Hospitality consultancy HVS aims to grow in Latin America

HVS, a research and consulting firm for the hotel and hospitality industry, has unveiled plans to grow its Latin American operation. Company veteran Richard Katzman and Mexican nationals Raul Duarte and Maxim Gomez have been tasked with leading the expansion drive. 

Established in 1980, HVS has more than 300 professionals across some 50 offices globally. In Latin America, the hospitality consultancy has in recent years supported engagements with hotel and real estate lenders, owners, operators, and developers in several countries, including in Brazil, Colombia, Chile and Mexico. 

The growth plan for the South America region will be orchestrated by HVS’s only office in the continent, in Mexico City. The local office launched in 2007 and has since established itself as a renowned player for hospitality consulting services in Mexico and across Central America.

In Mexico, HVS for instance has conducted market and feasibility studies and appraisals for hotel assets in urban areas and resort destinations throughout the country, completed due diligence work for deals and IPOs, and advised hotel chains and investors on development strategies. The company also supports its clients with master planning for commercial projects, and consulting services for investment in high-end residential properties, as well as income-producing real estate.

At the helm of the growth ambition stands Richard Katzman, a Managing Director and Senior Partner at HVS. He has been with the consulting firm since 2007, when he joined to establish HVS’s Mexico City office. Previously, he was active in real estate advisory in Mexico and Latin America since 1992. During this period, he formed Grupo Inmobiliario Inova, a real estate advisory boutique that merged in 2001 with Insignia/ESG. Following the merger of Insignia/ESG and CB Richard Ellis in 2003, he reestablished an independent real estate advisory, which eventually partnered with HVS to form the fundament of the local Mexican office. 

Katzman is supported by Maxim Gomez and Raul Duarte. Gomez has been part of the HVS team for four years, currently in the role of Senior Project Manager. A graduate of Institut Supérieur de Gestion in Paris, he brings international experience in the media and for-sale real estate sectors. Duarte has been active in the hospitality industry for over a decade, and previously served CB Richard Ellis. 

Other team members of HVS in Mexico include Alonso Buitron, Liliana Aguilar, Lorea Arnoldi and Patricia Badiuk. 

Last month Horwath HTL, another international consulting firm geared at the tourism and hospitality industry, opened an operation in Greece.