UK, Ireland & Benelux Hotels Lead

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Role Summary

The UK, Ireland & Benelux Hotels Lead is a senior leadership position responsible for driving commercial growth, client relationship excellence, and technical quality across these markets. Reporting to the Head of EMEA Hotels, the role translates EMEA strategy into local execution and serves as the definitive Hotels sector authority in the region. The role builds and manages strategic client relationships across the full institutional hotel market, including funds, REITs, insurance companies, lenders, operators, etc., while leading business development, providing senior technical oversight, and developing a high-performing team. It carries clear accountability for revenue targets, client retention, and market profile. As the most senior Hotels professional in the UK, the role also acts as a point of reference for the Hotels colleagues based in the covered countries, setting the standard for technical excellence, providing guidance and mentoring across seniority levels, and embodying the “one JLL” culture within the local market.

Key Responsibilities

• Sector Strategy & Commercial Performance
  • Execute the EMEA Hotels growth strategy within the region, translating objectives into business development plans and client engagement priorities.
  • Own accountability for the UK, Ireland & Benelux revenue target, new client acquisition, and pipeline health; take corrective action promptly where performance deviates.
  • Set and monitor annual performance targets for direct reports through structured quarterly reviews and ongoing coaching.
  • Provide monthly reporting to the Head of EMEA Hotels covering revenue, pipeline, client retention, and talent development.
  • Collaborate with the Head of EMEA Hotels on capacity planning, resource allocation, and growth investment decisions.
• Client Relationship Management & Business Development
  • Own strategic relationships for key institutional clients (funds, REITs, insurance companies, pension funds, lenders, operators, etc.), serving as senior sponsor for Tier 1 and Tier 2 accounts.
  • Act as Client Lead for flagship mandates requiring C-suite engagement and strategic advisory beyond the Director layer.
  • Develop account plans with other Directors to identify wallet share expansion, cross-selling, and multi-year mandate opportunities.
  • Lead business development targeting institutional investors, debt providers, developers, and capital markets participants active in the region; target win rates above 70% of competitive pitches entered.
  • Collaborate with JLL Capital Markets, Debt Advisory, and Hotels Transactions to coordinate cross-selling for shared clients.
  • Represent JLL at industry events, investor conferences, and sector forums; maintain a recognised personal profile as a UK Hotels valuation authority.
• Team Leadership & Talent Development
  • Lead, develop, and inspire in-country Hotels Directors and Senior Valuers, providing strategic direction, performance coaching, and career development support.
  • Foster a culture of Hotels sector expertise, commercial ambition, and client-centricity; address underperformance directly and constructively.
  • Establish succession planning for key roles; identify high-potential individuals and create development pathways aligned to business needs.
  • Act as a role model and informal leader for all Hotels professionals based in the covered region, accessible for guidance, mentoring, and technical stewardship across the broader local team, regardless of direct reporting line.
  • Ensure junior professionals receive appropriate sector exposure and structured feedback.
• Technical Oversight & Quality Governance
  • Serve as the senior technical authority for the region, providing expert judgment on complex or high-profile valuations, including large institutional portfolios, flagship hotels, development appraisals, and loan security instructions among others.
  • Ensure full compliance with RICS Red Book standards, FCA requirements where applicable, and JLL internal quality assurance protocols.
  • Review and approve valuation methodologies, key trading assumptions, and final outputs for sensitive or high-value instructions.
  • Drive standardisation of Hotels valuation methodologies in full alignment with the EMEA Hotels technical framework.
• Market Intelligence & Thought Leadership
  • Maintain authoritative knowledge of hotel transaction activity, investment volumes, trading performance, brand and operator dynamics, and capital market conditions across the region.
  • Disseminate market evidence, trading data, and sector insights to the team and, where relevant, the broader EMEA Hotels platform.
  • Contribute to EMEA Hotels thought leadership through research publications, client briefings, and sector insight papers.
  • Represent JLL on Hotels industry panels, RICS working groups, and sector forums.
• Operational Coordination
  • Partner with other EMEA Hotels Leads to share best practice, coordinate cross-border delivery, and contribute to the evolution of the EMEA Hotels operating model.

Key Competencies

• Hotels Sector Expertise: Deep, current knowledge of the UK and European Hotels investment market — trading dynamics, operator models, income methodologies, and capital flows. Able to synthesise complex data into clear, actionable client advice and anticipate market shifts ahead of the competitive curve.
• Commercial Drive & Business Development: Sustained pursuit of growth across the full institutional Hotels market. Builds long-term client relationships that generate recurring revenue and mandate loyalty; leads complex, multi-service pitches requiring cross-functional JLL collaboration.
• Technical Leadership: Authoritative guidance on complex Hotels valuations — operator-based approaches, development appraisals, portfolio loan security, and trading projections. Champions RICS compliance and drives best-practice adoption in line with EMEA technical frameworks.
• People Leadership: Inspires and develops high-performing Directors through meaningful coaching and clear expectations. Creates a team culture balancing commercial ambition with technical rigour; addresses performance issues directly while maintaining a long-term development orientation.
• Collaboration & Influence: Partners effectively across VRA, Hotels Transactions, and Capital Markets. Navigates a complex matrix organisation with diplomacy, influences through sector expertise and data-driven insight, and actively contributes to the broader EMEA Hotels platform.

What We Are Looking For

Qualifications & Experience

• MRICS qualification is essential. A substantive Hotels valuation specialism is non-negotiable.
• Minimum 8 years of commercial real estate valuation experience with a sustained track record in UK Hotels sector valuation and advisory.
• Proven experience across the full range of institutional hotel assets: full service, luxury, lifestyle, branded, extended stay, and development. Ireland and Benelux experience is valuable.
• Established network within the UK and European institutional Hotels investment community: funds, REITs, insurance companies, debt providers, hotel operators, etc.

Technical Skills

• Expert command of Hotels valuation methodologies — operator-based income approaches, trading projections, EBITDA analysis, and development appraisals.
• Strong working knowledge of loan security valuation requirements, including RICS Red Book compliance and lender-specific reporting standards.
• Advanced report writing: able to produce and sign off technically rigorous, commercially astute valuation reports for sophisticated institutional clients.

Leadership & Personal Qualities

• Proven track record of leading professional teams: setting direction, managing performance, and building a culture of expertise and commercial excellence.
• Strong commercial instinct: able to identify and convert business development opportunities and build long-term client strategies.
• Collaborative and credible in a matrixed environment across VRA, Hotels Transactions, and Capital Markets.
• Exceptional communicator: able to present complex valuation advice clearly and persuasively to institutional clients, lenders, and senior stakeholders.

Location: On-site – London, GBR

If this job description resonates with you, we encourage you to apply even if you don’t meet all of the requirements. We’re interested in getting to know you and what you bring to the table!