Khalaf Al Habtoor, the chairman of UAE conglomerate Al Habtoor Group, is close to purchasing the 310-room President Abraham Lincoln Hotel, a DoubleTree by Hilton property, located in the heart of Springfield at Illinois (US), said a report.

The group is one of the UAE's biggest family businesses with a portfolio spanning hospitality, construction, education and automotive operations.

Al Habtoor had made an unsolicited offer for the hotel while accompanying former president Jimmy Carter on a visit to Illinois College in Jacksonville in October, reported the State Journal-Register, citing a top official.

"It happened really fast and the whole process took just about a month. The deal will be closed on December 16," revealed the property owner Steve Horve.

He had purchased the Springfield hotel located at 701 E. Adams Street at a state auction in December 2009 for $6.5 million.

Horve said the main reason for his selling the hotel was to concentrate on the other hotel projects, including construction of a Home 2 extended-stay hotel by Hilton in Champaign, the report added.

Al Habtoor had recently acquired the 400-room InterContinental Budapest, the largest in the Hungarian capital, as part of its aggressive expansion drive.

The group chairman is also the owner of the historic Le Méridien Budapest, which he acquired in 2012.