Chinese surge on global hotels sales. - Chinese investors are becoming major players in the hotels sector, whether leisure or business travel. According to JLL Hotels & Hospitality Group, one of the world's biggest players in hotel investment, advisory and asset management services, Chinese investors are expected to increase their percentage share in global hotel investments from 1.5% to 7.5% this year. JLL Hotels forecasts Chinese spending of $5.11 billion, compared with $922.3 million last year, out of total global investment of $67.7 billion, up 15%. These figures do not take into account the purchase of control of Club Med by Fosun that is currently taking place, or the proposal sale by Hilton of the luxury Waldorf Astoria hotel in New York to insurance company Anbang for $1.95 billion. According to JLL Hotels, this development is unlikely to be transitory, the Chinese authorities having eased the rules on capital inflows and outflows. The Chinese are looking, indeed, at all types of assets, not just luxury hotels as Middle East investors do, and they have lots of money, JJL Hotels note. In 2015, the eighth consecutive year of growth in global hotel investment market, US-based private equity funds and Middle East investors are expected to remain among the “top exporters of outbound capital”. The continent of America and the Europe-Middle East-Africa zone will remain the preferred destinations for investors, with transactions expected to achieve $34.5 billion and $24.7 billion respectively. (Isabelle Lamberty)