Investment in Asia-Pacific hotels reached US$4.7 billion in the first half of 2025, with investors focusing more selectively on the region's more established hospitality markets. Notably, 84% of the total transaction volume occurred in just five key countries, according to commercial real estate firm JLL.

Japan continued to lead regional hotel investment with US$1.5 billion in transactions, followed by Greater China ( US$744 million ), Australia ( US$664 million ), Singapore ( US$546 million ), and South Korea ( US$504 million ). Collectively, the other markets across the region accounted for US$758 million, or 16% of the total hotel investment volume.

Capital deployed in the first half of 2025 represented a 23% decline compared to the same period in 2024, reflecting a more cautious investment environment amid ongoing global macroeconomic uncertainty, JLL says. Investors have gravitated to safe-haven markets, while decision-making timelines lengthened. At the same time, the bid-ask spread between seller expectations and buyer valuations has also widened, with sellers holding firm on price expectations and buyers applying greater scrutiny, leading to extended due diligence periods on both sides of transactions.

"Coming off a high base last year, the level of investment moderation is indicative of a more cautious investment market whereby a realignment of capital sources in the hotel investment landscape is occurring," says Nihat Ercan, chief executive officer for Asia-Pacific at JLL Hotels & Hospitality Group.

"In our interactions, although institutional investors remain selective, private capital is moving decisively to secure prime hospitality assets that offer both defensive income characteristics and growth potential, which should ensure an uptick in activity in this year and into next."

Positive outlook

According to JLL analysis, private equity firms have increased their capital allocations to hospitality assets, with a 6% year-on-year rise in investment volumes. This shift represents strategic positioning to capitalize on market dislocations and potentially undervalued assets in key gateway markets.

Additionally, high-net-worth individuals ( HNWIs ) from within the region have emerged as increasingly active buyers in H1 2025, seeking portfolio diversification through hotel investments, with capital invested into hotels growing by 54% from the same period last year.

The outlook for the region’s hospitality industry remains positive in the long term, driven by solid fundamentals. International tourist arrivals across Asia-Pacific increased by 12% YoY in the first quarter, driving a supportive growth in revenue per available room ( RevPAR ) across the region. This improvement has bolstered investor confidence in the sector's recovery trajectory.

Key gateway cities demonstrated varied performance. Tokyo recorded more than 80% occupancy with the average daily rate ( ADR ) above pre-pandemic levels, while Singapore maintained ADR in excess of 2019 figures but saw a stable year-to-date occupancy rate. Sydney hotels maintained strong occupancy at just below 80%, while pushing ADR higher than pre-pandemic benchmarks.

Total hotel transaction volume across the region is projected to reach US$12.8 billion for the entire 2025, up 5% from last year. This forecast anticipates accelerated investment activity in the second half of the year as the backlog of deals resulting from due diligence is expected to be settled.

Liquidity is likely to remain prevalent in the traditional markets of Japan, Australia, Greater China, Singapore, and South Korea, while markets like Vietnam and Malaysia should benefit from strong tourism momentum.

"The final six months of 2025 present compelling entry points for strategic investors looking to deploy active capital," says Ercan. "Encouragingly, we anticipate private equity funds, family offices, and regional operators with access to private capital to emerge as the most active buyers through year-end as they capitalize on assets requiring operational expertise to maximize value."