NATIONAL REPORT—The Litt Group and KM Development Works join forces, a college-owned hotel secures its management team, and there are more management moves in the industry:
A Strategic Alliance
The Litt Group and KM Development Works have formed a strategic alliance to provide a pool of talent and experienced project management services to the hospitality industry. LittKM Group is the collaboration of these two companies.
The combined experience of The Litt Group, a hotel capital project administration and consulting firm, and KM Development Works, a hospitality project management firm, allows them to bring their clients a unique perspective as they have held the role of owner, asset manager and operator of profitable assets throughout their careers. The LittKM Group recently completed the renovation of the Courtyard Secaucus Meadowlands located in Secaucus, NJ for Secaucus Hotel Partners LLC.
The comprehensive 21-year refresh included painting the property exterior, installing Marriott Courtyard’s new channel signage, up-lighting, interior and landscape design.
“The team at KM Development Works cultivates relationships with individuals in our industry and is strategy-driven with a keen understanding of operations and how to help owners determine which items adds true value to an asset,” said Jay Litt, principal, The Litt Group. “Our strategic alliance will allow us to enhance our offerings to clients and help them improve their ROI.”
“Putting yourself in the owner’s seat is the most important part of our job in helping clients navigate the PIP process. Jay Litt has spent his career being an owner and operating hotels which gives him a unique understanding of what a hotel needs for a renovation to be successful,” said Lea Ann Kish, principal, KM Development Works. “The Courtyard renovation was a collaboration that allowed us to bring the best of both companies together to ensure our client navigated the PIP process and enhanced the value of their asset.”
New Hotel Secures Management
Charlestowne Hotels has been selected by Colby College to manage a new fullservice hotel and restaurant in the heart of the re-emerging downtown of Waterville, ME. The hotel is a key component of a multi-faceted effort to transform Main St. and surrounding downtown into a recognized destination for cultural, academic, and outdoor pursuits and a more vibrant home for locals and their businesses. The hotel is Charlestowne’s first project in the state of Maine.
Accommodations will feature approximately 50 luxe rooms and suites that offer views of either Main St. or the Kennebec River. A fullservice restaurant will occupy the building’s ground floor and will open to the pocket park on the northern end of the site, creating a lively public venue on Main Street that will help enliven the Silver Street corridor. Other amenities include a fitness center and dedicated parking lot.
Throughout construction, Charlestowne will focus its efforts on providing programming and design counsel to ensure operational functionality, brand alignment, and cohesion with other revitalization efforts. Colby anticipates opening the hotel in 2020.
Phoenix American Hospitality Adds to Growing Portfolio
Phoenix American Hospitality has acquired an interest in a new hotel, the Residence Inn by Marriott Cape Canaveral in Cocoa Beach, FL, and took over management of the property on March 28. With the addition of this hotel, Phoenix American Hospitality now owns 17 hotels nationwide. All 17 hotels are managed by PAH Management.
In addition, PAH Management will begin a $4.5 million property-wide renovation. The renovation will include the revitalization of all guestrooms, public areas, lobby, exterior areas updates and a new expanded fitness facility. The property updates are slated to begin this fall and will be completed early 2020.
PM Hotel Group Bolsters Leadership Roster
PM Hotel Group’s executive team is expanding with the promotions of Seon Heo and Fran Owen as VP of sales & marketing and Chris Macary to the role of VP of hotel operations.
“The strong portfolio growth we experienced in 2018, opening three new properties and taking over management of three existing hotels, has continued into Q1 of 2019. These promotions reflect the demonstrated strength of our management team and our well-deserved reputation for creating a culture that develops and promotes professional growth,” said PM Hotel Group President Joseph Bojanowski. “Seon and Fran have both displayed extraordinary value in their regional sales and marketing roles and will now assume additional portfolio-wide strategic responsibilities. Over the past five years Chris has illustrated operational excellence. We are thrilled to see each of them transition into these newly created positions. Seon, Fran, and Chris tangibly contributed to the record RevPAR growth PM Hotel Group experienced in 2018.”
Together with delivering on the robust 2019-2020 pipeline of projects, ensuring operational excellence continues to be a priority for PM Hotel Group. In Q2 the management company will welcome to its portfolio, the new Home2 Suites by Hilton Silver Spring, the first LEED Platinum hotel in the state of Maryland.
