L-R Tom Gibson and Michael Simpson have both joined CBRE Hotels in senior roles.
L-R Tom Gibson and Michael Simpson have both joined CBRE Hotels in senior roles.

Commercial property firm CBRE Hotels is preparing itself for a flurry of market activity by making two major executive hires in its Australia and New Zealand division.

The company has recruited Michael Simpson, former Managing Director of Savills Hotels, to lead the CBRE Hotels – Capital Markets team. Simpson joins the organisation after more than seven years in his former position, in which he oversaw and orchestrated major hotel investment sales, joint ventures and structuring of major new hotels and mixed-use developments.

CBRE Hotels has also announced the recruitment of Tom Gibson to the role of Director. Gibson returns to the company he called home just over six years earlier, when he departed for the role of Vice President and eventually Senior Vice President with JLL Hotels and Hospitality.

CBRE’s Pacific Head of Capital Markets, Mark Coster, said the two new recruits were extremely well regarded by clients and will enhance the skills of the existing team.

“These appointments will reinforce our ability to provide a market leading service offering to our clients in the accommodation sector, where we envisage considerable future opportunities.”

Simpson said the hotel and tourism sector was facing considerable uncertainty as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, he noted that the industry had been quick to rebound from past local, regional and global geopolitical and economic events such as SARS and the Global Financial Crisis.

“While hotel investment volumes have been low in 2020 and few investment grade hotels are being publicly marketed in Australia and New Zealand, we’re anticipating an acceleration in activity as the year progresses,” he said.

“Key industry players are working hard behind the scenes to execute off market trades and various consolidation opportunities are being explored, involving larger industry players and global private equity groups.

“CBRE’s collaborative approach, global reach and cross-border connectivity will ensure that CBRE Hotels is positioned at the forefront of this new wave of transaction activity, with the ability to provide a seamless service to our domestic and offshore clients,” Simpson said.