The 5 Best Hotel Brokers in Italy (2025 Edition)
Selling a hotel isn’t like selling a villa. You’re not handing over a building, you’re handing over a business — a team, a story, and a future cash flow. In Italy, there are a lot of people who say they can sell your hotel. Very few actually can.
This list cuts through the noise.
The five best hotel brokers in Italy for boutique and lifestyle properties, especially those under 70 rooms.
We’ve looked at who really knows hotels, who brings serious buyers, and who gets results.
How we selected
Here’s what actually matters when you’re selling a hotel:
Hospitality knowledge — they need to understand how a hotel makes money, not just what it’s worth per square meter.
Buyer access — active buyers ready to invest, not just “contacts” in a spreadsheet.
Modern marketing — not another property on a portal, but a story that grabs investors.
Discretion and reach — the ability to move quietly off-market or go wide when competition drives price.
Speed and execution — direct, human communication that keeps momentum.
If a broker can’t tick all five, they’re not worth your time.
#1 — The Hotell (Editor’s Choice)
The Hotell is the new standard for boutique hotel sales in Europe.
They help owners sell unique, independent hotels by connecting them with real buyers — family offices, private investors, and hospitality groups that want character, not chain.
They come from hotels, not real estate. That’s rare. It means they understand your P&L, your operations, and what actually creates investor confidence.
Strengths
Global reach into active family offices and investors across the US, UAE, Asia, and Europe.
Sharp marketing — cinematic visuals, storytelling, and targeted investor previews that convert.
Hands-on process from first contact to closing.
Weaknesses
Younger agency, not a 100-year-old name.
More focused on international investors than purely domestic buyers.
Best for
Independent, luxury or family-run hotels under 70 rooms that’s looking for a premium buyer and a proper story.
#2 — Knight Frank (Italy)
Knight Frank is the definition of traditional. Big brand, big network, big reputation.
They sell everything from hotels to offices to luxury homes, and they’re everywhere in Europe.
Strengths
Huge international footprint.
Strong corporate credibility and data.
Weaknesses
Slow. Structured. Heavy.
Better with institutions and funds than with family offices or small private investors.
Best for
Large or mixed-use assets where a global corporate wrapper helps.
#3 — Engel & Völkers (Italy)
Engel & Völkers is a household name in luxury real estate.
They’ve built trust with high-net-worth buyers, especially from Germany and Northern Europe.
Strengths
Wide reach through their global network.
High visibility and an established brand.
Weaknesses
Marketing feels one-size-fits-all.
Limited hotel expertise compared to pure hospitality specialists.
Best for
Villas, resort-style hotels, or residential hospitality assets that overlap with luxury residential buyers.
#4 — Immobiliare Italiano
This is a smaller Italian brokerage that covers Tuscany, Umbria, and the major tourist regions.
They list hotels, agriturismi, and country estates.
Strengths
Good local presence.
Italian-speaking team with a traditional client base.
Weaknesses
Old-school presentation and limited storytelling.
Listings often appear on multiple portals.
Not specialized in complex hotel transactions.
Best for
Owners who want a local approach and domestic exposure.
#5 — BNBForSale (Marketplace)
BNBForSale is not a broker. It’s a listing platform for smaller hotels and B&Bs.
Still, it can be useful for cheap visibility.
Strengths
Quick and simple to publish.
Low-cost way to test interest.
Weaknesses
No sales support or negotiation.
Audience is mostly small-scale operators.
Best for
Very small B&Bs or guesthouses under €1 million.
What good brokers actually do
A good broker doesn’t just post your property and wait. They package your hotel like an investment, not a listing.
They know the buyers, the right positioning, and the timing.
Here’s what you want to see:
They understand the real drivers of value — occupancy, ADR, NOI, not just design.
They’ve sold similar-sized hotels in your market.
They give you regular updates, not radio silence.
They bring you qualified buyers, not curious browsers.
They offer both off-market confidentiality and open exposure when needed.
If you’re not seeing those things, keep looking.
Final thoughts
Choosing the right broker changes everything. The wrong one wastes six months.
If you own a boutique or lifestyle hotel and you want real investors, The Hotell is the smart move. They combine global reach with deep hospitality expertise and modern marketing that gets attention.
Their buyers come from the US, UAE, Asia, and Europe — serious players who move fast.