A new firm bridging hospitality and real estate
Eric De Neef, an international hospitality professional and executive active in commercial real estate, has announced the co-founding of Estera Group alongside Filip Goorden.
Based in Belgium, the new firm is positioning itself in the hotel real estate advisory and investment market, with ambitions extending beyond its domestic market.
Its positioning reflects a conviction expressed by Eric De Neef: the success of a hotel investment depends not only on the quality of the asset or its commercial concept, but also on the alignment between strategy, operating model, financial performance and the owner’s long-term interests.
Estera Group therefore aims to bring together the real estate and operational dimensions of hospitality, which are often addressed separately during investment and development processes.
Estera Group Strategic Advisory: Five areas of expertise
The first division, Estera Group Strategic Advisory, will provide advisory services to hotel owners, investors and developers.
Its offering is structured around five areas:
- Strategy and feasibility studies: Analysis of hotel positioning and development prospects.
- Financial and investment advisory: Support for capital allocation and investment decisions.
- Asset management and value creation: Optimisation of asset performance and valuation.
- Owner representation: Supporting owners in their relationships with stakeholders and hotel operators.
- Real estate, development and transactions: Advisory services covering property development projects and market transactions.
This structure reflects the founders’ intention to offer an integrated approach, from the initial assessment of a project through to ongoing asset performance monitoring.
Owner representation is a particularly sensitive area in a sector where the interests of property investors and hotel operators are not always fully aligned.
Estera Group Capital: A second division dedicated to investment
Alongside its advisory activities, the group has announced the establishment of Estera Group Capital.
This entity will focus on hotel real estate investment opportunities and the development of long-term strategic partnerships.
At this stage, the founders’ announcement does not specify the financial resources available, participating investors, priority geographical markets or targeted asset categories.
Nor does it disclose an initial acquisition or an existing investment portfolio.
Nevertheless, the existence of two distinct activities – advisory and investment – gives Estera Group a potentially broader positioning, combining support for property owners with participation in real estate projects.
How these two activities are organised, particularly in terms of advisory independence and the prevention of conflicts of interest, will be an important aspect to monitor as the firm develops.
Two complementary professional backgrounds
The founders emphasise the complementary nature of their experience.
Eric De Neef brings an international background in hospitality, management and strategic advisory, together with experience in commercial real estate.
He is also continuing his activities and professional commitments at Anker18, a firm active in commercial real estate.
Filip Goorden, according to the announcement, brings hospitality experience and real estate expertise that complement those of his business partner.
The two executives intend to prioritise an independent approach, grounded in financial analysis, knowledge of hotel operations and the ability to bring together owners, investors and operators.
Estera Group describes its approach as pragmatic, focused on sustainable value creation rather than simply completing transactions.
LTH Analysis | Owner-operator alignment at the heart of the strategy
The creation of Estera Group comes at a time when the performance of hotel investments increasingly depends on the relationship between real estate, financing and operations.
Its stated positioning goes beyond traditional transactional advisory to incorporate strategy, asset management and owner representation.
This approach addresses a central challenge: aligning the property investment objectives of owners with the operational requirements of hotel operators.
Combining an advisory division with an investment arm could also enable Estera Group to participate at different stages of an asset’s lifecycle.
However, the credibility of this new platform will depend on its ability to demonstrate independence, secure mandates and translate its expertise into measurable value creation for property owners.
At a Glance
Company: Estera Group.
Headquarters: Belgium.
Co-founders: Eric De Neef and Filip Goorden.
Sector: Hospitality real estate advisory and investment.
Advisory division: Estera Group Strategic Advisory.
Investment division: Estera Group Capital.
Core services: Strategy and feasibility, financial and investment advisory, asset management, owner representation, real estate development and transactions.
Target clients: Hotel owners, investors and developers.
Geographic approach: Belgium-based, with an international outlook.
Related activity: Eric De Neef continues his professional commitments at Anker18.
Investment portfolio and capital commitments: Not disclosed.
LTH perspective: A new advisory and investment platform focused on aligning hotel operating performance with long-term property ownership objectives.
