Investors jump back into rebounding hotel market

With the U.S. hotel sector firmly in recovery mode, the number of large hotel investment sales has continued to rise in the second quarter. More properties are coming onto the market in response to a growing amount of capital seeking hotel investment, with private-equity funds, institutional buyers and other types of buyers joining REITs in the competition for high quality lodging assets.

The already-hot pace of deals seems to have accelerated in recent weeks. According to preliminary CoStar data, approximately $4.21 billion in hospitality properties have sold or gone under contract in 132 sales since April 1 of this year. Nearly a dozen of those deals involve hotel portfolios or high-end properties that have closed at a price of $100 million or more.

"The transaction environment remains extremely competitive," said Douglas Kessler, president of Ashford Hospitality Trust Inc., which along with joint venture partner Prudential Real Estate Investors took ownership of the 28-hotel Highland Hospitality portfolio earlier this year through a consensual foreclosure for $1.277 billion.

"The depth of the buyer market is increasing and includes REITs, investment funds, insurance companies, pension plans, private equity and offshore buyers," Kessler said during the Ashford’s recent earnings conference call.

Source: CoStar.com