Scott Duff, Ray Chan join CBRE Hotels

TORONTO — CBRE Limited has strengthened its CBRE Hotels business by hiring Scott Duff as vice-president, Western Canada. This appointment makes it the third new hire for the growing group in 2016 and follows quickly on the heels of the addition of Canadian hotel industry icon Michael Beckley as well as Ray Chan to the team.

Duff joins from Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide and brings over 25 years of hospitality experience to CBRE. As part of CBRE Hotels, Duff will have national responsibilities with a focus on Western Canada and work alongside Marc-Aurele Mailloux-Gagnon, vice-president of Eastern Canada.

“Scott is a hugely respected figure within Canada’s lodging industry and his arrival means our hotels group is now unrivalled in the market in terms of experience and geographic coverage. He brings a wealth of relationships within the owner community and deep insights into the unique challenges they face. This allows us to provide even more knowledgeable advice to our clients from a team that continues to lead the market in depth and experience,” commented Bill Stone, executive vice-president of CBRE Hotels.

Duff served as vice-president of development with Choice Hotels Canada between 1997 and 2005 before joining Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide as senior director development, where he was responsible for the growth of its 11 brands throughout Canada and Alaska. During his tenure at Starwood, Scott oversaw the opening of the world’s first Aloft Hotel, in Montreal, and the first Element Hotel to open outside of the United States, located in Vaughan, Ontario.

“CBRE Hotels is a market leader and their team’s ability to execute national solutions for clients truly sets them apart from competitors,” said Duff. “This is an extremely dynamic time in the Canadian hotel investment market and, as such, the value of experienced counsel is more pronounced than ever. Having worked in the owner community for the majority of my career, I’m looking forward to bringing all of my knowledge and knowhow to CBRE to provide clients with informed and actionable insights and advice.”

Ray Chan joins the hotels team from Royal LePage as sales associate and brings with him five years of brokerage experience. Chan’s focus and expertise is centered on hotels and resorts valued at under $10 million and he will work closely with Duff and Mailloux-Gagnon. Also fluent in Cantonese and Mandarin, Chan's appointment enhances the team’s relationships in China and across Asia.

“The passion for the Canadian lodging industry, extensive relationships and knowledge of markets across Canada that these individuals collectively bring to the table perfectly complements our existing brokerage team,” commented Stone. “The expertise these professionals bring is key in supporting the future growth of our platform which in 2015 executed 37 hotel transactions valued at over $1 billion and continues to lead the Canadian market in depth and scale.”