Hotel transaction volumes in Asia reached $1.3 billion in H1 of this year⎯⎯up 85 percent from 2012, according to Jones Lang LaSalle’s Hotels & Hospitality Group. The latest Asia Hotel Investment (H1 2013) report shows that the solid growth in sales activity marks the region’s strongest first half year since 2008.
Weight of investment into the established tourism markets of Singapore, Hong Kong, and Tokyo⎯⎯coupled with opportunistic deals in emerging markets such as Thailand and the Maldiveswas predominately responsible for driving growth in the region.
Mike Batchelor, managing director of investment sales, hotels, and hospitality, Jones Lang LaSalle says, “Throughout Asia, we are also aware of circa $400 million in hotel transaction volumes to be confirmed soon and a further $1 billion in due diligence.”
Japan’s hotel market received 37 percent of regional investment⎯⎯driven by strong domestic, corporate, and leisure demand following the widespread view that local market fundamentals had improved since the 2011 earthquake. Following closely, Singapore accounted for 34 percent of regional transactions, largely due to the sale of Park Hotel Clarke Quay for $238 million. Thailand also continued to consolidate its position as one of Asia’s hotel investment hotspots with the sale of the Laguna Beach Resort in Phuket.
