JLL’s Hotels and Hospitality Group is projecting a 15% to 25% increase in global hotel investment volume compared to 2024, according to the company’s latest Global Hotel Investment Outlook.

Released during this week’s Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS) in Los Angeles, California, the report highlights the industry’s resilience and potential for growth as it adapts to evolving travel patterns and consumer preferences.

Through November 2024, global hotel demand reached a staggering 4.8 billion room nights, 102 million more than in 2023, resulting in RevPAR growth of 4%.

Though RevPAR grew in all regions, performance remains uneven, with Asia Pacific (APAC) still lagging 10% behind 2019 levels while the Americas, Europe and the Middle East have all fully recovered.

Global hotel investment volume reached $57.3 billion in 2024, a 7% increase from 2023, but remained 17% below historical levels driven by historically limited portfolio volume and significant declines in average deal size.

The global increase was fuelled by growth in APAC and EMEA, while the Americas transaction volume declined modestly for the second consecutive year.

Private equity remained the most active hotel buyer globally, with a notable increase in investments from high-net-worth individuals, REITs and first-time hotel investors.

According to the report, this trend is expected to continue in 2025 and beyond, with cross-border investments likely to rise as United States investors capitalize on a strong Dollar and cash-rich Middle Eastern investors look to deploy capital into Europe and select United States cities.

“Global real estate investors are increasingly gravitating to the hotels sector evidenced by near historic levels of first-time capital invested in 2024,” said JLL Hotels & Hospitality Group Global Head of Hotels Research, Zach Demuth.

“We expect this dynamic to continue throughout 2025 as hotels emerge as a preferred asset class driven by outsized yields, robust operating performance and favorable supply dynamics.”

JLL expects global hotel investment volume to accelerate in 2025, likely exceeding 2024 by 15% to 25% and this growth will be catalysed by impending loan maturities, deferred capital expenditures, private equity fund-life expirations and moderating RevPAR in some markets, with the Americas expected to see the largest growth followed by EMEA and APAC.

The luxury and select-service sectors will continue to be most favored and liquid in 2025, according to JLL, with urban cities and high barrier-to-entry markets expected to attract the most investor interest.

Foreign investment should also accelerate further as some investors look to capitalize on strengthening currencies.

Cash-rich Middle Eastern and select-United States private equity investors will likely be the most acquisitive, targeting quality assets across Europe and Asia, respectively.

In 2025, slowing new supply will spur hotel brands to continue to use their balance sheets to fuel net unit growth, a key driver of shareholder value.

Look for increased hotel brand M&A and private equity investment in third-party management companies, non-traditional lodging brands and hotels in the lifestyle sector, according to JLL Hotels & Hospitality Group President, Americas, Daniel C. Peek.

“As we consider the transaction market in 2025, we expect to see a re-emergence of two key contributors to overall volume, portfolio transactions and urban full-service hotel sales,” he said.

“We are hopeful that improved liquidity in the debt and equity markets will allow those segments to return to their traditional contributions toward overall sales activity.”

The boundaries between living, working, and playing are blurring, with lifestyle hotels emerging as the new “third place” according to the report.

This shift is driving expansion into branded residences and alternative accommodations as hotels capitalize on the growing Experience Economy.

JLL’s Hotels and Hospitality Group has completed US$83 billion in transactions over the last five years worldwide and the group’s 370-strong global team in over 20 countries also closed more than 7,350 advisory, valuation and asset management assignments.

James Wilkinson

Editor-In-Chief, Hotel Management