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MATT
KENT
An 11-year veteran of HVS Hotel Management, Matthew Kent has left the HVS
family after accepting the position of Managing Director of Peter Island Resort
& Spa (http://www.peterisland.com/)
in the British Virgin Islands.
The good news is that Peter Island, with whom we have worked with for over two
years, will continue to be one of HVS Hotel Management’s valued Asset Management
clients.
Matt joined HVS Hotel Management back when it was American Hospitality
Management Company as General Manager of a hotel in Boynton Beach, Florida,
where he also had regional responsibilities over hotels in Daytona Beach. He was
instrumental in developing and opening a hotel in Sebastian, Florida, shortly
after joining the company. Within a few years, Matt was promoted to Senior Vice
President Operations with responsibility for overseeing the company’s entire
portfolio.
Matt helped HVS Hotel Management develop an excellent team approach to working
with first class and luxury hotels, resorts and lifestyle/boutique hotels. In
addition to Peter Island Resort & Spa, HVS’ current Asset Management clients
include the Sagamore Hotel, Fisher Island Resort & Spa, Carolina Inn, and a
Courtyard by Marriott adjacent to the U. S. Capitol.
We’d like to wish Matt the very best and want him to know that he will be sorely
missed by all. Matt will be succeeded by Terry Bickhardt, formerly Co-President
of Waterford Hotel Group.
For more information on HVS Hotel Management please contact Kirby Payne at
KPayne@HVSHotelManagement.com.
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ALISON
TAN
Alison Tan serves as an Associate at Cushman & Wakefield
Sonnenblick Goldman, specializing in financing and investment
sales for hospitality assets. Since 2007 she has advised on over
USD $2 billion of transactions representing a variety of
institutional and opportunistic investors as well as
ownership/management companies.
Prior to joining Cushman & Wakefield Sonnenblick Goldman, Alison
worked as a Senior Associate for HVS New York. Her experience
includes feasibility analysis, market studies, acquisition due
diligence, and the valuation of hotel, resort, and mixed-use
developments for a variety of institutional, corporate banking
and individual clients. Alison has also held various management
positions with Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts at the Four
Seasons Hotel New York.
Alison holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the Cornell
University School of Hotel Administration and is a member of the
national chapter of the Cornell Hotel Society.
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DAMIEN
GREENWOOD
Damien Greenwood came to HVS Boston as a Senior
Associate in March of 2006. During his tenure with us
he was engaged in many notable assignments. Highlights
of his career with HVS included being the point person
on a 28-asset portfolio acquisition by Rockwood Capital
from Ocean Properties, the appr>aisal of a proposed hotel
at the Gillette Stadium (home of the New England Patriots),
and the due diligence for a proposed water park hotel
in Upstate New York. In May of 2007, Damien left HVS to
pursue his MBA at Cornell University's Johnson School
of Management. He was a recipient of the Park Fellowship,
which is a merit-based, two-year full tuition scholarship
and stipend. Selection of this fellowship is based on
leadership, professional achievements, public service,
and academics. Damien is scheduled to receive his MBA
in 2009.
Damien is currently working on a start-up real estate
investment fund with several of his peers at the Johnson
School. The target fund size is $2 to $3 million. The
goal is to teach real estate focused MBA students how
to analyze real estate investments in both the public
and private markets, with a long term vision of creating
a real estate investment fund that allows students to
invest in public real estate companies and place direct
investments.
We expect great things from Damien and will update you
in the future as to his progress! |
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DEREK
OLSEN
Derek Olsen, an alum of the HVS Miami office, is
presently a Director with Capital Hotel Management, Beverly,
MA. Prior to this he was working as a Director with O'Connell
Hospitality Group in Boston and performed portfolio analyses,
provided transaction services for major financial institutions,
implemented disposition plans of national real estate
companies for non-strategic assets, evaluated alternative
land uses and sourced financing for hotel and resort acquisitions
and development projects.
With HVS, Derek completed consulting assignments involving
projects with a market capitalization in excess of USD
$3 billion. Derek is also an alum of Cornell University,
School of Management (Class of 1992) and Massachusetts
Institute of Technology (Class of 2000). He co-authored
'The Impact of E-Commerce on Commercial Real Estate'. |
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ELIF
BALI
Vice President, Hotel Acquisitions & Development
Loews Hotels
In her role at Loews Hotels, Ms. Bali is responsible for
growing the company through acquisitions, management contracts
and new developments. Most recently these have included
the development of the Loews Atlanta Hotel slated to open
in 2010, the acquisition of the Loews Lake Las Vegas Resort
in Henderson, NV (formerly a Hyatt Regency) and the addition
of The Madison, A Loews Hotel in Washington DC to Loews
Hotels' managed portfolio. Prior to joining Loews Hotels
in 2003, she was a Vice President at Sonnenblick-Goldman
Company, a real estate investment banking firm where she
participated in the marketing, structuring and closing
of over USD $2 billion dollars in hotel capital transactions.
Earlier in her career, Ms. Bali focused on appraisal and
valuation work at the private hospitality consulting firm
HVS International, as well as hotel operations with Hyatt
Hotels. Ms. Bali is a graduate of the School of Hotel
Administration at Cornell University. She has recently
completed her third year of teaching a graduate level
Hotel Market Analysis class at NYU's School of Continuing
and Professional Studies. Professional affiliations include
New York Commercial Real Estate Women (NYCREW Network),
where she served on the Board for five years, as well
as Women's Hospitality Investment Network (WHIN), where
she is a member of the leadership committee. Ms. Bali
lives in Brooklyn, NY with her husband Fred Holland. |
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GEORGE
COMITOS
George Comitos an alumnus of the HVS San Francisco office, is presently a senior analyst (commercial real estate appraiser) at Integra - San Francisco, San Francisco, CA. George is a California State Certified, Commercial Real Estate Appraiser. Prior to his current position, George was employed at Washington Mutual Bank, Specialty Finance Group, and Hulberg & Associates, Inc. (a San Francisco Bay Area commercial appraisal firm). George received the Appraisal Institute’s MAI designation in 2009, and appraises a variety of commercial real estate property types, including: retail; office; industrial; and of course, lodging and hospitality properties.
Thanks to Susan Mellen, and Stephen Rushmore, both fellow MAIs, for the chance to enter this profession and to follow in their footsteps!
While at HVS, George completed numerous appraisal, and appraisal consulting assignments and wrote several articles involving hospitality and lodging properties located within nine-county San Francisco Bay Area. George is also an alum of Cornell University (SHA Class of 1999 - the last graduating class of the 20th Century).
George A. Comitos
CA OREA #AG029752
Integra - San Francisco
East Bay Office
200 Pringle Avenue, Ste. 325
Walnut Creek, CA 94596
(925) 938-2600, ext. 102
(925) 930-6880 FAX
gcomitos@irr.com
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KIMBERLY MOFFITT
HEHIR
Kimberly Moffitt Hehir has served as Vice President
of strategic planning for The Leading Hotels of the World
Ltd. since 2003. She is responsible for managing the company's
11 joint ventures and ancillary businesses, and acts as
a liaison between each department within the organization
to ensure that all goals are consistent with the company's
strategic plan. Kimberly is also responsible for sourcing
and evaluating new business opportunities and implementing
those which yield a substantial return on investment,
deliver value to the shareholders, enhance member benefits,
and will achieve the company's overall goal of becoming
an all-inclusive provider of goods and services to the
luxury marketplace. Prior to joining The Leading Hotels
of the World, Ltd., Kimberly was a Senior Investment Analyst
at Shaffer & Company, which owned and asset managed
over USD $1 billion of luxury hotel properties.
Kimberly was a senior investment analyst at Shaffer &
Company, which owned and asset managed over USD $1 billion
of luxury hotel properties, many of which are members
of The Leading Hotels of the World. Prior to that, she
was the global director of marketing and corporate communications
for Sonnenblick-Goldman Company, an international real
estate investment-banking firm averaging USD $10 billion
in annual transactions. Before joining Sonnenblick-Goldman,
Kimberly was the director of strategic marketing for HVS
International.
Recently named as one of Travel Agent Magazine's "Most
Powerful Women in Travel," Kimberly has authored numerous
articles; lectured at various universities, including
Cornell University, Pennsylvania State University, Sacred
Heart University and NYU where she was an adjunct professor;
spoken at a number of conferences, including the World
Congress for Tourism, the NYU Investment Conference, the
Lodging Conference, the AH&MA Annual Conference, European
Leisure Real Estate Symposium and the Relais & Châteaux
Annual Conference; and organized large industry events
including the Asia's Hotel Investment Conference and the
United Nations Conference for Tourism.
A graduate of Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration,
Kimberly is a member of the President's Council of Cornell
Women, has served as the Cornell Hotel Society's New York
City Chapter President since 2003, and is a member of
the Board of Directors for HMS World Supply, LLC, a technology
company that provides electronic commerce solutions to
global companies.
Look out for more updates on Kimberly in this space! |
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LINDA
YANG
Linda serves as a director of The Ackman-Ziff Real
Estate Group, specializing in financing and investment
sales for hospitality assets. Previously with Sonnenblick
Goldman, Linda completed USD $2 billion in hotel transactions,
representing a variety of institutional and opportunistic
investors, in addition to owner/operators. While at HVS
International, Linda consulted and appraised in excess
of USD $2 billion in hospitality real estate.
Her experience included feasibility analysis, market studies,
acquisition due diligence, and the valuation of hotel,
motel, resort, and mixed-use developments for a variety
of institutional, corporate banking and individual clients.
Linda has also held various management positions with
Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts at the Four Seasons Hotel
in Philadelphia. Linda is a graduate of Cornell's School
of Hotel Administration and is a board member of the Cornell
Hotel Society's New York City Chapter. |
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LUCIENNE
ANHAR
After graduating with a BSci from the Lausanne Business
School of Hospitality Management, Lucienne Anhar
worked for HVS in New York, where she was in charge of
appraising over 60 hotels and worked on hospitality consulting
projects and feasibility studies. After almost three years
in HVS, she rejoined her family business in Bali and Java,
Tugu Hotels Group (www.tuguhotels.com).
She developed and operates four luxury art hotels and
two private villas in Bali and Java, as well as four independent
fine dining restaurants in Jakarta.
For her, Tugu, the group of hotels and restaurants, is
very special - They are small but quite well known now
for their unique hospitality and artful design. It's really
something she is very proud of. |
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MARK
OWENS
Mark Owens serves as a Managing Director of Ackman-Ziff
and is responsible for the origination and placement of
hospitality related transactions, including debt, equity,
joint venture equity and transaction sales. Mark was formerly
a Vice President at Sonnenblick Goldman and closed USD
$3 billion in transactions representing a variety of institutional
and opportunistic investors as well as ownership/management
companies.
Mark also worked at HVS New York office, where he consulted
on more than USD $2 billion in hospitality real estate,
including expert testimony, valuations, feasibility analysis,
operational consulting and strategic marketing initiatives.
Mark Owens is a graduate of Cornell's School of Hotel
Administration, is an active participant in the Cornell
Hotel Society's New York Chapter, and has been a frequent
guest lecturer at New York University. |
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PHILIPP
VON BODMAN
Philipp von Bodman joined the head office of Grand
City Hotels & Resorts in December 2008. In his role as
Corporate Analyst, he analyses the performance of individual
properties within the hotel portfolio on a monthly basis
and reports back the results directly to the owners. Furthermore,
he also evaluates and assists in the acquisitions process
of new properties. The company has shown rapid growth
in the last 3 years, starting with 15 properties in 2006
and has now grown to owning and operating 60 hotels under
its own brand and under various international franchise
brands.
Prior to joining Grand City Hotels & Resorts, Philipp
was Asset Manager at Mountain Capital Ltd., a private
equity investor based in London with a hotel portfolio
of 20 properties within the European market. He also worked
at Hotel IQ as a mystery shopper and assessed the quality
of more than 120 hotels within the 4&5-star markets in
over 120 countries. At HVS London Philipp performed a
number of valuations and feasibility studies in Europe
and Africa. He describes his time with HVS as this "stepping
stone to the hospitality industry".
Philipp graduated from IMHI-Paris in 2004 with an MBA
in International Hotel Administration and joined the exchange
program with Cornell University's MMH program for one
semester in 2003.
Philipp says, "I have fond memories of my work experience
with the HVS team in London, which offered me the opportunity
to work with and learn from a vast group of young professionals
from all over the world." |
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PEGGY
YIP
Peggy Yip joined the Hong Kong office of Horwath
HTL in June 2006. Since that time, Peggy has conducted
a number of feasibility and market studies as well as
renovation and repositioning studies throughout Mainland
China and North Asia. Peggy has also been involved with
management selection process for prominent developers
in Asia. Prior to joining Horwath HTL's consulting team,
Peggy worked at the global headquarters of Hotel Valuation
Services (HVS) in New York, United States and has worked
on nearly 100 projects ranging from valuations to market
studies throughout North America. These projects encompass
all industry segments including 5 star city hotels, resort
properties, mid-scale regional hotels, budget hotels,
and mixed-use developments. Peggy has also authored several
hotel related articles in international lodging trade
journals. Peggy has a Bachelors and Masters of Science
in Hospitality, Tourism and Travel from New York University,
New York, United States of America. |
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SEAN
A. HEHIR
Based in New York, Mr. Hehir is Managing Director of Trinity
Investments, LLC, a global real estate investment firm
with offices in New York, Honolulu, Mexico City and Tokyo.
He is responsible for overseeing the firm's investment
activities including sourcing and executing investment
opportunities, formulating investment strategy, structuring
acquisitions and dispositions, and asset management.
Mr. Hehir has more than 12 years of comprehensive experience
in North American and international real estate investments,
primarily hospitality related. While at Trinity Investments,
LLC and its predecessor company, Trinity Investment Trust
L.L.C. Mr. Hehir has executed over of USD $3 billion of
hotel/resort and commercial real estate investments.
Prior to joining Trinity, in 1998, Mr. Hehir worked for
HVS International as a Senior Associate performing in-depth
market studies, financial analyses, income and expense
projections, valuations and feasibility studies, competitive
market and property positioning studies, and operational
reviews for hotels ranging from limited service to full
service corporate and resort properties.
Mr. Hehir, an Irish citizen, was raised predominantly
in Botswana and also lived in South Africa, Australia
and Switzerland. He holds a Diploma in Hotel Administration
from the Hotel Institute Montreux, Switzerland and is
a graduate of Cornell University with a Bachelor of Science
degree in Hotel Administration. |
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WENDY
L. PONG
Wendy is the Senior Manager of Brand Standards
& Compliance for Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, based
at the White Plains, New York global headquarters of Starwood
Hotels & Resorts Worldwide. She manages the Sheraton
global assurance program for over 400 Sheratons worldwide.
Prior to this role, she served as a Manager in the Joint
Ventures & Dispositions team within Starwood's Real
Estate Group.
Prior to working at Starwood, Wendy spent a number of
years working in both hotel operations and hotel consulting,
both domestically and internationally. The hotels in which
she has worked include: The Mayfair Regent in New York
City, The Regent Hong Kong, Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten in
Hamburg, Germany, and La Samanna in St. Martin, French
West Indies. Wendy also spent several years working as
a Senior Associate for HVS International in Mineola, New
York, providing hospitality consulting and appraisal services.
Wendy is a Valedictorian of Brooklyn Technical High School.
She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Cornell University's
School of Hotel Administration, where she graduated with
Distinction and was named a Cornell National Scholar and
a Cornell Tradition Fellow. Wendy also holds a Master
of Science degree from New York University's Real Estate
School.
Born in Hong Kong, Wendy immigrated to the U.S. at the
age of 10 and spent her teenage years growing up in Staten
Island, New York. Wendy currently resides in Fort Lee,
New Jersey with her daughter Allison and her son Ryan.
Wendy has served as a Board Member of the New York City
Chapter of Cornell Hotel Society and has been involved
with the Cornell Alumni Ambassador Network. Wendy is fluent
in Cantonese and is proficient in German. Her passions
in life include food and travel. |
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ALUMNI PROFILES |
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ALUMNI NEWS |
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Hooked,
Booked and Soon to be Cooked
HVS New York alumni Gustav C. Bjoern and fiancé Alexandra, a doctor
in general medicine working in Copenhagen, have known each other since
play school. Romance finally bloomed over New Year’s Eve champers
in 2006 when he returned from Boston for Christmas with the family.
Gustav and Alexandra have spent much of their courtship in two different
cities but all that is set to change after their wedding in May 2010
when Alexandra will move to Wiesbaden where Gustav is currently VP
Property Finance with Aareal Bank.
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New York Nuptials
HVS New York alumni Susanne Frey and Sunil Hariani tied the knot on
July 11, 2009. They are now back in New York after a honeymoon filled
with bicycle rides in Maine. The happy couple is looking forward to
Honeymoon Part Deux in Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam over the forthcoming
Christmas holidays.
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EVENTS |
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| April 7 - 8 - Hotel Investment Conference - South Asia (HICSA) 2010,
Mumbai, India - The sixth HICSA 2010 is scheduled for April 7th and 8th, 2010. Over the past five years the conference has played host to 30 global CEO's, 2,200 plus delegates, and has had a wide range of attendees from owners, real estate developers, operators, bankers, architects and consultants. More...
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| May 12 - 14 – China Hotel Investment Conference (CHIC) 2010, Shanghai, China - Meet the key players. Tap into the latest industry trends and economic insights. More...
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If any of our alumni will be organizing reunions around the globe... Or if there are any conferences or special occasions when HVS’ers and alums will be participating...
We want to hear from you. Please click here to share your event and we’ll be happy to post it for you. |
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