Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Hispanic Hotel Owners Association Announces Phoenix Hotel Investment Seminar


WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Hispanic Hotel Owners Association (HHOA), a rapidly growing non-profit organization that seeks to increase Latino ownership of hotels, will hold part one of a three-session series of International Hotel Investment Seminars May 28-29 at the Wyndham Phoenix (above photo) in Arizona.

The HHOA-developed seminars were created to inform high-net worth Hispanic investors about available hotel ownership opportunities.

“This first part of our on-going series continues to draw attendance in numbers that surpass our expectations,” said Angela Gonzalez-Rowe, (top right photo) founder and president of the Hispanic Hotel Owners Association.

“While the Hispanic community often provides the backbone for a hotel’s behind-the-scenes operations, there has been a dearth of ownership opportunities. As more and more Latinos move into higher income brackets, that is rapidly changing. Our goal is to provide this financially capable group with information about the benefits of hotel ownership and investment.”

“With some experts suggesting that we are on the brink of a recession, it is becoming increasingly important for savvy investors to become knowledgeable about their investment options in all economic climates,” said Omar Rodriguez, (photo at right) chairman of the Hispanic Hotel Owners Association. “The hospitality markets continue to provide strong investment opportunities, and we wish to communicate this to the Latino community.”

The Phoenix Hotel Investment Seminar will focus on the basics of hotel investment, beginning with an overview of the hotel industry. Topics range from hotel segments and brands to investment strategies; from market, product and site selection to financing the deal.

An overview of the industry will be given by John Keeling, Sr.,(photo at bottom right) vice president of PKF Consulting, specialists in the hospitality industry.

Other speakers include Bill Hall of Wyndham Worldwide, Patrick Feltes (middle right photo) of GE Capital Solutions, Carlos Rodriguez (bottom left photo) of Driftwood Hospitality, Harry Garewal, (middle left photo above Carlos Rodriguez) president & CEO of the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and Juan Carlos Contalba (top left photo) of Benchmark Hospitality.

Corporate sponsors include Hilton Hotels Corporation, Marriott International, Wyndham Worldwide Corporation, La Quinta, Accor North America, Choice Hotels International, Hotel & Motel Management Magazine and American Airlines.

HHOA will continue the seminar series in Los Angeles on July 1 and 2. The organization will hold its inaugural Hispanic Hotel Investment Conference in October 2008 in Miami, Fla.

Headquartered in Washington, D.C., HHOA is a non-profit organization whose mission is to increase the number of Hispanic-owned, -developed and -operated hotels, further the participation of Hispanic-owned suppliers serving the hotel industry and increase executive level employment opportunities for Hispanics within the lodging industry.

The industry’s leading brands, including Hilton Hotels Corporation, Marriott International, Choice Hotels International, Wyndham Worldwide Corporation and Global Hyatt Corporation have joined the organization and have become major corporate sponsors.

HHOA membership is open to hotel owners, developers, investors, financiers, real estate executives, investment bankers, professional advisors, analysts, franchisors, management company executives, industry product and service providers, hotel general managers, hotel sales and marketing managers, government agencies for tourism and development, hospitality schools, hospitality students or anyone seeking to do business within the Hispanic market.

Additional information about HHOA is available at the association’s Web site, http://www.hhoa.org/. To learn more about the Hotel Investment Series, contact Angela Gonzalez-Rowe at 202-587-5707, or http://www.hhoa.org/.

CONTACTS:

Jerry Daly, Chris Daly, Daly Gray Public Relations, (703) 435-6293, jerry@dalygray.com

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