Managing Director of the HVS Consulting & Valuation practice in Washington, D.C., Kannan Sankaran has more than 25 years of professional experience in the hospitality industry. Kannan works with clients to assist them in making strategic investment decisions throughout the entirety of a hospitality asset’s life cycle, ranging from development and acquisition through repositioning and disposition. His knowledge base and client-focused approach allow him to offer guidance and provide solutions that are derived from information and data, supported by market-based evidence and intelligence.

He offers expertise in market and economic feasibility studies, strategic asset advisory assignments, acquisition and disposition due diligence, highest and best use analyses, complex asset and business valuation assignments, RFP development and execution, impact analyses, and litigation support. Kannan’s consulting engagements cover a broad spectrum of real estate asset types, including hotels, resorts, golf courses, marinas, conference/convention centers, and private schools (K-12). He has deeply rooted experience in and knowledge of the Mid-Atlantic U.S. region; moreover, he has also conducted a significant number of assignments throughout the United States and in international markets, including the Caribbean region.

Kannan has worked with the following companies and entities:

• National and Regional Lending Institutions (Wells Fargo, HSBC Bank USA, GE Capital Real Estate, KEB Hana Bank, United Overseas Bank, Citibank N.A.)
• Real Estate Investment Trusts (Ashford Hospitality Trust, Park Hotels & Resorts, Host Hotels & Resorts)
• Major Hotel Companies (Marriott International, Hilton, Choice Hotels International, Hyatt Hotels Corporation)
• Various Municipalities & Other Public Entities (Virgin Islands Economic Development Authority, Maryland Economic Development Corporation, City of Rockville, Fairfax County Park Authority)
• Hotel Management Companies (Destination Hotels & Resorts, Crestline Hotels & Resorts, Interstate Hotels & Resorts)
• Financial Services Providers (Phillips Realty Capital)
• Law Firms and Legal Counsel (Arnold & Porter, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner, Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP)
• Domestic and Foreign Private-Sector Developers, Owners, & Investors
• United States Department of Defense Organizations (U.S. Air Force Support Squadron, Marine Corps Community Services, U.S. Army MWR, Commander Navy Installations Command, MC&FP Office)

A sample of his consulting and appraisal experience is presented below.

• Market and financial feasibility study for the Conrad Washington, D.C.
• Analyses of the tax-incentive programs for the redevelopment of the Frenchman's Reef Resort; the renovation of the Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas; and the under-construction Hampton by Hilton St. Thomas (U.S. Virgin Islands)
• Highest-and-best-use analyses for U.S. hotels owned by a prominent lodging REIT, including the consideration for conversion to for-sale and for-rent residential alternatives
• Operational review of the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay Golf Resort, Spa & Marina (Cambridge, Maryland)
• Annual appraisal of a luxury hotel portfolio, comprising assets in New York City, Miami, Boston, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C., for a privately owned, fully integrated real estate investment management company
• Buy-side due diligence for a prospective buyer of a portfolio of luxury hotels and resorts exceeding $1 billion in aggregate value
• RFP process for the selection of a developer/operator for a planned hotel to be located on the grounds of a major airport in the Mid-Atlantic region
• RFP process for the selection of an operator for a private residential club in Colorado
• Assistance to the U.S. Air Force in the evaluation of a portfolio of recreational and other service offerings at 71 main operating bases, both in the United States and abroad, in response to mandated budget and staff cuts (installation-specific recommendations were projected to save the U.S. Air Force more than $25 million over a seven-year period)

Kannan earned his BBA in Finance and an MS in Tourism, Hospitality, and Event Management from The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. He has been a guest lecturer at universities that offer hotel/hospitality programs and at related industry events, and he has been quoted in local and national publications. Kannan is a founding member of the Tourism Leadership Council for The George Washington University’s Master of Science in Tourism, Hospitality and Event Management (MS THEM) program.

Connect with Kannan on LinkedIn.