CLAS is the largest lodging trust in Asia Pacific with an asset value of S$8.5 billion as at 31 March 2024. Its international portfolio comprises 102 properties with more than 18,000 units in 45 cities across 16 countries in Asia Pacific, Europe and the United States of America as at 31 March 2024.
CLAS maintains its competitive edge through active management of their portfolio by investing in high quality lodging assets in prime locations. The team also works closely at recycling capital from non-core assets or assets that may be operating near end cycle to put them into more effective investments in high quality assets.
Among the insightful sharing by Ms. Serena Teo, CEO of CLAS, there was one statement that resonated with me, “We can’t control the macros and forex fluctuations, but what we can control is where we operate in.” A seemingly simple thought, yet the mindset is powerful. I find that it works the same for investing too. This applies to investing as well: many investors become overly focused on predicting macroeconomic and political factors like recessions, presidential election even though these factors are often beyond our control. Instead, what we can control—and what drives success over the long term—is our portfolio composition: what we buy, and the price we pay.