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A MESSAGE TO ALUMNI FROM THE HVS BOARD OF DIRECTORS |
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Dear Alumni, |
 I’m excited to write to you as we draw toward the end of 2009. It’s been a dizzying year for the industry. Billions of dollars in federal aid were distributed to banks and large corporations in an attempt to keep them, and by extension the U.S. economy, viable in the recession. At the same time, resorts and luxury hotels throughout North America lost out on a huge amount of conventions and commercial business as many of these corporations—shamed by the public perception of lavish retreats, junkets, and celebrations—initiated wholesale event cancellations. Tighter loan restrictions meant less hotel construction and fewer hotel sales, and the all-around drop in travel has put a heavy strain on occupancy and average rates. These were just some of the challenges we all faced as hoteliers, consultants, appraisers, and lenders, and we continue the fight to overcome them. |
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As sobering as these conditions have been, HVS was determined to
make 2009 a remarkable year. We won the bid to appraise the
largest portfolio of extended-stay hotels in the U.S. Nearly 700
properties across the country needed appraisal inspections and
reports in a window of about six weeks, and our consulting and
valuation team rallied to make this happen and surpass the
client’s expectations. Our Matrix database, a tool with which
many of you are familiar, underwent several significant updates
to allow us to produce a more efficient and more relevant report
for clients in the context of the present economy. We continue
to expand our office outreach and to strengthen our presence and
leadership at industry conferences around the globe. |
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The coming year will mark the 30th anniversary of HVS. For some
of you, the HVS experience may in fact reach back through the
decades, and everyone reading this has had a memorable part to
play in our growth as a leader in hospitality consultation
worldwide. In closing, I want to mention that Greg Hartmann, an
HVS veteran and pioneer, recently joined the alumni ranks. Greg
founded HVS Boulder, where I came under his direction more than
15 years ago, and I owe him special gratitude as a mentor,
colleague, and friend. Greg will remain active in the hotel
community and we wish him well in his newest endeavors. We wish
you the same as we move forward into the New Year. |
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Sincerely, |
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Rod Clough
Managing Director, HVS Dallas
RClough@HVS.com
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Petr Kulic
Vice President, Global Feasibility & Investment Analysis
Hilton Worldwide
Ismini and I got married in Prague on August 15. It was the
first of two weddings; we are planning a Greek Church
wedding for next June. It is great being married to a Greek;
we have spent our last two summer holidays in Greek islands.
She’s really wonderful, and by far the best thing that
ever happened to me.
In other news, I was promoted within Hilton, and now oversee
the Hilton’s feasibility team globally. My main task is to
coordinate the work between our offices in McLean (HQ),
Memphis, London, and Singapore. It is a challenging task,
but great fun. We have relocated to Virginia last month.
After two and a half years in London, it feels good to be
back. |
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Christopher Mikes
Student
University of Florida Law School
After leaving HVS in July 2004 I earned an MBA from the
University of Florida (Go Gators!), then moved to Los Angeles
and worked in the valuation division of Houlihan, Lokey, Howard
and Zukin, a middle-market investment bank.
I moved to Florida and helped Kathy and John at HVS Miami for a
short period while I finished the requirements for the CFA
designation. I also worked for a small private equity firm,
Boyne Capital, founded by two extraordinary men that taught me a
lot about business, almost as much as my mentors at HVS—Steve,
Julia, Bogdan, and Roland.
While working for Boyne I completed a degree in Tax at the
University of Miami (Go Canes!) and earned a CPA license, which
I put to use in the real estate division of Grant Thornton, a
middle-market accounting firm, auditing casino resorts in Puerto
Rico and condominium developments in California and Miami.
I‘m currently a law student at the University of Florida (Go
Gators again!) expecting to graduate in December 2010. I have
been working on the requirements for the MAI designation—I just
finished the comprehensive exam yesterday and only have the demo
report left.
I spend my personal time playing guitar, running, swimming,
learning Spanish, flying, and reading. |
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Nevius Glussi
Partner
LimeTree Capital Advisors
After working for roughly 4 years at HVS in New York and
Singapore, I joined LimeTree Capital Advisors as Partner in
August 2006. LimeTree Capital is the Hong Kong-based management
company of two private equity funds that focus in investing in
beachfront properties in emerging markets in Asia Pacific.
Countries of focus include, but are not limited to, Thailand,
Vietnam, Cambodia, Australia and Sri Lanka. In addition to
sourcing new deals, my focus is on research and public
relations. LimeTree is a fast-growing company with solid plans
for future growth. I am happily based in Hong Kong although
spend almost 50% of my time traveling and discovering Asia’s
wonderful beaches. |
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Do you recognize these former HVSers? If so, email Kelly at
kfitzpatrick@hvs.com
and give her your guess. If correct, you will be credited in
the next Alumni Newsletter! |
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 Do
you have a funny story or experience from your days at HVS?
Several anecdotes have been passed down through HVS generations
but we would love to hear first-hand some of the funny stories
people have from their days as consultants. For example: How
many speeding tickets have you acquired? Have you ever been
chased off a property? Please email Kelly at
kfitzpatrick@hvs.com
with your experiences. |
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 We
appreciate your help in keeping HVS alumni connected, and we
welcome you to share new information from your personal and
professional lives through the site. Please send your comments
and updates to alumni@hvs.com.
We value your feedback and look forward to your assistance in
connecting with HVS colleagues around the globe.
We’d love to hear from you if there are any upcoming alumni
events or gatherings in your city that you know of or are
participating in. Please send us details, and we will post them
on our website to reach our fellow HVS alumni from the world. |
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Please join us around the world this year as we
celebrate 30 years of leadership in the hospitality
industry! |
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Parris Jordan, who has had extensive consulting experience
working out of the New York office, is now managing director
of HVS’ Caribbean operations; this office specializes in
valuation and consulting work in the Caribbean, Central
America, and the United States.
Parris joined the New York office in 2003 after receiving a
Master’s degree from New York University. A native of
Trinidad, Parris has the perfect combination of consulting
experience and local knowledge of the region to fully
understand the market and nuances in the way business is
conducted locally. |
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Hotel Operations Summit
India (HOSI)
HVS India is pleased to announce Hotel Operations Summit India
(HOSI) 2009. Scheduled to be held on Dec. 18 - 19 at The
Leela Kempinski Gurgaon, this pioneering conference will be
purely dedicated to hotel operations. The first Hotel
Operations Summit India (HOSI) conference promises to
provide the much-needed platform for hoteliers to focus on
core operational matters, educating and introducing
hospitality leaders and decision makers to trendsetting
practices in hotel operations and cutting edge products and
services.
http://www.HOSIConference.com/
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6th Hotel Investment Conference South Asia (HICSA) 2010
The sixth Hotel Investment Conference South Asia (HICSA)
organized by HVS India is scheduled for April 7 - 8, 2010 and
will be hosted at Grand Hyatt Mumbai. Over the past five years
the conference has played host to 30 global CEOs, over 2,200
delegates, and has had a wide range of attendees from owners,
real estate developers, operators, bankers, architects and
consultants. This exclusive event promises to once again line up
some of the best known global faces of the hospitality industry.
The conference has been regarded by many as the best networking
opportunity in the region and a must attend for all associated
to the hotel industry.
http://www.HICSAConference.com/ |
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| Copyright
HVS 2009. All rights reserved. |
