European hotel investors take bullish stance

EUROPE – With geopolitics as a backdrop, a new CBRE report said confidence continues to build in the European hotel market, with the vast majority (90%) of investors looking to maintain or increase capital allocation in the sector.

The 2025 European Hotel Investor Intentions Survey noted that the hotel sector offers competitive yields with survey respondents citing optimistic total return prospects and relative outperformance against other asset classes as key reasons to increase their allocation to hotels.

Leading European cities for hotel investment in 2025

Spain remains the top investment destination for the second consecutive year, supported by long-term market fundamentals and sustained tourism demand. Italy surpassed the U.K. to take second place. The growing interest in Italy’s hospitality sector is widespread, buoyed by the countries diverse hospitality offering and a new cohort of international-class hotels emerging. The U.K. and Portugal took joint third place, while France and Greece retain fourth and fifth place.

At the city level, London remains the leading investment choice. Madrid further solidified its status as the second most attractive city for hotel investment, with Rome rounding off the top three cities, up from fourth last year. Lisbon and Barcelona complete the top five.

“The ongoing supply and demand imbalance across Europe continues to be a key driver for the sector,” said Kenneth Hatton, CBRE’s Head of European Hotels. “We’re seeing strong bids from prospective buyers looking to acquire the best assets, reflected in last year’s hotel investment volumes which were up 34% from 2023, the largest year-on-year increase for any sector in the region.”

Hatton said investors continue to target urban product with 65% of respondents considering CBD and gateway cities the most appealing location, affirming their status as long-term demand hubs that are supported by resilient business and leisure travel. Secondary cities have gained traction and, according to CBRE’s research, 12% of respondents said they are the most attractive investment opportunities, driven by growing confidence in emerging tourism markets that are supported by improved infrastructure and shifting travel patterns.

When asked which strategy was preferred for deploying capital, two-thirds of investors said they favor value-add strategies. This reflects a marked increase from 51% in last year’s survey, suggesting that expectations of finding opportunistic returns in distressed situations have diminished, while at the same time there still being a belief that the European industry can benefit from re-positioning and operational improvements to drive total returns.