CBRE selects head of hotels, Iberia

The senior director of hotels, Spain will now be responsible for managing the business across both Spain and Portugal.

Furthermore, CBRE has also appointed Duarte Morais, head of hotels investment properties for Portugal as the new head of hotels, Portugal.

To further strengthen other strategic areas of the business, Blanca Martín, head of hotel valuations, Spain will also extend her role across Iberia, working closely with Frederico Borges de Castro, head of valuations, Portugal.

CBRE said that integrating the Spanish and Portuguese hotels teams under central leadership was a strategic choice to streamline two of the European hotel sector’s key territories, both of whose real estate investment markets were dominated by hotels in 2023.

Said Ruiz: 'Bringing our services together at the Iberian level will allow us to offer our clients a value proposition that is unrivalled in the market, at a time when hotels is one of the most dynamic sectors and one that has seen the highest level of growth in recent years.'

He added: 'Forecasts for this year continue to point towards growth, with tourism and operating figures for the region set to perform well.

'We also expect to see more opportunities on the market as financing becomes more accessible. International brands will continue to play a key role, particularly in the luxury segment, and we are likely to see growing interest from operators and investors in the budget/low-cost segment.'

Kenneth Hatton, head of hotels, Europe at CBRE said: 'These appointments are a direct reflection of our aim to provide world-class services at the level required by our clients.

'With the robust performance seen last year in the Iberian market, through strong investor appetite and high activity levels, we see an increasing number of clients exploring pan-Iberian strategies. Jorge, Blanca and Duarte are long-standing members of the European Hotels team and their widened remits are testament to their expertise in the market.'