Investing in hotel rooms is now seen as a safe option by many people, according to a report from advisors Colliers International.
The market in London in particular has now reached an average price of £500,000 per room, even higher than the average cost of about £417,000 to buy an apartment in the capital.
Over the last two years, a sample of 2,500 hotel rooms analysed by Colliers had sold for a combined total of £1.5 billion.
The average two or three-star hotel bedroom costs £263,000; four-star rooms cost £540,000; and a five-star room in the capital costs £738,000 on average.
Colin Hall, head of London hotels agency at Colliers International, said: "It is now virtually impossible to buy a freehold Central London hotel operation for under £200,000 per bedroom, irrespective of condition, trade or location.
"Two years ago a similar hotel would have sold for £150,000 per room, which shows how quickly the market is moving."
For hoteliers in the capital, or anywhere else nationwide, the economical option might be to buy in at the lower end of the market, and add value through upgrades to hotel furniture and the general standard of rooms.
Like the domestic property market, this approach could be the way to yield positive returns on investment beyond those that occur naturally due to price inflation in the sector.
And it's worth giving special attention to the public areas of a hotel, where people might see your rooms before they have made a booking - from your reception or lobby area, through to your restaurant and bar furniture.
Remember, any investment made in these areas will be enjoyed by all of your guests and anyone accompanying them into the bar too, making it worthwhile to give a slightly higher portion of your budget than you give to your bedroom furniture.
By creating an elegant and high-class area for guests when they first walk into your building, you can raise the public profile of your hotel, win more business, increase room occupancy rates and raise your room prices too.
Together, these steps can all help you to maximise your positive return on investment, both from the money coming in from paying guests, and by raising the capital value of your property too.