JLL Appoints Nihat Ercan as APAC Hotels Group CEO

JLL has named longtime executive Nihat Ercan as CEO of the consultancy’s Asia Pacific hotels and hospitality group, succeeding Mike Batchelor.

The appointment took immediate effect last Friday, upon which Ercan assumed responsibility for overseeing the hotel platform’s investment sales, advisory, asset management services and client management in 14 regional markets, JLL said in a release.

Batchelor, who held the position of Asia Pacific CEO from June 2020, has moved into the role of chairman of the hotels and hospitality group in Asia Pacific.

“The depth, reach and expertise of JLL’s hotels and hospitality platform is unmatched globally in the Asia Pacific region,” said Stuart Crow, CEO of Asia Pacific capital markets for JLL. “Leveraging on our excellent international footprint, it will be further bolstered under the leadership of Nihat, arguably the region’s most well-connected real estate professional in the hotel and hospitality space.”

Broadened Role

Ercan’s new title is an expansion of his current role as senior managing director and head of investment sales for Asia Pacific at the hotel platform. In his career he has been instrumental in the sale of $10 billion in hotel transactions, including the Jumeirah Dhevanafushi in the Maldives, Grand Park Orchard Singapore and the InterContinental Hong Kong.

A 2002 graduate of the University of Surrey, Ercan joined JLL in the company’s London offices and in 2007 relocated to Singapore, where he continues to be based.

Batchelor joined JLL in 1994 as a part of the opening team for the Queensland hotels business. He rose to become head of investment sales for Australasia hotels in 2006 and served as managing director for Asia investment sales from 2007 to 2018.

“Our ability to serve a broader range of clients and provide the most diverse range of solutions has never been stronger and this achievement would not have been possible without the stewardship of Mike,” Crow said.

Great Expectations

Hotels were Asia Pacific’s best-performing asset class in 2022 as the post-COVID resumption of business travel and tourism pushed investment up 7 percent to $10.1 billion, JLL said in its latest Asia Pacific Capital Tracker report.

The property consultancy expects hotel investment volume in the region to surpass 2022 levels and reach $11.5 billion this year, with Japan as the top target market.

“Asia Pacific’s hotels and hospitality sector will continue to develop rapidly in the coming years supported by extremely favourable macroeconomic factors, enhanced connectivity, and the rise of a more diverse range of business and leisure travellers,” Ercan said. “As the region’s largest hospitality investment advisor with our more than 110 experts across Asia Pacific, I’m extremely proud of what we have achieved for our clients and I’m truly honoured to lead the next phase of JLL’s storied relationship with this beautiful industry in Asia Pacific.”