Savills Australia and New Zealand has bolstered the capabilities and expertise in its national hotels team with the appointment of Byron McDonald who joins the agency’s Western Australian business.

In his role as Director, Hotels, Mr McDonald will lean on his extensive experience owning and operating hotels and - later - a hotel advisory business, to continue the growth of the global agency’s hotels team.

Following a 10-year career as an Infantry Officer in the Australian Army, serving in multiple deployments to both Iraq and Afghanistan, Mr McDonald transition into business and the hotels sector with the acquisition of two Quest Hotels in WA.  He still owns the largest Quest franchise in the state, Quest East Perth.

Using his experience owning and operating multiple hotels, Mr McDonald developed the hotel advisory business, Hotel Intel, which provides consultative services for hotel and hospitality real estate owners, developers and operators.

Speaking on Mr McDonald’s appointment to the team, Leon Alaban, National Director of Hotels at Savills said, “We delighted to welcome Byron to the Savills hotels team.

“Byron’s extensive knowledge of the WA hotel markets will be invaluable as we continue to grow the team nationally, as will his impressive network of hotel owners, operators and developers.

”His addition to our West Australian business will help capitalise on the strength of the WA hotel market, specifically Perth which is leading the charge for RevPAR growth, as well as ADR which is above pre-COVID occupancy levels.”

Mr McDonald is based in the Savills Perth office.