

BGF Investment Management Ltd

Chelverton Asset Management Ltd

Miton Asset Management Ltd

Hargreaves Landsdowne Asset Management Ltd

Bredbury Ltd

Safeland Holdings (2008) Corporation

Safeland plc

Ordinary shares of 1p each

Fully paid number

Percentage %

7,525,000

11,791,661

4,411,764

4,398,301

4,001,199

3,129,665

3,112,484

2,597,334

21.99

18.23

6.82

6.80

6.19

4.84

4.81

4.02

Dividends
The Directors have not recommended the payment of a dividend for the year (2017: nil).

Directors’ Responsibilities Statement
The Directors are responsible for preparing the Chairman’s Statement, Directors’ Report, Strategic Report and the financial 
statements in accordance with applicable law and regulations.

Company law requires the directors to prepare financial statements for each financial year. The directors are required to prepare 
consolidated accounts under International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRSs) as adopted by the European Union. Under 
company law the directors must not approve the financial statements unless they are satisfied that they give a true and fair view 
of the state of affairs and profit or loss of the company and Group for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the 
directors are required to:

 — select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;

 — make judgments and accounting estimates that are reasonable and prudent;

 — state whether applicable accounting standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained 

in the financial statements;

 — prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the company will 

continue in business. 

The Directors are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the company’s 
transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the company and enable them to ensure 
that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the 
company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

Conflicts of interest
Under the articles of association of the Company and in accordance with the provisions of the Companies Act 2006, a director must 
avoid a situation where he has, or can have, a direct or indirect interest that conflicts, or possibly may conflict with the Company’s 
interests. However, the directors may authorise conflicts and potential conflicts, as they deem appropriate. As a safeguard, only 
directors who have no interest in the matter being considered will be able to take the relevant decision, and the directors will be 
able to impose limits or conditions when giving authorisation if they think this is appropriate. During the financial period ended  
31 December 2018, the directors have authorised no such conflicts or potential conflicts in accordance with the above procedures.

Safestay plc Report & Financial Statements 2018Safestay plc Report & Financial Statements 201828

Directors’ Report

29

Directors’ Remuneration Report

Directors’ Report continued

Directors’ Remuneration Report

Going concern
Although the group reports a loss before tax in the consolidated income statement, it generates significant cash from its operations 
and expects to continue to do so for the foreseeable future. The group’s strategy is to continue to develop and expand the premium 
hostel offering provided by the group within the UK and through its European acquisitions. The plan, based on the Group’s budgets 
and financial projections 12 months from the date of approval, expects significant increase in group revenue, building on the recent 
expansion and management’s expertise, and the directors consider this to be achievable. In addition, the group maintains a cash 
surplus for the foreseeable future. 

As a result, the directors believe that the group and company should have adequate resources to continue in operational existence 
for at least 12 months after the date of approval of these financial statements and continues to adopt the going concern basis of 
accounting in preparing the financial statements. 

Post balance sheet events
On 5 February 2019, the Group announced the completion of the 73 bed extension in London Elephant & Castle. The £2.4 million 
cost is part financed by our landlord up to £1.18 million which was received in February as agreed in the re-financing contract 
executed in 2017.

Statement of disclosure of information to the auditor
 — So far as each of the directors currently in office is aware, there is no relevant audit information of which the Company’s auditor 

is unaware; and

 — Each of the directors has taken all the steps that ought to have been taken as a director to make himself aware of any relevant 

audit information and to establish that the Company’s auditor is aware of that information.

Auditor
The auditor, Grant Thornton UK LLP, will be proposed for reappointment in accordance with section 485 of the Companies Act 2006.

Approved by the Board of Directors and signed on behalf of the Board.

Larry Lipman
Chairman
9 April 2019

Introduction
This report describes how the Board has applied the principles of good governance relating to Directors’ remuneration during  
the period ended 31 December 2018.

Remuneration committee
The duties of the Remuneration Committee are performed by Stephen Moss and Michael Hirst, with advice being taken from  
the Board as a whole in respect of employees who are not directors of the Company. The Committee determines on behalf of  
the shareholders, the Company’s policy for the level of remuneration for the executive directors.

Remuneration policy on executive directors’ remuneration
Executive remuneration packages are designed to attract, motivate and retain directors of the high calibre required and to reward 
them for enhancing value to shareholders. The performance measurement of both executive and non-executive directors and the 
determination of their annual remuneration package is undertaken by the Committee. 

There are three main elements of the remuneration package for executive directors and senior managers:

1.  Basic salary is determined by the Remuneration Committee at the beginning of each year and when an individual changes 

position or responsibility. Appropriate salary levels are set by reference to the performance, experience and responsibilities  
of each individual concerned and having regard to the prevailing market conditions

2.  Performance related bonuses are assessed annually and are based on a combination of individual and corporate performances 
during the preceding financial year. During the current year under review and prior years the directors did not receive a bonus

3.  Share options

It is the Company’s policy that its executive directors may take up outside directorships where it is considered that the appointment 
would not impinge on their employment with the Company. Individuals may retain any remuneration received from such services.

Directors’ service contracts
Larry Lipman has a contract terminable on six months’ notice. Stephen Moss and Michael Hirst have an initial term of three years 
unless terminated by either party upon three months written notice. Anson Chan has no service agreement. Nuno Sacramento and 
Hervé Deligny have a service agreement terminated by either party upon three months’ notice.

The directors’ service contracts contain no provision for fixed termination payments.

Share price 
The Company has a single class of ordinary shares listed on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange. High and low prices for 
the period were 33.5p and 51.5p respectively and the market price of the shares at 31 December 2018 was 33.5p. The share price at 
31 December 2018 is coherent with the 30,459,880 share issue which was completed on 17 December 2018 at a price of 34p.

Safestay plc Report & Financial Statements 2018Safestay plc Report & Financial Statements 201830

Directors’ Remuneration Report

31

Corporate Governance

Directors’ Remuneration Report continued

Corporate Governance

Directors’ emoluments
The emoluments of the directors of the Company for the period ended 31 December 2018 were as follows:

Salary  
and fees 
£’000

Pension 

£’000

Benefits  
in kind 
£’000

80
126
62
62

24
27
–

381

–
2
1
4

–
–

7

–
–
–
–

–
–
–

–

2018  
Total 
£’000

80
128
63
66

24
27
–

388

2017  
Total 
£’000

73
85
–
25

24
18
–

225

Executive directors
Larry Lipman
Nuno Sacramento
Hervé Deligny*
Sharon Segal**

Non-executive directors
Stephen Moss
Michael Hirst
Anson Chan

Total

* Appointed 14 August 2018

** Resigned 31 July 2018

Approved by the Board of Directors and signed on behalf of the board.

Larry Lipman
Chairman
9 April 2019

Safestay plc is committed to maintaining high standards of corporate governance throughout the Group and to ensuring  
that all of its practices are conducted transparently, ethically and efficiently. The Company believes that good governance  
will result in the continued success of the Company and improve shareholder value. Therefore, the Company has chosen  
to formalise its governance policies by complying with the UK’s Quoted Companies Alliance Corporate Governance code for  
Small and Mid-Size Quoted Companies (the “QCA Code”). Full disclosure is available in the investor section of the Company  
Website https://www.safestay.com/investors/ 

By order of the Board.

Larry Lipman
Chairman
9 April 2019

Safestay plc Report & Financial Statements 2018Safestay plc Report & Financial Statements 201832

Independent Auditor’s Report 

33

Independent Auditor’s Report 

Independent Auditor’s Report
to the Members of Safestay plc

Our opinion on the financial statements is unmodified
We have audited the financial statements of Safestay plc (the ‘parent company’) and its subsidiaries (the ‘group’) for the year 
ended 31 December 2018, which comprise the Consolidated Income Statement, Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive 
Income, Consolidated and Company Statement of Financial Position, Consolidated and Company Statement of Changes in 
Equity, Consolidated and Company Statement of Cash Flows and notes to the financial statements, including a summary 
of significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in the preparation of the group 
financial statements is applicable law and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRSs) as adopted by the European 
Union and, as regards the parent company financial statements, as applied in accordance with the provisions of the Companies 
Act 2006.

In our opinion:

 —  the financial statements give a true and fair view of the state of the group’s and of the parent company’s affairs as at 

31 December 2018 and of the group’s loss for the year then ended;

 — the group financial statements have been properly prepared in accordance with IFRSs as adopted by the European Union;

 — the parent company financial statements have been properly prepared in accordance with IFRSs as adopted by the 

European Union and as applied in accordance with the provisions of the Companies Act 2006; and

 — the financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006.

Basis for opinion
We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities 
under those standards are further described in the ‘Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements’ section of our 
report. We are independent of the group and the parent company in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our 
audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC’s Ethical Standard as applied to listed entities, and we have fulfilled our 
other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient 
and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.

Conclusions relating to going concern
We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the ISAs (UK) require us to report to you where:

 — the directors’ use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is not appropriate; or

 — the directors have not disclosed in the financial statements any identified material uncertainties that may cast significant doubt 
about the group’s or the parent company’s ability to continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting for a period of at 
least twelve months from the date when the financial statements are authorised for issue.

Overview of our audit approach
 — Overall materiality: £300,000, which represents 2.05% of the group’s revenue

 — Key audit matters for the group were identified as acquisition accounting, risk of impairment  

of previously recognised goodwill, and the risk of fraud in revenue recognition

 — A full scope audit was performed on the financial statements of the parent company and on the 
financial information of all UK trading entities, with targeted and analytical procedures for the 
existing and acquired European entities.

Key audit matters
Key audit matters are those matters that, in our professional judgment, were of most significance in our audit of the financial 
statements of the current period and include the most significant assessed risks of material misstatement (whether or not due 
to fraud) that we identified. These matters included those that had the greatest effect on: the overall audit strategy, the allocation 
of resources in the audit; and directing the efforts of the engagement team. These matters were addressed in the context of our 
audit of the financial statements as a whole, and in forming our opinion thereon, and we do not provide a separate opinion on these 
matters.

Key Audit Matter – Group

Acquisition accounting

During the year, the group acquired three European hostels. 
Accounting for each acquisition is set out in note 24 to the 
consolidated financial statements. The assessment of the fair 
values of assets and liabilities acquired, and their associated 
useful lives, requires management judgement and the use 
of estimates in the determination of these values and the 
resultant intangible assets and goodwill recognised. 

We therefore identified acquisition accounting in accordance 
with the requirements of IFRS 3 ‘Business Combinations’ as a 
significant risk, which was one of the most significant assessed 
risks of material misstatement.

How the matter was addressed in the audit – Group

Our audit work included, but was not restricted to: 

 — reading the accounting policy for compliance with IFRSs 
as adopted by the European Union and confirming that 
the application by the group is consistent with the stated 
accounting policy;

 — obtaining management’s assessment of the transactions 

and corroborating the fact pattern with reference to the 
Sale and Purchase Agreements;

 — challenging management’s assessment of the 

appropriateness of the allocation of the purchase 
price to assets and liabilities acquired, recognition and 
measurement of intangible assets and goodwill, based  
on our knowledge of the client and its industry; 

 — challenging the judgemental assessment of the value of  
any intangible assets recognised and discount rates used;

 — considering evidence obtained from other audit procedures 
that would indicate any material inconsistency with the 
accounting treatment adopted; and

 — reading management’s disclosures for the transactions in 

the financial statements, ensuring that these are consistent 
with the underlying documentation.

The group’s accounting policy on acquisition accounting 
is shown in note 1 to the financial statements and related 
disclosures are included in note 24. 

Key observations

As a result of the audit procedures we performed and, after 
considering management’s disclosures of the judgements 
applied by them, we have concluded that acquisitions have 
been appropriately accounted for in accordance with the 
requirements of IFRS 3 ‘Business Combinations.’

Safestay plc Report & Financial Statements 2018Safestay plc Report & Financial Statements 201834

Independent Auditor’s Report 

35

Independent Auditor’s Report 

Independent Auditor’s Report
to the Members of Safestay plc continued

Key Audit Matter – Group

How the matter was addressed in the audit – Group

Key Audit Matter – Group

How the matter was addressed in the audit – Group

Risk of impairment of previously recognised goodwill

Our audit work included, but was not restricted to:

Risk of fraud in revenue recognition

Our audit work included, but was not restricted to:

The Directors are required to perform an annual impairment 
review of unamortised intangible assets as more fully explained 
in note 11. The process for measuring and recognising 
impairment under International Accounting Standard (IAS) 36: 
‘Impairment of Assets’ is complex and highly judgemental, 
particularly as judgement is applied in determining that 
each individual trading outlet is treated as a separate cash-
generating unit for impairment purposes, and the valuation 
relies on forecasts of trading activity made by management, 
and the use of discount rates. 

We therefore identified the risk of impairment of previously 
recognised goodwill as a significant risk, which was one of the 
most significant assessed risks of material misstatement.

 — reading the accounting policy for compliance with IFRSs 
as adopted by the European Union and confirming that 
the application by the group is consistent with the stated 
accounting policy;

 — comparing current and forecast future trading to the 

strategic plan and available market information for the 
hospitality industry;

 — checking the determination of cash generating units used 
in the impairment models by assessing whether it is 
reasonable to treat each hostel as a cash generating unit; 

 — testing of the arithmetical accuracy of management’s 

impairment calculations; 

 — challenging the assumptions and judgements used by 

management in their impairment model, using industry 
data to consider the reasonableness of management’s 
assumptions, in particular maintainable trading levels, 
growth and discount rates; and

 — testing the accuracy of management’s forecasting through  
a comparison of budget to actual data and historical trends.

The group’s accounting policy on impairment is shown in note 1 
and related disclosures are included in respect of goodwill in 
note 11.

Key observations

As a result of the audit procedures we performed and, after 
considering management’s disclosures of the judgements 
applied by them, we have concluded that management have 
assessed impairment of intangible assets in accordance with 
the requirements of IAS 36 ‘Impairment of assets’.

Under ISA (UK) 240 ‘The auditor’s responsibilities relating 
to fraud in an audit of financial statements’, there is a 
presumed risk of fraud in revenue recognition. As the Group 
records a proportion of sales in cash and through point of 
sale transactions, we identified the risk of fraud in revenue 
recognition as a significant risk, which was one of the most 
significant assessed risks of material misstatement.

 — an evaluation of the revenue recognition policies for each 
of the Group’s two principal revenue streams against the 
requirements of the Group’s stated accounting policies and 
IFRS 15: ‘Revenue from contracts with customers’;

 — assessing the design effectiveness of the global system for 

capturing and recording revenue transactions;

 — testing the key controls over the recording of income within 
the system and weekly reconciliation of sales to cash and 
credit card receipts to verify the completeness and capture 
of revenue from individual hostels; 

 — agreeing the receipt of cash collected at hostels for 

transactions, into Group bank accounts; and

 — for all income streams, assessing management review 

processes for the recording and reporting of revenue, to 
determine this was performed accurately, and on a timely 
basis.

The Group’s accounting policy on revenue, including its 
recognition, is shown in note 1 and related disclosures are 
included in note 2.

Key observations

As a result of the audit procedures performed we have 
concluded that revenue has been recognised appropriately 
in accordance with IFRS 15 ‘Revenue from contracts with 
customers’.

We did not identify any key audit matters relating to the audit of the financial statements of the parent company.

Our application of materiality
We define materiality as the magnitude of misstatement in the financial statements that makes it probable that the economic 
decisions of a reasonably knowledgeable person would be changed or influenced. We use materiality in determining the nature, 
timing and extent of our audit work and in evaluating the results of that work.

Materiality was determined as follows:

Materiality Measure

Group

Parent

Financial statements as a whole

Performance materiality used to drive the 
extent of our testing

£300,000 which is approximately 2.05% of 
revenue. This benchmark is considered 
the most appropriate because, as the 
group is currently loss-making, reven ue 
represents a stable benchmark at this 
stage of the group’s development.

£270,000 which is approximately 0.5% 
of total assets. This benchmark is 
considered the most appropriate because 
the parent entity does not trade in its own 
right, holding assets for the benefit of the 
group as a whole.

Materiality for the current year is higher 
than the level that we determined for the 
year ended 31 December 2017 to reflect 
the increased revenue of the group, 
following its recent acquisitions.

Materiality for the current year is higher 
than the level that we determined for 
the year ended 31 December 2017 
to reflect the increased total assets 
of the company, following its recent 
acquisitions.

75% of financial statement materiality.

75% of financial statement materiality.

Safestay plc Report & Financial Statements 2018Safestay plc Report & Financial Statements 201836

Independent Auditor’s Report 

37

Independent Auditor’s Report 

Independent Auditor’s Report
to the Members of Safestay plc continued

Materiality Measure

Specific materiality

Group

Parent

We determined a lower level of specific 
materiality for certain areas such as 
directors’ remuneration and related party 
transactions.

We determined a lower level of specific 
materiality for certain areas such as 
directors’ remuneration and related party 
transactions.

Communication of misstatements to the 
audit committee

£15,000 and misstatements below that 
threshold that, in our view, warrant 
reporting on qualitative grounds.

£15,000 and misstatements below that 
threshold that, in our view, warrant 
reporting on qualitative grounds.

An overview of the scope of our audit
Our group audit approach was a risk-based approach founded on a thorough understanding of the group’s business. We take into 
account the group’s size, risk profile, how it is organised and its operating environment including the application of group wide 
controls when assessing the level of work to be performed, including:

 — considering the fair values of assets and liabilities in respect of the acquisitions of European hostel in the current and prior 

years;

 — an evaluation by the group audit team of identified components to assess the significance of that component to the group and to 
determine the planned audit response based on a measure of materiality. The group financial statements are a consolidation of 
the UK and European operations, which operate a common booking and revenue recording system;

 — recognising that the group is organised into two operating segments: hostels based in the UK and those based in Europe.  
Hostel accommodation represents one revenue stream and food and beverage revenue is reported as another stream.  
We tested controls over the revenue recording system which accounts for 95% of total group income and substantively  
tested a sample of transactions;

 — undertaking substantive testing on significant transactions, balances and disclosures, the extent of which was based on various 
factors such as our overall assessment of the control environment, the design effectiveness of controls over individual systems 
and the management of specific risks.

Other information
The directors are responsible for the other information. The other information comprises the information included in the report and 
financial statements, other than the financial statements and our auditor’s report thereon. Our opinion on the financial statements 
does not cover the other information and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our report, we do not express any form 
of assurance conclusion thereon.

In connection with our audit of the financial statements, our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider 
whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the audit or 
otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, 
we are required to determine whether there is a material misstatement in the financial statements or a material misstatement of 
the other information. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other 
information, we are required to report that fact.

We have nothing to report in this regard.

Our opinion on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006 is unmodified
In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of the audit:

 — the information given in the strategic report and the directors’ report for the financial year for which the financial statements 

are prepared is consistent with the financial statements; and

 — the strategic report and the directors’ report have been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements.

Matters on which we are required to report under the Companies Act 2006
In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the group and the parent company and its environment obtained in the course  
of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the strategic report or the directors’ report.

Matters on which we are required to report by exception
We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Companies Act 2006 requires us to report to 
you if, in our opinion:

 — adequate accounting records have not been kept by the parent company, or returns adequate for our audit have not been 

received from branches not visited by us; or

 — the parent company financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns; or

 — certain disclosures of directors’ remuneration specified by law are not made; or

 — we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit.

Responsibilities of directors for the financial statements
As explained more fully in the directors’ responsibilities statement set out on page 18, the directors are responsible for the 
preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as 
the directors determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, 
whether due to fraud or error.

In preparing the financial statements, the directors are responsible for assessing the group’s and the parent company’s ability 
to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis 
of accounting unless the directors either intend to liquidate the group or the parent company or to cease operations, or have no 
realistic alternative but to do so.

Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements
Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material 
misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor’s report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a 
high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material 
misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the 
aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial 
statements.

A further description of our responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements is located on the Financial Reporting Council’s 
website at: www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our auditor’s report.

Use of our report
This report is made solely to the company’s members, as a body, in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 
2006. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the company’s members those matters we are required to 
state to them in an auditor’s report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume 
responsibility to anyone other than the company and the company’s members as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for 
the opinions we have formed.

Philip Westerman 
Senior Statutory Auditor 

for and on behalf of Grant Thornton UK LLP 
Statutory Auditor, Chartered Accountants 
London 
9 April 2019

Safestay plc Report & Financial Statements 2018Safestay plc Report & Financial Statements 2018 
38

Consolidated Income Statement 

39

Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income 

Consolidated Income Statement
Year ended 31 December 2018

Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income
Year ended 31 December 2018

Revenue

Cost of sales 

Gross profit 

Administrative expenses

Operating profit before exceptional expenses

Exceptional expenses 

Operating profit after exceptional expenses

Finance costs

Loss before tax

Tax 

Loss for the financial year attributable to owners of the parent company

Basic and diluted loss per share

Note

2

3

4

4

5

7

8

2018 
£’000

14,620

(2,228)  

12,392

(10,686)  

1,706

(662)  

1,044

(1,648)  

(604)  

(303)  

(907)  

2017 
£’000

10,547

(1,561)  

8,986

(7,520)  

1,466

(495)  

971

(1,833)  

(862)  

(11)  

(873)  

(2.56p)  

(2.55p)  

There is no difference between the diluted loss per share and the basic loss per share presented. Due to the loss incurred in the 
year the effect of the share options in issue is anti-dilutive.

The revenue and operating result for the period is derived from continuing operations in the United Kingdom and Europe.

The accompanying accounting policies and notes form an integral part of these financial statements.

Loss for the year

Other comprehensive income:
Items that will be reclassified subsequently to profit and loss

2018
£’000

(907)  

2017
£’000

(873)  

Exchange differences on translating foreign operations

106

–

Total comprehensive (loss)for the year attributable to owners of the 
parent company

(801)  

(873)  

The accompanying accounting policies and notes form an integral part of these financial statements.

Safestay plc Report & Financial Statements 2018Safestay plc Report & Financial Statements 201840

Consolidated Statement of Financial Position 

41

Consolidated Statement of Changes in Equity 

Consolidated Statement of Financial Position
31 December 2018

Consolidated Statement of Changes in Equity
31 December 2018

Share 
premium 
account 
£’000

14,504

Other 
Components of 
Equity 
£’000

6,047

Balance as at 1 January 2017

Comprehensive income

Loss for the year

Total comprehensive income

Transactions with owners

Share based payment charge for the period

Share 
Capital 
£’000

342

–

–

–

`

–

–

–

Balance at 31 December 2017

342

14,504

Comprehensive income

Loss for the year

Total comprehensive loss

Transactions with owners

Issue of shares

Share based payment charge for the period

Balance at 31 December 2018

–

–

305

–

647

–

–

9,400

–

23,904

Retained 
earnings 
£’000

(1,056)  

(873)  

(873)  

Total 
equity 
£’000

18,998

(873)  

(873)  

–

34

(1,929)  

18,998

(907)  

(907)  

–

–

(801)  

(801)  

9,705

34

–

–

34

6,081

106

106

–

34

6,221

(2,836)  

27,936

Non-current assets

Property, plant and equipment

Intangible assets 

Goodwill

Total non-current assets

Current assets

Stock

Trade, Derivative financial instruments and other receivables

Cash and cash equivalents

Total current assets

Total assets

Current liabilities

Loans and overdrafts

Finance lease obligations

Trade, Derivative financial instruments and other payables

Current liabilities

Non-current liabilities

Bank loans and convertible loan notes

Finance lease obligations

Deferred tax liabilities

Trade and other payables due in more than one year

Total non-current liabilities

Total liabilities

Net assets

Equity

Share capital

Share premium account

Other components of equity

Retained earnings

Total equity attributable to owners of the parent company

Note

2018 
£’000

2017 
£’000

10

11

11

12

13

15

16

14

15

16

17

14

18

18

18

47,522

1,268

10,506

59,296

45

1,200

9,859

11,104

70,400

353

28

1,890

2,271

17,772

21,176

105

1,140

40,193

42,464

27,936

647

23,904

6,221

(2,836)  

27,936

45,971

1,410

7,301

54,682

25

903

4,504

5,432

60,114

168

26

1,625

1,819

17,990

21,202

105

–

39,297

41,116

18,998

342

14,504

6,081

(1,929)  

18,998

These financial statements were approved by the Board of Directors and authorised for issue on 9 April 2019.

Signed on behalf of the Board of Directors

Larry Lipman
Chairman
9 April 2019

Safestay plc Report & Financial Statements 2018Safestay plc Report & Financial Statements 2018Notes to the Consolidated 

Financial Statements

31 December 2018

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

42

Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows 

43

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows
31 December 2018

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
31 December 2018

Note

20

24

Operating activities

Cash generated from operations

Income tax paid

Net cash generated from operating activities

Investing activities

Purchases of property, plant and equipment

Purchases of intangible assets

Acquisitions, net of cash acquired 

Net cash outflow from investing activities

Financing activities

Proceeds from property refinancing transaction

New bank loans drawn

Bank loans repaid

Loan and refinancing arrangement fees

Proceeds from issue of share capital

Fees related to the issue of shares

Amounts paid under finance leases

Interest paid

Net cash generated from financing activities

Net increase /(decrease) in cash and cash equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year

Cash and cash equivalents at end of year

13

2018 
£’000

2,056

(224)  

1,832

(2,510)  

(24)  

(1,791)  

(4,325)  

–

–

(304)  

–

10,356

(652)  

(960)  

(592)  

7,848

5,355

4,504

9,859

2017 
£’000

1,911

(48)  

1,863

(1,088)  

(48)  

(7,298)  

(8,434)  

11,420

18,400

(17,600)  

(375)  

–

–

(916)  

(591)  

10,338

3,767

737

4,504

1.    Accounting policies for the group and company financial statements

Safestay plc is listed on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange and was incorporated and is domiciled in the UK.

The Group and Company financial statements have been prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting 
Standards (IFRSs). The financial statements have also been prepared in accordance with IFRSs adopted by the European Union 
and therefore the Group financial statements comply with Article 4 of the EU IAS regulation.

The financial statements have been presented in sterling, prepared under the historical cost convention, except for the 
revaluation of freehold properties and certain financial instruments.

The accounting policies have been applied consistently throughout all periods presented in these financial statements.  
These accounting policies comply with each IFRS that is mandatory for accounting periods ending on 31 December 2018.

New standards and interpretations effective in the year

The following standards were effective from 1 January 2018.

 — IFRS 9: Financial Instruments

 —  IFRS 15: Revenue from contracts with customers

The adoption of IFRS9 Financial Instruments and IFRS15 Revenues from contracts with customers have not had a material 
effect on the financial statements.

New standards and interpretations issued but not yet applied

The following standard is in issue but is not effective in the year and has not yet been endorsed for use in the EU:

 — IFRS 16: Leases – effective 1 January 2019

The Directors consider the implementation of IFRS 16, which replaces IAS 17 Leases, will have a material impact on the 
financial statements of the Group in future periods. The Standard will require recognition of current operating leases to be 
accounted for within the balance sheet by recognising a new category of right-of-use asset and a liability for future lease 
payments, discounted to present value. In addition, IFRS 16 replaces the straight-line operating lease expense in the income 
statement with a depreciation charge for the lease asset (included within operating costs) and an interest expense on the 
lease liability (included within finance costs). As a result, the adjusted EBITDA, as well as the Cash generated from operations 
reported in the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows statement will both be increased by an amount equivalent to the 
operating lease expense previously reported under IAS 17.

The Group’s full assessment of its potential impact on the financial statements is not yet complete. As an indicative 
assessment, the 2018 Consolidated Income Statement includes a £1.7m rental charge for all hostel leases currently treated  
as operating leases under IAS 17. The future minimum lease payments under non-cancellable term for these leases is £8.7m.

Going concern

Although the group reports a loss before tax in the consolidated income statement, it generates significant cash from its 
operations and expects to continue to do so for the foreseeable future. The group’s strategy is to continue to develop and 
expand the premium hostel offering provided by the group within the UK and through its European acquisitions. The plan, 
based on the Group’s budgets and financial projections 12 months from the date of approval, expects significant increase in 
group revenue, building on the recent expansion and management’s expertise, and the directors consider this to be achievable. 
In addition, the group maintains a cash surplus for the foreseeable future.

As a result, the directors believe that the group and company should have adequate resources to continue in operational 
existence for at least 12 months after the date of approval of these financial statements and continues to adopt the going 
concern basis of accounting in preparing the financial statements.

Basis of consolidation

The Group’s financial statements consolidate those of the parent company and all of its subsidiaries as of 31 December 2018. 
All subsidiaries have a reporting date of 31 December.

All transactions and balances between Group companies are eliminated on consolidation, including unrealised gains and 
losses on transactions between Group companies. Where unrealised losses on intra-group asset sales are reversed on 
consolidation, the underlying asset is also tested for impairment from a Group perspective. Amounts reported in the financial 
statements of subsidiaries have been adjusted where necessary to ensure consistency with the accounting policies adopted by 
the Group.

Safestay plc Report & Financial Statements 2018Safestay plc Report & Financial Statements 201844

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

45

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements continued
31 December 2018

Profit or loss and other comprehensive income of subsidiaries acquired or disposed of during the year are recognised from  
the effective date of acquisition, or up to the effective date of disposal, as applicable.

Business combinations

Acquisitions of subsidiaries and businesses are accounted using the acquisition method. The consideration transferred in a 
business combination is measured at fair value, which is calculated as the sum of the acquisition-date fair values of assets 
transferred by the Group, liabilities incurred by the Group to former owners of the acquire and the equity interest issued by  
the Group in exchange for control of the acquire. Acquisition costs are expensed as incurred.

At the acquisition date, the identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed are recognised at their fair value at the 
acquisition date.

Goodwill

Non-monetary items that are measured at fair-value in a foreign currency are translated using the exchange rates at the date 
when fair-value was determined. Translation differences on assets or liabilities carried at fair-value are reported as part of the 
fair-value gain or loss.

The results and financial position of foreign operations that have a functional currency different to the presentation currency 
are translated into the presentation currency as follows:

•  assets and liabilities for each statement of financial position are translated using the closing rate at the date of that 

statement of financial position.

•  income and expenses for each statement of profit or loss and statement of comprehensive income are translated at average 

exchange rates.

•  All resulting exchange differences are recognised in other comprehensive income.

Goodwill is measured as the excess of the sum of the consideration transferred over the net of the acquisition-date amounts  
of the identifiable assets acquired and the liabilities assumed. A review of the goodwill is carried out annually.

Goodwill and fair-value adjustments arising on the acquisition of a foreign operation are treated as the assets and liabilities  
of the foreign operation and translated at the closing rate.

Operating segments

Property, plant and equipment

Operating segments are reported in a manner consistent with the internal reporting provided to the chief operating decision 
maker. The chief operating decision makers, who are responsible for allocating resources and assessing performance of the 
operating segments, have been identified as the executive directors. Currently there are only operating segment, which is the 
operation of hostel accommodation in the UK and Europe.

Freehold property is stated at fair value and revalued periodically in accordance with IAS 16 Property Plant and Equipment. 
Valuation surpluses and deficits arising in the period are included in other comprehensive income. Fixtures fittings and 
equipment are stated at cost less depreciation and are depreciated over their useful lives. The applicable useful lives are  
as follows:

Revenue

Revenue is stated net of VAT and comprises revenues from overnight hostel accommodation, income from the rental of 
student accommodation during the academic year and the sale of ancillary goods and services such as food & beverage and 
merchandise. Accommodation and the sale of ancillary goods and services is recognised when provided. Income from the  
rent of student accommodation is recognised on a straight-line basis over the academic year to which the rent relates.

The sale of ancillary goods comprises sales of food, beverages and merchandise.

Deferred income comprises deposits received from customers to guarantee future bookings of accommodation.  
This is recognised as revenue once the bed has been occupied.

Leases

The Group as lessor

•  Rental income from operating leases is recognised on a straight-line basis over the term of the relevant lease.

The Group as lessee

•  Assets held under finance leases are recognised as assets of the group at the present value of the lease payments at the 

inception of the lease. The corresponding liability to the lessor is included in the balance sheet as a finance lease obligation.

Lease payments are apportioned between finance expenses and reduction in lease obligation so as to achieve a constant rate 
of interest on the remaining balance of the liability. Finance expenses are recognised immediately in the income statement.

All other leases are classified as operating leases. Operating leases are recognised in the income statement on a straight-line 
basis over the life of the lease.

Foreign currency translation

Items included in the financial statements of each of the Group’s entities are measured using the currency of the primary 
economic environment in which the entity operates (‘the functional currency’). The consolidated financial statements are 
presented in Sterling which is the Company’s functional currency.

Foreign currency transactions are translated into the functional currency using the exchange rates at the dates of the 
transactions. Foreign exchange gains and losses resulting from the settlement of such transactions and from the translation 
of monetary assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are generally recognised in profit and loss. They are 
deferred in equity if they relate to qualifying cash flow hedges, qualifying net investment hedges or are attributable to part  
of the investment in a foreign operation.

Foreign exchange gains and losses that relate to borrowings are presented in the statement of profit or loss within finance 
costs. All other exchange gains and losses are presented in the statement of profit or loss within administrative expenses.

Fixtures, fittings and equipment
Freehold properties
Leasehold properties

3-5 years
50 years
50 years or term of lease if shorter

Assets held as finance leases are depreciated over the shorter of the lease term and their expected useful lives on the same 
basis as owned assets.

Impairment of property, plant and equipment

At each statement of financial position date, the Group reviews the carrying amounts of its property, plant and equipment to 
determine whether there is any indication that those assets have suffered an impairment loss. If any such indication exists,  
the recoverable amount of the asset is estimated in order to determine the extent of the impairment loss (if any).

Recoverable amount is the higher of fair value less costs to sell and value in use. In assessing value in use, the estimated 
future cash flows are discounted to their present value using a pre-tax discount rate that reflects current market assessments 
of the time value of money and the risks specific to the asset for which the estimates of future cash flows have been adjusted. 
If the recoverable amount of an asset (or cash-generating unit) is estimated to be less than its carrying amount, the carrying 
amount of the asset (cash-generating unit) is reduced to its recoverable amount.

An impairment loss is recognised as an expense immediately, unless the relevant asset is carried at a revalued amount,  
in which case the impairment loss is treated as a revaluation decrease, but a negative revaluation reserve is not created.

For revalued assets, where an impairment loss subsequently reverses, the carrying amount of the asset (cash-generating 
unit) is increased to the revised estimate of its recoverable amount, but so that the increased carrying amount does not exceed 
the carrying amount that would have been determined had no impairment loss been recognised for the asset (cash-generating 
unit) in prior years. Any remaining balance of the reversal of an impairment loss is recognised in the income statement.  
For assets carried at cost, any reversals of impairments are recognised in the income statement.

Intangible assets

Intangible assets are initially recognised and measured at fair market value.

Where an intangible has a determinable finite useful life, the intangible asset is amortised on a straight-line basis over that 
useful life. The applicable useful life is

10 years for the life of the interest in the head lease 
13 years for tenancy sublease 
3 years for website development.

(a) Goodwill

Goodwill arises on the acquisition of subsidiaries and represents the excess of the consideration transferred over the fair value 
of the identifiable net assets acquired.

Safestay plc Report & Financial Statements 2018Safestay plc Report & Financial Statements 201846

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

47

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements continued
31 December 2018

For the purpose of impairment testing, goodwill acquired in a business combination is allocated to each of the cash-generating 
units (CGUs), or groups of CGUs, that is expected to benefit from the synergies of the combination. Each unit or group of units 
to which the goodwill is allocated represents the lowest level within the entity at which the goodwill is monitored for internal 
management purposes. Goodwill is monitored at the operating segment level.

Goodwill impairment reviews are undertaken annually or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate a 
potential impairment. The carrying value of the CGU containing the goodwill is compared to the recoverable amount, which is 
the higher of value in use and the fair value less costs of disposal. Any impairment is recognised immediately as an expense 
and is not subsequently reversed.

(b) Other intangible assets

Intangible assets acquired in a business combination are recognised at fair value at the acquisition date.

Assets with a finite useful life and are carried at cost less accumulated amortisation. Amortisation is calculated using the 
straight-line method to allocate the cost of trademarks and licences over their estimated useful lives s set out above.

Assets that are subject to amortisation are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate 
that the carrying amount may not be recoverable. An impairment loss is recognised for the amount by which the asset’s 
carrying amount exceeds its recoverable amount. The recoverable amount is the higher of an asset’s fair value less costs of 
disposal and value in use. For the purposes of assessing impairment, assets are grouped at the lowest levels for which there 
are largely independent cash inflows (CGUs). Prior impairments of non-financial assets (other than goodwill) are reviewed for 
possible reversal at each reporting date.

Dividends

Dividend distributions payable to equity shareholders are included in other liabilities when the dividends have been approved  
in a general meeting prior to the reporting date.

Cash and cash equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents comprise cash balances, deposits held at call with banks and other short-term highly liquid 
investments with original maturities of three months or less. Bank overdrafts that are repayable on demand and which form an 
integral part of the Group’s cash management are included as a component of cash and cash equivalents for the purpose of the 
statement of cash flows.

Borrowings

Borrowings other than bank overdrafts are recognised initially at fair value less attributable transaction costs. Subsequent  
to initial recognition, borrowings are stated at amortised cost with any difference between the amount initially recognised  
and redemption value being recognised in the income statement over the period of the borrowings, using the effective interest 
method.

Loan arrangement fees

Loan arrangement fees are amortised over the term of the loan to which they relate.

Stock

Stock is stated at the lower of cost and net realisable value. Cost is calculated using the weighted average method.  
Net realisable value represents the estimated selling price.

Trade and other receivables

Trade and other receivables are measured at initial recognition at fair value plus transaction costs and are subsequently 
measured at amortised cost using the effective interest rate method. Appropriate allowances for estimated irrecoverable 
amounts are recognised in profit and loss when there is objective evidence that the asset is impaired.

Trade and other payables

Trade and other payables are initially measured at fair value and are subsequently measured at amortised cost using the 
effective interest rate method.

Equity

The total equity attributable to the equity holders of the parent comprises the following:

Share Capital

Share capital represents the nominal value of shares issued.

Share premium account

Share premium represents amounts subscribed for share capital in excess of nominal value less the related costs of  
share issues.

Merger reserve

Merger reserve represents amounts subscribed for share capital in excess of nominal value exchanged for the shares  
in the acquisition of a subsidiary company.

Revaluation reserve

Revaluation reserves represent the increase in fair value of investment property over the value at which it was previously 
carried on the balance sheet. Any gain from a revaluation is taken to the revaluation reserve. Where it reverses a previous 
impairment, the impairment is reversed, but any surplus in excess of the amount of the impairment is added to the  
revaluation reserve.

Translation Reserve

Translation Reserve comprises foreign currency translation differences arising from the translation of financial statements  
of the Group’s foreign entities into presentational currency.

Retained earnings

Retained earnings represent undistributed cumulative earnings.

Equity Instruments

Equity instruments issued by the Group are recorded at the proceeds received, net of direct issue costs.

Share based payments

The equity settled share-based payment reserve arises as the expense of issuing share-based payments is recognised over 
time. The reserve will fall as share options vest and are exercised but the reserve may equally rise or might see any reduction 
offset, as new potentially dilutive share options are issued. Balances relating to share options that lapse after they vest are 
transferred to retained fair value of employee services determined by reference to transfer of instruments granted.

The Group has applied the requirements of IFRS 2 Share based payment to share options. The fair value of the share options  
is determined at the grant date and are expensed on a straight line basis over the vesting period, based on the Group’s estimate 
of shares that will eventually vest and adjusted for the effect of non-market based vesting conditions.

Fair value is measured by use of the Black Scholes model. The expected life used in the model has been adjusted, based on 
management’s best estimate, for the effects on non-transferability, exercise restrictions and behavioural considerations.

Derivative financial instruments

None of the Group’s derivative financial instruments are designated as a hedging instrument. The derivative financial 
instruments are initially recognised at fair value and subsequently re-measured at fair value at the end of each reporting 
period. Changes in fair value of the derivatives are taken to the income statement.

Exceptional Items

The Group separately discloses on the face of the Income Statement items of income or expense which nature or amount 
would, without separate disclosure, distort the reporting of the underlying business.

Taxation

The tax expense represents the sum of the tax currently payable and deferred tax. The tax currently payable is based on 
taxable profit for the year. Taxable profit differs from net profit as reported in the income statement because it excludes  
items of income or expense that are taxable or deductible in other years and it further excludes items that are never taxable  
or deductible. The Group’s liability for current tax is calculated using tax rates that have been enacted or substantively  
enacted by the statement of financial position date.

Safestay plc Report & Financial Statements 2018Safestay plc Report & Financial Statements 201848

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

49

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements continued
31 December 2018

Deferred tax is the tax expected to be payable or recoverable on differences between the carrying amounts of assets and 
liabilities in the financial statements and the corresponding tax bases used in the computation of taxable profit and is 
accounted for using the statement of financial position liability method. Deferred tax liabilities are generally recognised for  
all taxable temporary differences and deferred tax assets are recognised to the extent that it is probable that taxable profits 
will be available against which deductible temporary differences can be utilised.

The carrying amount of deferred tax assets are reviewed at each statement of financial position date and reduced to the extent 
that it is no longer probable that sufficient taxable profits will be available to allow all or part of the asset to be recovered.

Deferred tax is calculated at the tax rates that are expected to apply in the period when the liability is settled or the asset is 
realised on the basis of tax losses enacted or substantively enacted at the statement of financial position date. Deferred tax 
is charged or credited in the income statement, except when it relates to items charged or credited in other comprehensive 
income, in which case the deferred tax is also dealt with in other comprehensive income.

Critical accounting judgements and key sources of estimation and uncertainty

The fair value of the Group’s property is the main area within the financial information where the Directors have exercised 
significant estimates.

Judgements

•  The Holland Park lease showed indicators that it could be treated as either a finance or operating lease. The Group’s 

decision to treat it as a finance lease was based on a balanced judgment of relevant factors. Furthermore, the fair value 
of the Group’s finance lease asset is inherently subjective. The methodology applies a discount rate to the future lease 
payments to approximate to the fair value of the asset. Details of the methodology of property valuations are detailed in 
note 10.

•  Judgements were made around the capitalised leases for Edinburgh and Elephant & Castle. The valuations will remain fixed 
going forward. The valuation of the leasehold interest was performed by external valuers as set out in note 10. No tax arises 
on these transactions.

The most important measures used to evaluate the performance of the business are revenue and adjusted EBITDA, which 
is the operating profit after excluding non-cash items such as depreciation and amortisation, and removing non-recurring 
expenditure which would otherwise distort the cash generating nature of the segment.

2018

Revenue

Operating Profit after exceptional expenses

Depreciation, Amortisation & disposals

Exceptional & Share based payment expense

Adjusted EBITDA

2017

Revenue

Operating Profit after exceptional expenses

Depreciation & Amortisation

Exceptional & Share based payment expense

Adjusted EBITDA

UK 
£’000

8,393

2,981

1,320

–

4,301

UK1 
£’000

8,496

922

1,450

529

2,901

Europe 
£’000

Shared services 
£’000

6,227

801

356

–

–

(2,738)  

–

696

1,157

(2,042)  

Europe 
£’000

2,051

49

249

–

298

Total 
£’000

14,620

1,044

1,676

696

3,416

TOTAL 
£’000

10,547

971

1,699

529

3,199

•  The Group has identified certain costs as exceptional in nature in that, without separate disclosure, would distort the 

1 Shared Services are included within the adjusted EBITDA of the UK segment in 2017.

reporting of the underlying business. This is set out in note 4.

Estimates

•  The fair-value of the assets and liabilities recognised on the acquisition of an operation or entity is determined using both 

external valuations and directors’ valuations. Details of the fair values are set out in the note 24.

•  Assessment of impairment of goodwill requires estimation of future cash flows, which are uncertain, discounted to present 
value which also requires estimation by management. The key assumptions used to calculate the value in use (VIU) to test 
the goodwill for each cash generating units (CGUs) are detailed in note 11.

2.    Segmental analysis

Hostel accommodation

Food and Beverages sales

Other income

Total Income

Like-for-like income

2018 
 £’000

12,171

1,746

703

14,620

10,643

2017 
 £’000

8,641

1,383

523

10,547

10,547

The 2017 figures were restated to reallocate the rental income in Edinburgh from Hostel accommodation to Other income.  
This rental income was £330,000 in 2017 and £342,000 in 2018.

Management consider the like-for-like income only for acquisitions and continuing operations that were operational during  
the same period in the prior year.

The Group has two operating segments: UK and Europe. The operating segments are organised and managed separately  
due to the location of each market. The Group provides a shared services function to its operating segments and reports these 
activities separately.

The above information is presented in the format of that frequently reviewed by the Chief Operating Decision Maker (CODM), 
and decisions made on the basis of adjusted segment operating results.

As segment assets and liabilities are not regularly provided to the CODM, the Group has elected, as provided under IFRS 8 
Operating Segments (amended), not to disclose a measure of segment assets and liabilities.

3.    Cost of sales

Food and drinks

Direct room supplies and sales commissions

2018 
 £’000

715

1,513

2,228

2017 
 £’000

571

990

1,561

Safestay plc Report & Financial Statements 2018Safestay plc Report & Financial Statements 2018 
 
 
50

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

51

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements continued
31 December 2018

4.    Administrative expenses

6.    Loss for the financial year

Staff costs (see note 9)

Legal and professional fees

Property costs

Depreciation and amortisation

Loss on sale of assets

Share option expenses

Other expenses

Add back:
Exceptional expenses 

2018
 £’000

4,034

1,358

2,265

1,602

74

34

1,981

11,348

662

10,686 

Administrative expenses include £662,000 (2017: £495,000) of exceptional expenses broken down as follows:

Retrospective VAT adjustment

Acquisition costs

Property refinancing costs

Intellectual property advice 

Other matters

2018
£’000

90

474

8

38

52

662

2017
 £’000

3,018

778

761

1,682

–

34

1,742

8,015

495

7,520

2017
£’000

–

201

222

72

–

495

Loss for the financial period is arrived at after charging:

Depreciation on owned assets

Depreciation of assets under finance lease

Amortisation of intangible assets

Loss on disposal of assets

Operating lease expense

Auditor’s remuneration for audit services

Amounts payable in respect of both audit and non-audit services are set out below:

Fees payable to the auditor for the audit of: the company’s annual accounts

the subsidiary entities

Fees payable to the auditor and its related entities for other services:

Tax advice services

Taxation compliance services

Due diligence

2018
 £’000

517

904

181

74

1,714

99

2017
 £’000

843

695

161

–

559

85

2018
 £’000

2017
 £’000

69

30

99

17

22

89

128

55

30

85

46

25

25

71

The audit fees disclosed in 2018 represent the fees payable for the audit for the period ended 31 December 2018 and the  
non-audit fees are those incurred in the period.

Exceptional items comprises expenses that without separate disclosure would distort the reporting of the underlying business.

7.    Tax

5.    Finance costs

Interest on bank overdrafts and loans

Amortised loan arrangement fees

Other interest costs

Lease finance (note 16)

Movement in fair value of interest rate swaps

Unwinding of discount on deferred consideration

2018
 £’000

593

81

–

936

–

38

2017
 £’000

798

73

115

831

16

–

1,648

1,833

Current tax

Current tax on profits for the year

Adjustments for current tax on prior periods

Total current tax

Deferred tax

Total tax charge

2018
 £’000

2017
 £’000

213

90

303

–

303

11

–

11

–

11

Safestay plc Report & Financial Statements 2018Safestay plc Report & Financial Statements 2018 
 
52

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

53

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements continued
31 December 2018

The charge for the year can be reconciled to the loss per the consolidated income statement as follows:

9.    Staff costs

The average monthly number of employees (including directors) during the period was:

Hostel operation

Directors

The costs incurred in respect of employees (including directors) were:

Wages and salaries

Social security costs

Other employment costs

Total staff costs

2018 
Number

2017 
Number

178

5

183

2018 
£’000

3,515

446

73

4,034

149

4

153

2017 
£’000

2,729

274

15

3,018

Loss before tax 

Tax at the standard UK corporation tax rate of 19% (2017: 19.25%)

Adjustment for tax rate differences in foreign jurisdictions

Adjustments for current tax on prior periods

Factors affecting charge for the period

Non-deductible items and other timing differences

Depreciation in excess of capital allowances

Group tax charge

8.    Loss per share

The calculation of the basic and diluted loss per share is based on the following data:

Loss for the period attributable to equity holders of the company

Weighted average number of ordinary shares for the purposes of basic loss earnings  
per share

Effect of dilutive potential ordinary shares

Weighted average number of ordinary shares for the purposes of diluted loss per share

Basic loss per share

Diluted loss per share

2018 
£’000

(604)  

(115)  

37

90

64

227

303

2018 
£’000

(907)

2018 
’000

35,387

1,830

37,217

(2.56p)  

(2.56p)  

2017 
£’000

(862)  

(166)  

–

–

101

76

11

2017 
£’000

(873)

2017 
’000

34,219

1,807

36,026

(2.55p)  

(2.55p)  

There is no difference between the diluted loss per share and the basic loss per share presented. Due to the loss incurred  
in the year the effect of the share options in issue is anti-dilutive.

The total number of shares in issue as at 31 December 2018 was 64,679,014 following the 30,459,880 share issue completed  
on 17 December 2018.

Safestay plc Report & Financial Statements 2018Safestay plc Report & Financial Statements 201854

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

55

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements continued
31 December 2018

10.  Property, plant and equipment

Cost or valuation

At 1 January 2017

Transfer

Additions

Acquired in business combination

Exchange movements

At 31 December 2017

Transfer

Additions

Acquired in business combination

Disposals

Transfer to current assets

Exchange movements

At 31 December 2018

Depreciation

At 1 January 2017

Charge for the period

At 31 December 2017

Transfer

Charge for the year

Released on disposal

At 31 December 2018

Net book value:

At 31 December 2018

At 31 December 2017

Freehold land 
and buildings
£’000

Leasehold land 
and buildings
£’000

Fixtures, fittings 
and equipment
£’000

Assets under 
construction
£’000

32,460

(29,777)

–

–

–

2,683

18

–

–

–

–

–

13,122

29,777

818

–

–

43,717

(230)

208

319

–

–

–

1,253

–

149

598

52

2,052

–

207

259

(48)

–

43

–

–

121

–

–

121

–

2,084

–

(55)

(88)

–

Total
£’000

46,835

–

1,088

598

52

48,573

(212)

2,499

578

(103)

(88)

43

2,701

44,014

2,513

2,062

51,290

153

108

261

(205)

28

–

84

2,617

2,422

333

698

1,031

(25)

904

–

1,910

42,104

42,686

578

732

1,310

–

489

(25)

1,774

739

742

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

2,062

121

1,064

1,538

2,602

(230)

1,421

(25)

3,768

47,522

45,971

The directors based their valuation of the freehold properties using external valuations as at 14 March 2017 prepared by 
Cushman and Wakefield on behalf of HSBC (the Group’s bankers) as part of the security for the Group’s bank financing.  
Had the properties not been revalued their historic cost carrying value would have been £2.4 million.

Leasehold land and buildings additions comprise the capitalised finance lease plus refurbishment costs incurred on the 
Holland Park hostel and the Group properties transferred from freehold land and buildings following the finance transactions 
in respect of its hostels in Edinburgh and Elephant & Castle which completed on 31 March 2017.

The newly-created leaseholds for both properties were also independently valued on 14 March 2017 at £30.3 million by 
Cushman and Wakefield on behalf of HSBC (the Group’s bankers). The Group has accounted for the finance transactions  
as interest-bearing borrowings secured on the original properties held. There were no recognised gains or losses arising  
in respect of these transactions.

Assets in the course of construction represent additional letting rooms in the London Elephant & Castle hostel,  
which completed after the balance sheet date.

Included in disposals is a transfer from assets under construction to current receivables representing development  
costs that were reimbursed by the landlord post year end as disclosed in note 12.

11.   Intangible assets and goodwill

Cost 

At 1 January 2017

Additions

Arising in business combination

Exchange movements

At 31 December 2017

Additions

Arising in business combination (note 24)

Exchange movements

At 31 December 2018

Amortisation

At 1 January 2017

Charge for the period

At 31 December 2017

Charge for the period

At 31 December 2018

Net book value:

At 31 December 2018

At 31 December 2017

Leasehold Rights

Website 
Development
£’000

Leasehold  
4rights
£’000

Goodwill
£’000

Total
£’000

1,925

48

6,987

100

9,060

24

3,109

111

1,400

–

302

9

1,711

–

–

15

525

–

6,685

91

7,301

–

3,109

96

1,726

10,506

12,304

188

157

345

161

506

1,220

1,366

–

–

–

–

–

188

161

349

181

530

10,506

11,774

7,301

8,711

–

48

–

–

48

24

–

–

72

–

4

4

20

24

48

44

The directors identified intangible assets in the following transactions:

•  acquisition of the business on Smart City hostel in Edinburgh in 2015 identified an intangible asset in relation the lease with 

the University of Edinburgh, which terminates in 2027

•  acquisition of the Barcelona Sea property in 2017 identified a sublease agreement with a tenant in-situ for the duration of the 

head lease.

Amortisation of leasehold rights is based on a straight-line basis for the term of the lease.

Goodwill

Goodwill arising from business combinations in the year are disclosed in note 24. Goodwill in a business combination is 
allocated to the cash generating units (CGUs) that are expected to benefit from that business combination. The group’s CGUs 
have been defined as each operating hostel. This conclusion is consistent with the approach adopted in previous years and with 
the operational management of the business.

Safestay plc Report & Financial Statements 2018Safestay plc Report & Financial Statements 201856

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

57

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements continued
31 December 2018

Goodwill is not amortised but tested annually for impairment. The recoverable amount of each CGU is determined from 
value in use (VIU) calculations based on future expected cash flows discounted to present value using an appropriate pre-tax 
discount rate.

The key assumptions used in the VIU calculations for all hostels are based on forecasts approved by management performed 
for a 5-year period:

•  Pre-tax discount rate of 11%

•  2018 average bed rate per property, increasing in line with inflation in following years

•  Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, amortisation and rent (EBITDAR) margin of 2018 with an increase up to 3 basis 

points over 5 years

Four hostels acquired from one vendor in 2017 show the lowest relative VIU headroom. These operations of these hostels  
are still being optimised following their acquisition in 2017. Management are confident that the improvement in operating 
margin and utilisation of space within the hostels will not lead to any impairment once the expected improvements have  
been completed.

No impairment has been identified for the year ended 31 December 2018.

Sensitivity analysis

Headroom between the carrying and recoverable value of an asset is dependent upon sensitivities to the following 
assumptions:

For each of CGU, a fall in operating margin and average bed rate (ABR), or an increase in the weighted average cost of capital 
(WACC) by the following rates of change would result in the carrying value of goodwill falling below its recoverable amount:

CGU

Barcelona Gothic

Barcelona Sea

Lisbon

Madrid

Prague

12.  Trade and other receivables

Trade and other receivables 

Other debtors

Prepayments and accrued income

Operating 
 margin

2bps

2bps

2bps

8bps

3bps

ABR

1%

1%

1%

9%

2%

2018
 £’000

819

88

293

1,200

WACC

1bps

1bps

2bps

20bps 

3bps

2017
 £’000

740

–

163

903

13.  Cash and cash equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents

2018
 £’000

9,859

2017
 £’000

4,504

The directors consider that the carrying amount of cash and cash equivalents approximates their fair value. Cash and cash 
equivalents comprise cash.

14.  Trade and other payables

Due in less than on year

Trade payables 

Corporation tax

Social security and other taxes

Other creditors

Accruals and deferred income

Due in more than one year

Other payables

2018
 £’000

2017
 £’000

683

57

208

202

740

495

104

145

182

699

1,890

1,625

1,140

3,030

–

1,625

Payables due in more than one year represents the remainder of the discounted present value of deferred consideration  
as disclosed in note 24.

15.  Loans

At amortised cost

Bank Loan and other loans

Loan arrangement fees

2018
 £’000

 2017
 £’000

18,389

(264)  

18,125

353

17,772

18,125

18,503

(345)  

18,158

168

17,990

18,158

Other debtors represent development costs reimbursed by the landlord after the reporting date.

The directors consider that the carrying amount of other receivables approximates to their fair value. All amounts outstanding 
are within their agreed credit terms.

Loans repayable within one year

Loans repayable after more than one year

Safestay plc Report & Financial Statements 2018Safestay plc Report & Financial Statements 201858

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

59

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements continued
31 December 2018

16.  Leases

31 December 2018

Lease payments

Finance charges

Net present values

31 December 2017 

Lease payments

Finance charges

Net present values

Minimum lease payments due

Within 1 year
£’000

1 to 5 years
£’000

960

(932)

28

960

(934)

26

3,840

(3,707)

133

3,840

(3,716)

124

After 
5 years
£’000

43,955

(22,912)

21,043

44,915

(23,837)

21,078

Total
£’000

48,755

(27,551)

21,204

49,715

(28,487)

21,228

The group continues to treat the Holland Park lease as a finance lease on the basis that the present value of the lease 
payments constitutes the substantial part of a theoretical freehold valuation.

The average effective borrowing rate was 6.55%. The lease is on a fixed repayment basis and no arrangements have been 
entered into for contingent rental payments.

On 31 March 2017 the group property refinancing transactions on its hostels in Edinburgh and Elephant & Castle, receiving 
gross proceeds of £5.32 million and £6.1 million respectively. The properties were independently valued at £14.3 million and 
£16.0 million; as the undervaluation matched by lease rentals is below the full market rate, the directors have deemed the 
transactions as outside the scope of IAS17 and treatment as finance leases is considered appropriate.

18.  Equity

CALLED UP SHARE CAPITAL

Allotted, issued and fully paid

34,219,134 Ordinary Shares of 1p each as at 1 January 2018

27,609,496 Ordinary Shares of 1p each issued on 17 December 2018

1,802,269 Ordinary Shares of 1p each issued on 17 December 2018

1,048,115 Ordinary Shares of 1p each issued on 17 December 2018

£’000

342

276

18

11

647

At the 31 December 2018, the ordinary shares rank pari passu. There are no changes to the voting rights of the ordinary shares 
since the balance sheet date.

SHARE PREMIUM

At 1 January 2018

Share premium received on 30,459,880 Ordinary Shares of 1p each

Share issue costs

At 31 December 2018

The average effective rate of borrowing for the transactions was 7.74% and 7.81% respectively.

Share issue costs represent the costs of the placing, subscription and open offer undertaken in 2018.

The fair value of the group’s lease obligations is approximately equal to their carrying amount. The Group’s finance leases 
disclosed above are in sterling.

OTHER COMPONENTS OF EQUITY

17.  Deferred income tax

Balance as at 1 January 2017

Recognised in the income statement 

Recognised on acquisition

Balance at 31 December 2017

Recognised in the income statement 

Balance at 31 December 2018

Deferred tax liabilities relate primarily to accelerated capital allowances.

Deferred tax 
assets
£’000

Deferred
tax liabilities 
£’000

102

(102)  

–

–

–

–

(107)  

102

(100)  

(105)  

–

(105)  

Total
£’000

(5)  

–

(100)  

(105)  

–

(105)  

Merger 
reserve
£’000

Share based 
payment reserve
£’000

Revaluation 
reserve
£’000

Translation 
reserve
£’000

Cost 

At 1 January 2017

Share based payment charge

At 31 December 2017

Share based payment charge

Exchange differences on translating 
foreign operations

1,772

–

1,772

–

–

57

34

91

34

–

4,218

–

4,218

–

–

At 31 December 2018

1,772

125

4,218

–

–

–

–

106

106

£’000

14,504

10,052

(652)  

23,904

Total
£’000

6,047

34

6,081

34

106

6,221

Safestay plc Report & Financial Statements 2018Safestay plc Report & Financial Statements 201860

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

61

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements continued
31 December 2018

19.  Share based payments

The company has granted share options to subscribe for ordinary shares of 1p each, as follows:

20.  Notes to the cash flow statement

Grant date

2 May 2014

12 May 2014

21 May 2014

14 July 2017

21 July 2017

11 October 2018

Exercise price per 
share (pence)

Period within which 
 options are exercisable

50p

50p

50p

50p

50p

42p

2/5/2017 to 1/5/2024

12/5/2017 to 11/5/2024

21/5/2017 to 20/5/2024

14/7/2020 to 13/7/2027

21/7/2020 to 20/7/2027

11/10/2021 to 10/10/2028

Number of share 
options 
outstanding
2017

396,521

528,695

132,173

250,000

500,000

–

2018

396,521

528,695

132,173

250,000

500,000

100,000

1,907,389

1,807,389

The share options are exercisable at a price equal to the average quoted market price of the company’s shares on the date of 
grant. The vesting period is 3 years from the date of grant and the share price must be a minimum of 60p, with the exception of 
the 100,000 options issued in 2018 which have a target price of 50p. The options are forfeited if the employee leaves the Group 
before the options vest. Details of these share options are summarised in the table below:

Loss before tax 

Adjustments for:

  Depreciation of property, plant and equipment and amortisation of intangible assets

  Loss on sale of property, plant & equipment

  Finance cost

  Share based payment charge

  Exchange movements

Changes in working capital:

  Decrease/(Increase) in inventory

(Increase) in trade and other receivables

(Decrease) in trade and other payables

2018
£’000

(604)  

1,602

74

1,648

34

(112)  

(14)  

(295)  

(277)  

2017
£’000

(862)  

1,699

–

1,833

34

(147)  

2

(259)  

(389)  

Net cash from operating activities

2,056

1,911

2018

2017

21.  Related party transactions

Brought forward 1 January

Issued in the period

Outstanding at 31 December 

Exercisable at end of the period

No options were exercised in the period.

Number 
of share  
options

Weighted 
average 
exercise price

Number 
of share 
options

Weighted 
average 
exercise price

1,807,389

100,000

1,907,389

1,057,389

50p

42p

50p

50p

1,057,389

750,000

1,807,389

1,057,389

50p

50p

50p

50p

A share-based payment charge was calculated using the Black Scholes model to calculate the fair value of the share options. 
The charge of £34,000 (2017: £34,000) is included with administrative expenses.

The inputs are as follows:

Closing price of Safestay plc

Weighted average share price

Weighted average exercise price

Expected volatility

Expected life

Risk free rate

Expected dividend yield

2018

33.50p

45.30p

49.60p

18.00%

2017

51.00p

50.00p

60.00p

30.00%

6.84 years

7.00 years

0.50%

0.00%

0.25%

1.00%

The expected volatility percentage was derived from 12 and 3 month quoted share prices to 7 February 2019.

The Group has taken advantage of the exemption contained within IAS 24 – ‘Related Party Disclosures’ from the requirement  
to disclose transactions between wholly owned group companies as these have been eliminated on consolidation.

The remuneration of the directors, who are the key management personnel of the Group, is set out below.

Directors’ emoluments

Benefits in kind

Pension

Share based payment charges

2018
 £’000

381

–

7

34

422

2017
 £’000

215

10

–

34

259

Further information about the remuneration of individual directors is provided in the Directors’ Remuneration Report.

Details of directors share options is provided in the Directors’ Remuneration Report.

Safestay plc Report & Financial Statements 2018Safestay plc Report & Financial Statements 2018 
 
62

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

63

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements continued
31 December 2018

22.  Financial instruments
Capital management

Total Capital is calculated as equity, as shown in the consolidated statement of financial position, plus debt.

The Board’s policy is to maintain a strong capital base with a view to underpinning investor, creditor and market confidence 
and sustaining the future development of the business. Capital consists of ordinary shares, other capital reserves and retained 
earnings. To this end, the Board monitors the Group’s performance at both a corporate and individual asset level and sets 
internal guidelines for interest cover and gearing.

The executive directors monitor the Group’s current and projected financial position against these guidelines. In order to 
maintain or adjust the capital structure, the Group may adjust the amount of dividends paid to shareholders, return capital  
to shareholders, issue new shares or sell assets to reduce debt.

At 31 December 2018, the Group held the following financial liabilities:

Bank loans (note 15)

Finance leases (note 16)

Trade and other payables (note 14)

Derivative financial instruments

2018
 £’000

18,389

21,204

2,233

–

41,826

2017
 £’000

18,503

21,228

809

13

40,553

Share capital

Share premium account

Merger reserve

Retained earnings

Share based payment reserve

Revaluation reserve

Translation reserve

Bank loans 

Finance lease obligations

2018
 £’000

647

23,904

1,772

(2,836)

125

4,218

106

18,389

21,204

The Group has no externally imposed capital requirements.

Significant Accounting Policies

Details of the significant accounting policies and methods adopted, including the criteria for recognition, the basis of 
measurement and the basis on which income and expenses are recognised, in respect of each class of financial asset,  
financial liability and equity instruments are disclosed in note 1 to these financial statements and in the tables below:

Categories of financial instruments

At 31 December 2018, the Group held the following financial assets:

Trade and other receivables

Cash and cash equivalents

2018
 £’000

907

9,859

10,766

2017
 £’000

342

14,504

1,772

(1,929)

91

4,218

–

18,503

21,228

2017
 £’000

903

4,504

5,407

All financial liabilities are measured at amortised cost (2017: £13,000 financial instrument held at fair value through profit  
or loss).

The carrying amounts of the Group’s bank loans and overdrafts, lease obligations and trade and other payables approximate  
to their fair value.

Financial Liability Movements

At 1 January 2018

Cash flows

Repayment of bank loans

Repayment of lease liabilities

Loan acquired in business combination

Non-cash

Reclassification

Imputed interest and amortisation of fees

At 31 December 2018

At 1 January 2017

Cash flows

Repayment of bank loans

Repayment of lease liabilities

Proceeds received

Loan and refinancing fees

Non-cash

Reclassification

Imputed interest and amortisation of fees

At 31 December 2017

Long term 
borrowings
£’000

Short term 
borrowings
£’000

17,990

168

Lease  
liabilities
£’000

21,228

–

–

95

(313)

–

17,772

(304)

–

94

313

82

353

–

(960)

–

–

936

Total
£’000

39,386

(304)

(960)

189

–

1,018

21,204

39,329

13,906

3,489

10,229

27,624

(14,111)

(3,489)

 –

(17,600)

 –

18,400

 –

(168)

(37)

17,990

 –

 –

 –

168

 –

168

(960)

11,420

(375)

 –

914

(960)

29,820

(375)

–

877

21,228

39,386

Safestay plc Report & Financial Statements 2018Safestay plc Report & Financial Statements 2018 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
64

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

65

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements continued
31 December 2018

Financial risk management

Liquidity and interest risk analysis

The Group’s financial instruments comprise bank loans and overdrafts, finance leases, cash and cash equivalents, available-
for-sale investments, derivative financial instruments and various items within trade and other receivables and payables that 
arise directly from its operations.

The main risks arising from the financial instruments are credit risk, interest rate risk and liquidity risk. The board reviews 
and agrees policies for managing these risks which are detailed below.

Credit risk

The principal credit risk arises from bookings where the customer does not show up and the beds cannot be resold.  
The terms and conditions of any future booking received in advance requires the payment of a 10% deposit which is  
non-refundable. This policy ensures that the risk of customers not fulfilling their booking is reduced.

Interest rate risk

The Group’s interest rate risk arises from long-term borrowings. Borrowings at variable rate expose the Group to cash flow 
interest rate risk which is partially offset by cash held at variable rates.

Liquidity risk

All of the Group’s long-term bank borrowings are secured on the Group’s property portfolio. If the value of the portfolio were 
to fall significantly, the Group risk breaching borrowing covenants. The board regularly review the Group’s gearing levels, cash 
flow projections and associated headroom and ensure that excess banking facilities are available for future use.

Interest rate risk management

The Group is exposed to interest rate risk on its borrowings, which is at an interest rate of 2.45% above the London inter-bank 
offer rate (LIBOR) shown in the table below. The Group carefully manages its interest rate risk on an ongoing basis.

Interest rate sensitivity

The sensitivity analysis in the paragraph below has been determined based on the exposure to interest rates for all borrowings 
subject to interest charges at the statement of financial position date. For floating rate liabilities, the analysis is prepared 
assuming the amount of the liability outstanding at the statement of financial position date was outstanding for the whole 
year. A 0.25% increase or decrease is used when reporting interest rate risk internally to key management and represents 
management’s assessment of the reasonably possible change in interest rates.

Based on bank borrowings, at 31 December 2018, if interest rates were 0.5% higher or (lower) and all other variables were 
held constant, the Group’s net profit would increase or decrease by £91,000 (2017: £35,000). This is attributable to the Group’s 
exposure to interest rates on its variable rate borrowings.

Credit risk management

Credit risk refers to the risk that counterparties will default on its contractual obligations resulting in financial loss to the 
Group. Customers’ bookings received in advance are made with a 10% non-refundable deposit to reduce the risk of lost 
revenue from a cancellation. The Group is not exposed to any other material credit risk.

Liquidity risk management

Ultimate responsibility for liquidity risk management rests with the board of directors. The board manages liquidity risk  
by regularly reviewing the Group’s gearing levels, cash flow projections and associated headroom and ensuring that excess 
banking facilities are available for future use. All of the Group’s long-term bank borrowings are secured on the Group’s 
property portfolio.

The following tables detail the Group’s remaining contractual maturity for its all financial liabilities. The tables have been 
drawn up based on the undiscounted cash flows of financial liabilities based on the earliest date on which the Group can be 
required to pay including interest.

Variable interest rate borrowings

Fixed interest rate borrowings

Finance leases payments

Less than 
1 year
£’000

949

73

960

1-2 years
£’000

938

30

960

1,982

1,928

3-5 years
£’000

18,206

65

2,880

21,151

Later than
5 years
£’000

–

–

43,955

43,955

Total
£’000

20,093

168

48,755

69,016

The above amounts reflect the contractual undiscounted cash flows, which may differ to the carrying values of the liabilities  
at the reporting date.

23.  Fair values of non-financial assets

The following table shows the levels within the hierarchy of non-financial assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis:

2018

Freehold Property

Leasehold Property 

2017

Freehold Property

Leasehold Property

Level 1
£’000

Level 2
£’000

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

Level 3
£’000

2,617

42,104

44,721

2,422

42,686

45,108

Total
£’000

2,617

42,104

44,721

2,422

42,686

45,108

The group’s freehold and leasehold property asset is estimated based on appraisals performed by independent, professionally 
qualified property valuers. The significant inputs and assumptions are developed in close consultation with management.  
The valuation process and fair value changes are reviewed by the directors at each reporting date.

At 31 December 2018 no adjustment to the fair value of leasehold properties was required.

Safestay plc Report & Financial Statements 2018Safestay plc Report & Financial Statements 201866

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

67

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements continued
31 December 2018

24.  Business combinations

See accounting policy in note 1.

On 7 March 2018, the Group acquired its third hostel in Barcelona for a consideration of £2.2m, of which £0.62m was paid at 
acquisition; the balance is due in 4 annual instalments and is recognised as a Balance Sheet liability at its discounted rate.  
The transaction has been treated as a business combination as the hostel was operational at the point of purchase.

On 1 October 2018, the Group acquired the trade of a hotel in Vienna, Austria for £nil consideration. The staff, customer listing 
and supply chain was transferred from the existing operator. Simultaneously, the Group entered into a lease with the property 
owner for a period of 20 years.

On 10 October 2018, the Group purchased 100% of the shares of Arcadie SA, an entity incorporated in Belgium. Consideration 
for the operator of Hotel Opera in Brussels totalled £1.16m. Following acquisition, the hotel immediately commenced trading 
as Safestay Brussels.

Number of sites purchased

Provisional fair value

Property, plant & equipment

Intangible assets

Current assets

Cash

Debt

Deferred revenue, trade & other 
payables

Deferred tax

Goodwill

Consideration

Cash paid on acquisition

Deferred payments

Total Consideration

Barcelona

Vienna

Brussels

2018

3

2017

 5 

£’000 

£’000 

£’000 

 £’000 

 £’000 

 415 

–

55

–

–

(51) 

–

 1,770 

617

1,572

2,189

 – 

–

61

–

–

(61) 

–

 5 

5

–

5

 163 

–

12

–

(189)

(151) 

–

1,334 

1,169

–

1,169

578

–

128

–

(189)

(263)

–

3,109

1,791

1,572

3,363

598

401

156

470

–

(442)

(100)

6,685

7,768

–

7,768

Goodwill recognised on each acquisition reflects the future growth of the group and represent the first stage in establishing  
a pan-European network of Safestay Hostels. All goodwill acquired has been allocated to a cash generating unit.

The Board reviewed each business on acquisition for its separately identifiable assets:

1) 

2) 

 Brand – the hostels were purchased from two selling entities, each with a large portfolio of hostels that are continuing  
to trade under their original brand names. For this reason, management do not attribute the future earnings to the brands 
purchased; the key asset purchased is the future potential of each hostel as operated under the Safestay management 
team, and as an extension of the existing Safestay portfolio.

 Advanced deposits – each acquisition resulted in the purchase of advanced deposits taken under previous management 
that would result in potential sales whilst under Safestay control. The Board quantified the value of contracted sales under 
their original terms of sale and found the contracts to be immaterial at acquisition.

3) 

 Property, plant and equipment – the Board reviewed the asset registers of each entity and performed an impairment  
of each. The book value of assets was agreed to represent the fair value of each asset class.

4) 

 Intangible assets – the Board reviewed the agreements with customers and found no intangible assets for capitalisation.

The group incurred acquisition costs of £0.118 million on legal fees and due diligence costs. These have been charged  
to operating exceptional items in the Consolidated Income Statement.

The acquisitions have contributed the following revenue and operating profits to the Group in the year ended 31 December 2018 
from the date of acquisition:

Revenue

Operating profit

Barcelona
£’000

1,696

40

Vienna
£’000

305

81

Brussels
£’000

241

62

It is not practicable to identify the related cash flows, revenue and profit on an annualised basis as the months for which  
the businesses have been controlled by Safestay are not indicative of the annualised figures.

The pre-acquisition trading results are not indicative of the trading expectation under Safestay’s stewardship; the Group 
deployed its Property Management System and digital marketing platform, updated internal processes and undertook a light 
re-branding exercise in each new property in the year ended 31 December 2018.

25.  Operating leases

The Group’s leases are all in Europe and provide for periodic rent reviews in line with inflation, and enjoy statutory rights 
to renewal on expiry. Generally, they do not contain conditions to rent escalation, rights to purchase, concessions or other 
material provision of an unusual mature.

Total future minimum lease rental payments under non-cancellable leases as follows:

Due after one year

Between one and five years

After five years

26.  Post reporting date events

2018
£’000

2,180

4,094

2,402

2017
£’000

1,359

4,695

5,481

As disclosed in the 2017 Annual Report, the Group underwent refinancing on its Edinburgh and Elephant & Castle locations  
in March 2017, receiving proceeds of £5.32 million and £6.1 million respectively.

The transaction included receipt of additional consideration of £1.18 million upon completion of extension works to the 
Elephant & Castle location in February 2019; a milestone that was reached on 20 January 2019.

No further adjusting or significant non-adjusting events have occurred between the 31 December reporting date and the date 
of authorisation.

Safestay plc Report & Financial Statements 2018Safestay plc Report & Financial Statements 2018 
 
68

Company Statement of Financial Position

69

Company Statement of Changes in Equity

Company Statement of Financial Position
31 December 2018

Company Statement of Changes in Equity
31 December 2018

At 1 January 2017

Comprehensive income

Loss for the year

Total comprehensive loss

Transactions with owners

Share based payment charge 
for the period

Share 
Capital
£’000

342

Share 
premium  
account
£’000

14,504

Merger 
Reserve
£’000

1,772

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

At 31 December 2017

342

14,504

1,772

Comprehensive income

Loss for the year

Total comprehensive loss

Transactions with owners

Issue of shares

Share based payment charge 
for period

At 31 December 2018

–

–

305

–

647

–

–

9,400

–

–

–

–

–

23,904

1,772

Share based 
payment  
reserve
£’000

57

–

–

34

91

–

–

–

34

125

Profit  
and loss 
account
£’000

(3,412)  

(2,859)  

(2,859)  

Total 
equity
£’000

13,263

(2,859)  

(2,859)  

–

34

(6,271)  

10,438

(4,034)  

(4,034)  

–

–

(4,034)  

(4,034)  

9,705

34

(10,305)  

16,143

Non-current assets

Property, plant and equipment

Investments

Total non-current assets

Current assets

Trade and other receivables

Cash at bank and in hand

Total current assets

Total assets

Current liabilities

Loans and overdrafts

Finance lease obligations

Trade and other payables

Total current liabilities

Non-current liabilities

Bank loans and convertible loan notes

Lease obligations

Total non-current liabilities

Total liabilities

Net assets

Equity

Share capital

Share premium account

Merger reserve

Share based payment reserve

Profit and loss account

Note

2

3

4

6

7

5

6

7

8

9

2018
£’000

12,658

6,591

19,249

24,947

8,706

33,653

52,902

279

38

8,643

8,960

17,677

10,122

27,799

36,759

16,143

647

23,904

1,772

125

(10,305)  

2017
£’000

12,952

7,756

20,708

22,389

854

23,243

43,951

168

36

5,265

5,469

17,885

10,159

28,044

33,513

10,438

342

14,504

1,772

91

(6,271)  

Equity attributable to the owners of the parent company

 16,143

10,438

As permitted by Section 408 of the Companies Act 2006, the Company has elected not to present its own profit and loss account  
for the year. The company’s loss for the period was £4,034,000 (2017: £2,859,000)

These financial statements were approved by the Board of Directors and authorised for issue on 9 April 2019.

Larry Lipman
Chairman
9 April 2019

Safestay plc Report & Financial Statements 2018Safestay plc Report & Financial Statements 201870

Company Statement of Cash Flows

71

Notes to the Company Financial Statements

Company Statement of Cash Flows
31 December 2018

Notes to the Company Financial Statements
31 December 2018

Loss before tax 

Adjustments for:

Finance cost

Finance income

Share based payment charge

Depreciation

Loss on sale of property, plant & equipment

Changes in working capital:

(Increase) / decrease in trade and other receivables

(Decrease) / increase in trade and other payables

Net cash used in operating activities

Investing activities

Interest received

Investment in subsidiaries

(Loans to) / received from subsidiaries

Purchase of tangible fixed assets

Net cash (outflow) / inflow from investing activities

Financing activities

Proceeds from new loans

Loan repayments

Proceeds from issue of share capital

Fees related to the issue of shares

Amounts paid under finance leases

Interest paid

Net cash generated / (outflow) from financing activities

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year

Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents at end of year

2018
£’000

2017
£’000

(4,034)  

(2,859)  

1,278

1,211

(59)  

34

310

23

2,077

1

(370)  

59

(90)  

–

(39)  

(70)  

–

(180)  

10,356

(652)  

(660)  

(572)  

8,292

854

7,852

8,706

–

34

295

–

(6)  

(3,348)  

(4,673)  

–

(5,163)  

(3,024)  

(719)  

(8,906)  

18,400

(2,760)  

–

(660)  

(551)  

14,429

4

850

854

1.    Staff costs

The average monthly number of employees (including directors) during the period was:

2018 

2017 

Administration

Directors

2.    Property, plant and equipment

Cost 

At 1 January 2017

Additions

As at 31 December 2017

Additions

Disposals

At 31 December 2018

Depreciation

At 1 January 2017

Charge for the year

At 31 December 2017

Charge for the year

Released on disposal

At 31 December 2018

Net book value

At 31 December 2018

At 31 December 2017

12

5

17

Leasehold 
Investment in 
Property
£’000

Fixtures,  
fittings and 
equipment
£’000

12,793

655

13,448

–

–

13,448

327

264

591

272

–

863

12,585

12,857

77

64

141

39

(48)  

132

15

31

46

38

(25)  

59

73

95

6

3

9

Total 
£’000

12,870

719

13,589

39

(48)  

13,580

342

295

637

310

(25)  

922

12,658

12,952

Safestay plc Report & Financial Statements 2018Safestay plc Report & Financial Statements 201872

Notes to the Company Financial Statements

73

Notes to the Company Financial Statements

Notes to the Company Financial Statements continued
31 December 2018

3.    Fixed asset investments

Cost 

At 1 January 2017

Additions

As at 31 December 2017

Additions

Designation as an intercompany loan 

At 31 December 2018

Net book value

At 31 December 2018

At 31 December 2017

Shares in subsidiary  
undertakings
£’000

2,593

5,163

7,756

90

(1,255)

6,591

6,591

7,756

Shares in subsidiary undertakings
The subsidiaries at 31 December 2018 and their principal activities are as follows:

Direct ownership

WXZYZ2 Limited

Investment activities (dormant)

Safestay (York) Limited

Property owning activities

Safestay (Edinburgh) Limited

Property owning activities

Safestay (Edinburgh) Hostel Limited

Hostel operation

Safestay (Elephant and Castle) Limited

Hostel operation

Safestay (HP) Limited

Hostel operation

Safestay Hostels Madrid SL

Holding company (Spain)

Calle Sagasta 22, Madrid 28004

Safestay France SAS

Hostel operation (France)

11 Rue de Cambrai
CS 90042, Paris

Safestay España S.L

Hostel operation (Spain)

Street Vigatans 5-9, Barcelona 08003

Equity Point Lisboa Unipessoal Lda.

Hostel operation (Portugal)

Equity Point Prague, s.r.o

Hostel operation (Czech Republic)

Travessa do Fala-So9,
Lisbon 1250-109

Ostrovni 131/15
Prague, Nove Mesto 110 00

Safestay Hostel GmbH

Hotel operation (Austria)

Schubertring 6, 1010 Wien

GELS BVBA

Holding company (Belgium)

Av. Louise 209A, 1050 Brussels

Indirect ownership

Safestay (York) Hostel Ltd

Hostel operation

Safestay (Edinburgh) Holdings Ltd

Property owning activities

U Hostels Albergues Juveniles S.L

Hostel operation (Spain)

Calle Sagasta 22, Madrid 28004

MREF II White Property Limited (Jersey)

Property owning activities

MREF II White GP Limited (Jersey)

Holding company (dormant)

MREF II White Limited Partnership 
(Jersey)

Holding company (dormant)

MREF II White Holdings Limited (Jersey)

Holding company (dormant)

44 Esplanade,
St Helier, Jersey, JE4 9WG

44 Esplanade,
St Helier, Jersey, JE4 9WG

44 Esplanade,
St Helier, Jersey, JE4 9WG

44 Esplanade,
St Helier, Jersey, JE4 9WG

U Places Spain S.L

Dormant (Spain)

Calle Sagasta 22, Madrid 28004

Arcadie SA

Hotel operation (Belgium)

Rue Grétry 53, 1000 Bruxelles

All subsidiaries are incorporated in Great Britain and registered in England and Wales unless otherwise stated.  
All subsidiaries are 100% owned.

Safestay plc Report & Financial Statements 2018Safestay plc Report & Financial Statements 2018 
74

Notes to the Company Financial Statements

75

Notes to the Company Financial Statements

Notes to the Company Financial Statements continued
31 December 2018

4.    Trade and other receivables

7.    Obligations under finance leases

Due within one year:

  amounts due from subsidiary undertakings

Other debtors

Other receivables and prepayments

2018
 £’000

2017
 £’000

24,910

22,231

–

37

158

–

24,947

22,389

The amounts due from subsidiary undertakings are repayable on demand but are not expected to be recovered within the next 
12 months.

5.    Trade and other payables

Trade payables

Amounts due to subsidiary undertakings

Other payables

6.    Bank and other finance loans

Bank Loan

Loan arrangement fees

The loan is secured on properties owned by the Group.

The bank loan is repayable as follows:

Within one year

After more than one year

2018
 £’000

134

8,503

6

8,643

2018
 £’000

18,220

(264)

17,956

2018
 £’000

279

17,677

17,956

2017
 £’000

142

5,123

–

5,265

2017
 £’000

18,400

(347)

18,053

2017
 £’000

168

17,885

18,053

31 December 2018

Lease payments

Finance charges

Net present values

31 December 2017

Lease payments

Finance charges

Net present values

Minimum lease payments due

Within 1 year
£’000

1 to 5 years
£’000

After 5 years
£’000

Total
£’000

660

(622)

38

660

(624)

36

2,640

(2,461)

27,060

(17,117)

30,360

(20,200)

179

9,943

10,160

2,640

(2,472)

27,720

(17,729)

31,020

(20,825)

168

9,991

10,195

The Company has treated the Holland Park lease as a finance lease on the basis that the present value of the lease payments 
constitutes the substantial part of a theoretical freehold valuation.

The average effective borrowing rate was 6.55%. The lease is on a fixed repayment basis and no arrangements have been 
entered into for contingent rental payments.

The fair value of the Company’s lease obligations is approximately equal to their carrying amount. The Company’s finance 
leases disclosed above are in sterling.

8.    Share capital

Allotted, issued and fully paid

34,219,134 Ordinary Shares of 1p each as at 1 January 2018

27,609,496 Ordinary Shares of 1p each issued on 17 December 2018

1,802,269 Ordinary Shares of 1p each issued on 17 December 2018

1,048,115 Ordinary Shares of 1p each issued on 17 December 2018

£’000

342

276

18

11

647

At the 31 December 2018, the ordinary shares rank pari passu. There are no changes to the voting rights of the ordinary shares 
since the balance sheet date.

Safestay plc Report & Financial Statements 2018Safestay plc Report & Financial Statements 201876

Notes to the Company Financial Statements

77

Notes to the Company Financial Statements

Notes to the Company Financial Statements continued
31 December 2018

9.    Share premium

Brought forward at 1 January 2018

Share premium received on 30,459,880 Ordinary Shares of 1p each

Share issue costs

Share issue costs represent the costs of the placing, subscription and open offer undertaken in 2018.

10.  Share based payments

The company has granted share options to subscribe for ordinary shares of 1p each, as follows:

£’000

14,504

10,052

(652)

23,904

The inputs are as follows:

Closing price of Safestay plc

Weighted average share price

Weighted average exercise price

Expected volatility

Expected life

Risk free rate

Expected dividend yield

2018

33.50p

45.30p

49.60p

2017

51.00p

50.00p

60.00p

18.00%

30.00%

6.84 years

7.00 years

0.50%

0.00%

0.25%

1.00%

The expected volatility percentage was derived from 12 and 3 month quoted share prices to 7 February 2019.

Number of share options outstanding

11.  Related party transactions

The remuneration of the Company’s directors, who are the key management personnel of the Group, is set out in note 21 of the 
group financial statements Further information about the remuneration of individual directors and the directors share options 
is provided in the Directors’ Remuneration Report.

Grant date

72 May 2014

12 May 2014

21 May 2014

14 July 2017

21 July 2017

11 October 2018

Exercise price  
per share (pence)

Period within which  
options are exercisable

50p

50p

50p

50p

50p

42p

2/5/2017 to 1/5/2024

12/5/2017 to 11/5/2024

21/5/2017 to 20/5/2024

14/7/2020 to 13/7/2027

21/7/2020 to 20/7/2027

11/10/2021 to 10/10/2028

2018

396,521

528,695

132,173

250,000

500,000

100,000

2017

396,521

528,695

132,173

250,000

500,000

–

1,907,389

1,807,389

The share options are exercisable at a price equal to the average quoted market price of the company’s shares on the date 
of grant. The vesting period is 3 years from the date of grant and the share price must be a minimum of 60p, except for the 
100,000 options issued in 2018 which have a target price of 50p. The options are forfeited if the employee leaves the Group 
before the options vest. Details of these share options are summarised in the table below:

Brought forward 1 January

Issued in the period

Outstanding at 31 December 

Exercisable at end of the period

No options were exercised in the period.

2018

2017

Number of  
share options

Weighted average 
exercise price

Number of  
share options

Weighted average 
exercise price

1,807,389

100,000

1,907,389

1,057,389

50p

42p

50p

50p

1,057,389

750,000

1,807,389

1,057,389

51p

50p

50p

50p

A share-based payment charge was calculated using the Black Scholes model to calculate the fair value of the share options. 
The charge of £34,000 (2017: £34,000) is included with administrative expenses.

Safestay plc Report & Financial Statements 2018Safestay plc Report & Financial Statements 201878

UK
London Elephant & Castle 
London Kensington Holland Park 
Edinburgh 
York

Spain
Barcelona Sea 
Barcelona Gothic 
Barcelona Passeig de Gracia 
Mardrid 

Portugal
Lisbon

Austria
Vienna

Czech Republic
Prague

Belgium
Brussels

France
Paris (coming 2020)

Safestay plc Report & Financial Statements 2018Design: energydesignstudio.com