JLL Hotels & Hospitality Group today announced the appointment of Tao Zhou as Managing Director and Head of Greater China. Based in Shanghai, Tao assumed the newly-created role on 15 July and will draw on his extensive Greater China hospitality experience to facilitate the next phase of growth for the business in this priority market.

“Greater China represents a significant growth opportunity for hospitality industry participants, backed by supportive demographic and consumption trends. Tao’s appointment will position JLL strongly to facilitate the next phase of this market’s development,” says Mike Batchelor, CEO, Asia Pacific, JLL Hotels & Hospitality Group.

For JLL, Tao will have oversight for the Hotels & Hospitality Group’s advisory, asset management and investment sales activities across Greater China. He will also join the business’ executive committee from 15 July. In his new role, Tao will report to Xander Nijnens, Managing Director, Head of Advisory & Asset Management, Asia Pacific, JLL Hotels & Hospitality Group, and Nihat Ercan, Senior Managing Director, Head of Investment Sales, Asia Pacific, JLL Hotels & Hospitality Group.

“Following exceptional growth in the hotel market in China, the sector is maturing rapidly and investment strategies are evolving. In our interactions, owners are increasingly discerning and there is heightened focus on the performance and positioning of their hotel assets. With Tao’s appointment, our strong knowledge of the themes shaping global hospitality, combined with our deep understanding of real estate across Greater China, sets the right foundation to partner with owners,” says Nijnens.

Tao joins JLL from Huatian International Hotel Management Co., Ltd., where he served as its General Manager. He has also held the role of President at Country Garden Hotel Group and CEO of Luneng Group Hotel Management Co. Before moving back to China at the end of 2012, Tao worked for nearly six years at the hotel asset management division of Morgan Stanley Capital in Japan, and over 16 years in the areas of hotel operation and asset management in North America.

During his 30 years career globally, Tao has been overseeing and asset-managing close to 200 hotels including many international branded hotels such as Four Seasons, Ritz Carlton, JW Marriott, Westin, Marriott, Conrad, Hilton, InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Even, Hyatt, Mercure, Novotel, Ramada, Hard Rock, Club Med and ANA Hotels.

He is the founder and President of the Hotel Asset Management Association (HAMA) in China, and was previously on the HAMA board in Japan. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Shanghai International Studies University in China and an MBA from Queen’s University of Canada. Tao is a Certified Management Accountant (CMA) and a Certified Hotel Asset Manager (CHAM). Tao speaks fluently in Chinese, English, Japanese and basic German, French.

“China’s strong tourism and economic recovery has boosted investment in the hospitality sector, with more than US$1.3 billion worth of hotels and serviced apartments transactions recorded in the first half of 2021 – the highest in the region. Together with the existing hotel investment sales team, Tao will assist investors looking to tap into the largest domestic travel market in the world,” says Ercan.

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