Hotel asset owners, lenders and operators are pursuing sustainable profitability focussing on the environment, business models and operations that can keep them 'one step ahead' of the market.
So says Richard Talbot-Williams, senior director of hotels at BNP Paribas Real Estate, speaking of the new hire of Harry Douglas.
Douglass has been appointed as a director within the firm’s Alternatives Markets team as BNP Paribas Real Estate expands its hotel valuation and consultancy capabilities across the UK and Europe.
He has joined from advisor HVS London where for over 10 years he focused on valuations, acquisitions, sales and lettings of hotels, serviced accommodation and leisure investment property throughout EMEA. Prior to this, he held senior roles at Meininger hotels, Edward Symmons and Sanderson Weatherall. Clients include Barclays, Société Générale, Aareal and Bank Leumi.
Talbot-Williams said: ‘Hotel valuation requires a highly developed set of skills and expertise going beyond a knowledge and understanding of the asset itself and focusing on environment, business model, operations, always being one step ahead of the market. This area of the business is currently extremely active as hotel asset owners, lenders and operators pursue sustainable profitability. We are bringing in Harry, a proven leader in his field, who has been advising top level players in the sector for nearly 20 years, to bolster our market standing in this field.’
BNP Paribas is beefing up its hotels team following growth in its residential capital markets business lines in the BTR, student living, healthcare and senior living sectors as they become increasingly operational and strategic.
Recent hotel advisory roles include the sale of The Exhibitionist Hotel in South Kensington to 4C Hotels, the forward funding of the Park Lane Dalata development in Liverpool and the €70 mln forward funding of Premier Inn’s largest Dublin hotel.
