ATLANTA—Ryan McRae, who most recently served as area VP of lodging development with Marriott International, has joined Hotel Equities as SVP of business development. Based in Vancouver, he will focus on continuing to grow Hotel Equities’ Canadian portfolio of full-service, select-service and extended-stay hotels.
Prior to joining Marriott in 2014, McRae was VP, acquisitions and development for SilverBirch Hotels & Resorts, where he was responsible for hotel development and acquisition activities across Canada. He also served as chairman of the company’s investment committee. Prior to his role with SilverBirch, McRae was a development director with Hilton Worldwide, where he focused on corporate growth both in Canadian and global markets.
“Ryan’s impressive background in hotel development and his experience with both Marriott and Hilton hotels make him the ideal candidate to lead our growth strategy in Canada,” said Joe Reardon, CDO, Hotel Equities. “I have had the pleasure of working with Ryan for several years as we’ve brought new development projects to completion, and I’ve witnessed firsthand his capacity for building relationships with a desire to generate strong returns for our owners.”
The firm’s portfolio of 166 hotels includes 26 in Canada, positioning Hotel Equities as the largest non-owner, third-party hotel management group in Canada. HE’s Canadian regional office located in Edmonton, Alberta, supports its portfolio of hotels in the market and includes all disciplines, operations, sales and marketing, revenue management, accounting and human resources.
“After working with the Hotel Equities team for many years as a member of Marriott, when the opportunity became available to join them it seemed like the natural transition,” said McRae. “I’ve always been impressed with their team’s mission and values; they’re very much aligned with the Marriott culture. I look forward to adding value and working alongside the great team at Hotel Equities.”