Nine deals make the HICAP 2026 shortlists
HICAP named the finalists for its 2026 Deal of the Year awards on 5 October 2026. The organiser listed nine finalists across three categories and published the Sustainable Hotel Awards winners two days later.
The 36th edition of the Hotel Investment Conference Asia Pacific runs 20-22 October 2026 at the Fairmont Singapore and Swissotel The Stamford.
Development of the Year finalists
The Reggie Shiu Development of the Year finalists are 1 Hotel Tokyo, Capella Kyoto and Mama Shelter Singapore.
1 Hotel Tokyo is the brand’s first property in Japan. Travel Weekly reported the opening on 6 March 2026 and counted 211 rooms. It placed the hotel high inside the Akasaka Trust Tower.
Capella Kyoto holds 89 rooms in the Miyagawa-cho district. Travel Weekly covered the project on 11 November 2025. The hotel carries six suites, each with a private onsen. Kengo Kuma and Associates and Brewin Design Office designed it.
Mama Shelter Singapore is the French brand’s first hotel in Asia. It sits on Killiney Road.
The category recognises a single development, newly built, redeveloped or repositioned. Nominees must sit in Asia Pacific and must have opened between 1 September 2025 and 31 August 2026. A committee of industry peers votes a shortlist of three. Delegates then vote the winner immediately before HICAP.
Single Asset Transaction finalists
The Single Asset Transaction of the Year finalists are the Novotel Surfers Paradise and Paradise Centre in Australia, Park Avenue Changi Hotel in Singapore and the Waldorf Astoria Jakarta in Indonesia.
Taiwanese billionaire Lin Chen-hai bought the Paradise Centre and the Novotel Surfers Paradise through Forest Endeavour. Realcommercial.com.au reported the sale on 6 May 2026 and put the price at A$346.5 million. JLL and McVay Real Estate handled the sale of the 2.3-hectare site. The Novotel Surfers Paradise holds 408 rooms and is the Gold Coast’s largest hotel.
Coliwoo agreed to buy a hotel strata lot at 2 Changi Business Park Avenue 1. The Business Times reported the S$101 million deal on 30 January 2026. A Coliwoo subsidiary signed a put and call option with an ESR-REIT sub-trust. Completion was targeted for 31 March 2026. The lot holds more than 250 rooms and ground-floor retail. The property traded as Park Avenue Changi Hotel and its master lease had expired in September 2025.
JLL brokered the Waldorf Astoria Jakarta investment. TTR Weekly carried the JLL statement on 26 March 2026. JLL advised PT Putragaya Wahana on investment from an affiliate of Abu Dhabi Fund for Development. The hotel is set to open in 2027 as the capstone of the Autograph Tower within Thamrin Nine.
This category recognises hotels or resorts where more than a 50 per cent ownership stake changed hands. The transaction must have closed in Asia Pacific between 1 September 2025 and 31 August 2026.
Merger and acquisition finalists
The Merger & Acquisition of the Year finalists are Ace Group International, Cross Hotels & Resorts and Fusion Hotel Group.
Seibu Prince Hotels Worldwide announced the Ace Group International acquisition on 16 September 2025. The company put the price at about USD $90 million and expected to close by the end of that month. Ace Group owns Ace Hotel and the creative agency Atelier Ace. Seibu Prince already runs 86 hotels, 31 golf courses and 10 ski resorts.
Sono International agreed to acquire Cross Hotels & Resorts from Flight Centre Travel Group. TTG Asia reported the agreement on 5 November 2025. Cross runs 28 hotels across Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam and Japan and keeps its headquarters in Bangkok.
Suchad Chiaranussati acquired Fusion Hotel Group. He founded and chairs SC Capital Partners. Fusion was founded in 2008 and runs 18 properties with about 3,000 keys across Vietnam and Thailand. It carries a pipeline of more than 2,000 keys.
The category recognises the acquisition of a controlling stake in a portfolio of hotels, a company or a brand ownership entity. The deal must sit in Asia Pacific or be undertaken by an Asian-based company between 1 September 2025 and 31 August 2026.
Committees, sponsor and the award name
The submission deadline was Monday, 31 August 2026. HICAP has closed the nomination period.
Committee chairs are Robert Hecker of Horwath HTL for the development award, Hok Yean Chee of HVS for the single asset transaction award and Andrew MacGeoch of Bird & Bird for the merger and acquisition award.
The award carries the name of Reggie Shiu, formerly of Accor Asia Pacific. HICAP states that Mr Shiu and most of his family perished in the Asian Tsunami of 2005.
The announcement prints the award title as Reggie Shiu and the awards page does the same. The committee thank-you heading reads Reggie Shui in both places.
Preferred Travel Group sponsored the 2026 Deal of the Year and Sustainable Hotel Awards. Preferred Travel Group covers Preferred Hotels & Resorts and Beyond Green.