Gabriel Matar
Company: Sentinel Hospitality
Position: Managing Partner
Bio
Gabriel is a trilingual Asset Manager and Hotel Advisor with extensive experience advising private and public stakeholders. He accumulated 25 years of Real Estate, Hospitality and Tourism Development experience with a unique track record in strategic advisory, mergers and acquisitions, and hospitality asset management.
Gabriel established Sentinel Hospitality in 2014 after an international career at JLL, KPMG, Arthur Andersen and the UNWTO where he managed dedicated hospitality and real estate teams undertaking numerous valuations, financial feasibility studies, lease and management contract negotiations, resort master planning and mixed used developments.
Gabriel is a trusted advisor for hotel owning companies, banks, developers, and investors on their hospitality industry related interests, throughout the EMEA region, the Caribbean and South Asia. In addition to his strategic advisory expertise Gabriel has led major capital market transactions covering sell-side and buy side due diligence assignments.
Prior to engaging in his consulting career Gabriel worked as Tourism Master planner for the UN World Tourism Organization and the Lebanese Government. He is an ESSEC associate professor and a frequent writer, and speaker on the international hotel industry.
Mission Statement
As the Managing Partner at Sentinel Hospitality, my mission is to support hotel owners and investors through innovative value enhancement strategies. The team and I specialize in delivering cutting-edge solutions and high added value advisory services fostering robust EBITDA growth in the hospitality industry.
Our accomplishments at Sentinel include doubling EBITDA levels for existing hotels, achieving price premium through hands on exit strategy implementation, and creating and implementing new hotel real estate performance indicator such as RevPAM²© (Revenue per available square meter) GOPPAM²© (GOP per available square meter), as part of our proprietary Asset Management tool kit.
I leverage my fluency in English, French, and Arabic to promote inter-regional investments, contributing to the success of our clients' portfolios.
Geographic Areas
France, Middle East, Africa.
Expertise
Asset Manager, Owner Representative, Strategic Hotel Advisor, Tourism Strategist.
Professional Memberships
Fellow of the RICS.
RICS Registered Real Estate Valuer.
Certified Hotel Valuer.
Member of the Institut Francais de l'Expertise Immobiliere (IFEI)
Speaking Engagements
Lecturer in hotel Real Estate and Asset Management at ESSEC France.
Articles and Publications
Parisian Palace Hotels - Outlook into 2025.
French Hotel Industry - Operating Ratios
From Thalassotherapy to Well-being therapy: a disruptive market evolution for hotels
Pilotage de la Performance Globale par la Méthode OVAR (Objectifs, Variables d’Action, Responsables) : le cas d’un Boutique Hôtel 5 étoiles Parisien.
Hotel Investments in Dubai - Return on investment analysis for Hotel Projects.
Urban Tourism Development Strategies
Representative List of Clients
Group LVMH
LOV Hotel Group - Les Airelles
Royal Commission for Tourism Saudi Arabia
VINCI GRANDS PROJETS
Groupe RICHARD
CDG MAROC
INOVALIS
High Net Worth Individuals owners of hotels
Education
ESSEC Business School / Executive Master in Financial Performance and Management Control
Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers / Master's in Real Estate
Aix-Marseille University / Post Graduate studies in International Development - Tourism Development Economics
Past Experience
Jones Lang LaSalle Nov 2006 – Dec 2013
Regional Head Middle East and Africa based in Dubai. Recruited and Managed a team of 10 consultants (Strategic advisors and brokers). Performed intensively in 10 markets in the Middle East and Africa. Acquired in-depth knowledge of Middle Eastern investors. Country Director for France. Grew team from 6 to 12 consultants (Strategic advisors and brokers). Tripled advisory and valuation revenue and succeeded in positioning the JLL French Hotel Team as market leader in Advisory and Hotel Brokerage. Consistently ranked as part of JLL Top EVPs worldwide.
KPMG France Nov 2002 – Oct 2006
Manager French Hospitality Consulting Practice. Conducted financial feasibility studies and real estate valuations for a range of hospitality sectors including hotel accommodation, serviced apartments, convention centers, Casinos
Arthur Andersen Middle East and Africa 1999 – 2002
Executed financial valuations, development studies and buy side mandates for hotels and mixed-use developments in the Middle East and North Africa.
UNWTO 1996 – 1998
Member of a team of 15 international experts – Developed the Tourism Master Plan for Lebanon.
Resident Advisor at Tourism Ministry