Despite investors’ continued interest in the local hotel investment market, transaction activity in Singapore as well as Hong Kong will be sluggish in 2016, according to a report by JLL Hotels & Hospitality Group. “Investors will continue to look at these established financial centres. However, lack of available assets in Hong Kong—which saw its highest number of transactions ever in 2015—will make it competitive. Similarly the tightly-held hotel stock in Singapore will mean any opportunities will be highly sought-after,” stated the report. Meanwhile, the scarcity of prospects will have investors flocking to pockets of liquidity across SEA and the Indian Ocean. Interesting investment opportunities will probably pop up in markets such as Thailand, the Maldives, and Mauritius. Moreover, hotel REITs in Asia will also be on the rise if tax structures change to offer similar benefits to those seen in the US.... Continue Reading