Knight Frank adds Capital Markets offering to Hospitality practice

Global property consultancy Knight Frank has launched a dedicated Capital Markets team within its Hospitality business, bringing James Wrenn on board to lead the new offering.

The Capital Markets team specialises in the acquisition and disposal of hospitality real estate assets, working with hotel owners, real estate investment trusts and funds, hotel investors, and developers. The team also specialises in structuring joint venture partnerships and bringing international hospitality assets to international buyers.  

The new wing builds on Knight Frank’s track record in hospitality transactions – the firm has been involved in 12 transactions that saw Middle East hotels exchanged hands over the past 24 months.

Leading the Capital Markets team is James Wrenn, who has more than 17 years of experience in real estate and hospitality investment across the Middle East, Africa and Europe. Prior to joining Knight Frank, he served as Executive Director and Head of Capital Markets at Colliers, where he advised on landmark hotel transactions and capital strategies. Before that, he led the hotels advisory offering of Colliers.

“I’m thrilled to join Knight Frank and help establish our new capital markets division. Investor appetite for hotels in the Middle East and Africa is stronger than ever, and Knight Frank is uniquely positioned to support clients shaping the region’s hospitality landscape, which is already making headlines globally,” said Wrenn.

With the Capital Markets offering in place, Knight Frank now offers an end-to-end advisory service across the hospitality real estate lifecycle. The Consultancy team, led by Oussama El Kadiri, advises government entities, developers and operators on strategy, feasibility and planning, while the Valuation team, overseen by Dan Pugh, provides independent valuations that underpin financing, investment and ownership decisions.

Andrew Love, Head of Commercial Transactional Services for MENA, commented: “Hospitality and leisure is one of the most dynamic sectors in the region. Bringing James on board, with his deep experience in hotel transactions, is a milestone for Knight Frank as we continue to build on our strong track record, strengthen our services for clients and establish deeper roots in this sector.”