THE NHIF SPRING 2017 MEETING
Thursday, April 20, 2017, 4:00-7:30 p.m.
The Arctic Club Seattle – a DoubleTree by Hilton, 700 3rd Ave., Seattle, WA 98104
AGENDA:
4:00 pm – Registration and Check-in
4:00-4:50 pm – Opening Networking Reception
Refreshments and light appetizers
Reconnect with regional and national industry colleagues. Learn from each other about deal opportunities and projects in the pipeline. Whether you’re equity, debt, management, development, or ownership, make the acquaintances and connections you need to help achieve your objectives.
5:00-6:30 pm – Presentation and Panel Discussion
Short Program—Transactions and Operations Performance. Our presenters will provide current information and data on hotel transactions and performance.
Presenters:
Joseph Rael, Director of Financial Performance, STR (Nashville, TN). Joe leads the HOST P&L program, which collects and analyzes nearly 6,000 hotel income statements each year. He also works on a variety of custom analytical tools and solutions for STR and its customers. STR is the industry’s unparalleled information gatherer and provider.
Mark Lukens, Managing Director with LW Hospitality Advisors (LWHA)(Seattle, Washington). Mark has over 25 years of experience in hospitality real estate and holds the MAI designation from the Appraisal Institute. LWHA provides advisory, valuation, feasibility, investment counseling, asset management, and transactional services focused exclusively on hotels, resorts, gaming properties, and conference center assets worldwide.
Centerpiece Program: “Repositioning a Hotel for Success”.
With flattening hotel performance and an increasing bid/ask spread, finding exceptional hotel opportunities is becoming more challenging. In this environment, the ability to identify and execute repositioning opportunities is particularly valuable. A panel of highly-regarded hotel owners and experts will discuss their experiences and approaches in repositioning hotels for success.
Panelists:
Willy Geiler, EVP Development & Acquisitions, Highgate Hotels (Irving, Texas). As Highgate’s Executive Vice President for Acquisitions and Development, Willy is responsible for identifying, underwriting, negotiating and closing acquisitions, overseeing development projects, and executing asset dispositions for Highgate and its joint ventures. He has been continuously involved in the hospitality real estate business for 33 years. Before joining Highgate in 2006, Willy held leadership positions at Interstate Hotels (EVP Development), Patriot American Hospitality/Wyndham (SVP Acquisitions/Development), and G&H Interests (Owner/President). Highgate is a real estate investment and hospitality management company and is widely recognized as an industry innovator. The company has a significant present in all major U.S. gateway markets, including New York, Boston, Miami, San Francisco and Honolulu, as well as in major European markets. The company’s portfolio represents an aggregate asset value exceeding $10B and generates over $2B in cumulative revenues.
Sajan Hansji, President and Founder, J Street Hospitality (San Diego, California). As president and founder of J Street Hospitality, Sajan oversees all aspects of the company’s strategic planning, its vision development, and its acquisitions. In recent years he has led the transformation of a number of underutilized buildings into lodging destinations, including hotels under Marriott and Hilton brands, as well as independent hotel brands. Sajan was awarded Marriott’s Design of Excellence Award for the Residence Inn Gaslamp San Diego, and he is a member of Marriott’s Design & Construction Committee for the Courtyard Brand. J Street Hospitality focuses on the development of contemporary lifestyle hotels located in high barrier markets and urban cores. Its portfolio currently includes nine hotels in northern and southern California.
Paul Novak, Executive Director Lodging Acquisitions, Whitman Peterson (Key Biscayne, Florida). Paul leads the hotel acquisition efforts for Whitman Peterson. He has acquired or developed over $4 billion in hotel assets over the past 40 years through his leadership roles at several hotel companies, including: Marriott, where he participated in the creation of the Courtyard by Marriott product and oversaw development of the first 225 Courtyard assets; the Hampstead Group’s Bedrock Partners where he led acquisitions and redevelopment efforts for several large portfolio investments, including the consolidation of Harvey Hotels and United Inns into Bristol Hotels; and other national investment and operating companies such as La Quinta, Burger King Worldwide, and Wyndham. He has served as chairman of NAIOP and as president of the Travel and Tourism Research Association. Whitman Peterson is a real estate private equity company focusing on opportunistic real estate investments on behalf of institutional investors. The company forms proprietary investment partnerships with a select group of operating companies in the lodging, multifamily, and seniors housing sectors. The firm has investments across 50+ markets in the US.
Kirby Payne, President, HVS Asset Management and HVS Hotel Management – Newport (Newport, Rhode Island). Kirby is the president of the companies, having founded American Hospitality Management Company in 1988 and having merged his company into HVS in 2004 to form HVS Hotel Management and HVS Asset Management – Newport. This division of HVS provides three services to the industry and its stakeholders: managing hotels (other than luxury and upper upscale); asset management for luxury and upper-upscale properties; and a basket of consulting services, including operational and marketing consulting, brand and management searches and negotiations on a structured basis, development consulting, and litigation support. Kirby’s career includes a wide spectrum of hotel industry positions, including several years in the hotel consulting departments at Laventhol Horwath and Harris, Kerr Forster, regional supervisor for Hilton Hotels’ franchise division, area manager for a portfolio of 35 hotels, and general manager for hotels ranging in size up to 1,100 rooms. He served as chair of the American Hotel & Lodging Association in 2002.
Moderator:
Irvin Sandman, Attorney – Counselor, Sandman Savrann PLLC (Seattle, WA).
Sandman Savrann is a national law firm devoted exclusively to providing comprehensive legal counsel to the hospitality industry. Irv has counseled hotel clients in thousands of hotel matters and transactions regionally, nationally and internationally, including hotel developments, acquisitions and dispositions, financial and entity structuring, management and franchise agreements, operational matters, and dispute resolution. He is the 2008 recipient of the Anthony Marshall Award for lasting contributions to hospitality law, a past president of the Hospitality Industry Bar Association, and editor-in-chief of the Washington State Hospitality Law Manual, Third Edition (2012).
6:30-7:30 pm – Post-Presentation Networking and Cocktail Reception
Cocktails and appetizers
Pick up your discussions and connections from earlier in the evening. Meet those still on your list. Make plans for follow-up meetings or visits to northwest sites, hotels, or markets.
7:30 pm – Adjournment
REGISTRATION AND NHIF MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION:
Registration is open only to Members of NHIF and to NHIF’s invited guests. Early registration (through Thursday, March 31, 2016) is $60; later registration is $75. Early registration is recommended.
Membership is considered for executives and principals of hotel owners, investors, developers, branded and third-party management companies, franchisors, and lenders. If you feel you are qualified for membership and would like to be considered for an invitation, please email isandman@sandsav.com.
NHIF STEERING MEMBERS:
Irvin W. Sandman, SANDMAN SAVRANN PLLC ~ Mark Lukens, LWHA
NHIF PATRON SPONSORS:
NHIF BRAND SPONSORS:
NHIF SILVER SPONSORS:
NHIF MEDIA SPONSOR:
