Director of Acquisitions & Leasing - Hotels, Restaurants & Hospitality Real Estate
Location: Flexible (Bangkok preferred), Global
Workplace Type: Hybrid
About the Role
We are seeking a highly experienced and entrepreneurial Director of Acquisitions & Leasing to spearhead the strategic sourcing, rigorous underwriting, skillful negotiation, and successful execution of acquisitions, dispositions, and leasing initiatives for a rapidly expanding international hospitality platform. This executive-level position will be instrumental in driving the growth of our hotel and restaurant brands across key markets in Asia and South America. The ideal candidate will possess a profound understanding of hospitality real estate, a robust network of industry contacts, exceptional transaction execution capabilities, and a proactive, entrepreneurial spirit. This role offers a unique opportunity to significantly influence the company's strategic direction and portfolio expansion.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead the sourcing and identification of hotel acquisition, management, joint venture, and development opportunities, including distressed assets and conversions.
- Orchestrate and execute strategic divestitures and asset sales for existing hotel properties.
- Secure prime restaurant leasing opportunities in high-traffic commercial locations across target markets.
- Cultivate and manage strong relationships with a diverse range of stakeholders, including landlords, owners, brokers, operators, and capital market participants.
- Support and drive expansion efforts across Thailand, Southeast Asia, South & Central America, and select European markets.
- Conduct comprehensive market intelligence, competitive analysis, and detailed feasibility assessments for potential investments.
- Develop sophisticated financial models and investment analyses, including ROI, IRR, CapEx, cash flow forecasting, and exit valuation scenarios.
- Oversee and coordinate all aspects of due diligence, encompassing legal, technical, environmental, operational, and financial reviews.
- Manage the end-to-end process for hotel divestitures, from broker selection and buyer outreach to negotiation and closing.
- Negotiate critical lease terms for restaurant locations, including rent structures, tenant improvement allowances, exclusivity provisions, and renewal rights.
- Build and nurture strategic partnerships with developers, shopping mall groups, mixed-use project owners, and various types of landlords.
- Lead complex negotiations for a variety of agreements, including LOIs, purchase and sale agreements, management agreements, joint venture agreements, and lease agreements.
- Ensure efficient transaction execution by coordinating effectively with internal and external stakeholders.
Required Skills & Qualifications
- Minimum of 10 years of progressive experience in hospitality real estate, encompassing acquisitions, asset management, development, leasing, investment, or corporate development.
- Demonstrated success and a proven track record in hotel acquisitions and dispositions, hospitality deal sourcing, restaurant leasing, and complex real estate negotiations.
- Extensive experience and a deep understanding of the Thai and Southeast Asian real estate markets are mandatory.
- International transaction experience in Latin America and/or Europe is highly preferred.
- An established and robust network of hotel owners, family offices, real estate funds, developers, hospitality operators, landlords, brokers, investment banks, debt providers, and franchise companies is strongly preferred.
- Exceptional financial modeling and investment underwriting skills, with a strong ability to analyze complex deal structures.
- Advanced negotiation capabilities with a history of achieving favorable terms.
- A profound understanding of hospitality real estate economics and market dynamics.
- Proven ability to source proprietary and off-market investment opportunities.
- Excellent commercial judgment and a demonstrated capacity for creative deal structuring.
- Outstanding communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage effectively with diverse stakeholders.
- An entrepreneurial mindset, characterized by self-drive, initiative, and a strong execution orientation.
- Bachelor's degree in Real Estate, Finance, Hospitality, Business, Economics, or a related field. An MBA or a specialization in hospitality real estate is preferred.
- Fluency in English is required. Fluency in Thai is strongly preferred. Proficiency in Spanish is considered an advantage.
Additional Information
This role offers a highly competitive compensation package, including a substantial base salary, performance bonuses directly tied to completed transactions, a dedicated acquisition/disposition incentive structure, restaurant leasing incentives, and potential for long-term growth participation for exceptional candidates who significantly contribute to the company's success. Join a dynamic and entrepreneurial hospitality platform with active operations across multiple international markets and an ambitious expansion strategy in hotels, restaurants, mixed-use hospitality, and experiential real estate. You will play a direct role in shaping the future growth and portfolio strategy of the company through acquisitions, divestitures, and strategic leasing initiatives.