Colliers creates dedicated head of hotels role

Colliers has created a new head of hotels for EMEA role as activity in the sector picks up. The firm has appointed Dirk Bakker to the newly created position. Bakker has more than 30 years of experience in the hotel and hospitality industry, spending the last 15 years leading Colliers’ Dutch business and the hotels group in EMEA. In his new role, Bakker will help deepen the services Colliers provides to European hotel clients, leveraging his asset class expertise and strong internal and external global networks. He takes up the position in January and will be based out of Colliers’ EMEA headquarters in London. Colliers said Bakker’s transition to the head of hotels, EMEA, role reflected its commitment to supporting rising investor appetite for the hotel sector. Hotel investment market share has seen the steepest rise across the core sectors in the region, reaching 13% this year, compared with 8% in 2023. EMEA chief executive Davoud Amel-Azizpour said Bakker’s “enterprising approach” would be of “great significance” to the EMEA business. Bakker said: “The market continues to evolve with new challenges and opportunities every day, but the future of the hotels and hospitality sector looks bright. Working collaboratively with the EMEA hotels team, I am excited to dive in full-time to support investors, developers and property owners.” Dutch industry expert Jeroen Lokerse will succeed Bakker as chief executive of Colliers Netherlands in the new year. He joins Colliers after 17 years with Cushman & Wakefield.