Hong Kong’s hotel investment market reels from coronavirus, protests, with prices tumbling and landlords suing

Only one hotel property has changed hands successfully, albeit at a steep discount, so far this year compared with seven in the first eight months of 2019

‘Why should they buy? They cannot collect rent and would lose money every day,’ says Francis Li of Cushman & Wakefield

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ITC Properties Group sold the 94-room Le Petit Rosedale Hotel in Causeway Bay for HK$460 million, about a third below the original asking price. Photo: Facebook

Published: 8:30am, 9 Sep 2020Updated: 8:41am, 9 Sep 2020

Hong Kong’s hotel investment market is reeling from the impact of Covid-19 on tourism, with only one transaction taking place this year and landlords suing hotels for millions in rent arrears.

Only one hotel property has changed hands successfully, albeit at a steep discount, so far this year compared with seven in the first eight months of 2019. Last year’s total investment volume came to HK$9.9 billion (US$1.28 billion) via 10 transactions, according to Colliers International.

The city’s tourism industry has been devastated by international travel restrictions, particularly those preventing mainland Chinese visitors from crossing the border. It had already been struggling badly last year when anti-government street protests deterred visitors.

“Coupled with the social unrest, travellers cannot come. Hotels have no business. Occupancy rates are now just at 10 to 20 per cent, with not even enough [revenue] to pay workers,” said Francis Li, international director and head of capital markets in Greater China for Cushman & Wakefield. “Even the big hotels incur losses. I think it is not an isolated phenomenon, but the general market [is like this].”

It is hard for hotel property owners to find buyers at the moment, though if the price is discounted a lot some may be tempted to bet on a potential recovery if the pandemic is resolved within about a year, Li added.

“Why should they buy? They cannot collect rent and would lose money every day,” he said. “Buying now is taking a risk. [There is no possibility of getting] a reasonable return immediately after buying.”

ITC Properties Group in late August sold the 94-room Le Petit Rosedale Hotel in Causeway Bay for HK$460 million to Wang Dingben, a non-executive director of the Hong Kong-listed China New Economy Fund, according to ITC’s filing to the stock exchange. The hotel and its holding company incurred a loss of HK$49.24 million for the year ended March 2020.

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