Hotel Industry Veteran Carmen Almos Launches Ashburton Hospitality Advisors

  

 Carmen Almos

ATLANTA, GA —Industry veteran Carmen Almos has launched Ashburton Hospitality, a full-service consultancy firm focused on asset management. 

 

 The firm began initial operations in 2023 and already has amassed a portfolio that includes nine hotels across brands such as Hilton, Marriott and IHG.

 

            “As a female- and minority-founded business whose leadership brings ownership and operational experience to the table, Ashburton brings its own, unique perspective to asset management,” Almos said. 

 

“In just 90 days of oversight, our hotels have improved gross operating revenue by 7.3 percent, reduced labor costs by 5.7 percent (through reduced overtime and increased housekeeping efficiencies) and raised hotel RevPAR index (RPI) by 3.2 percent, demonstrating our ability to attain strong results. 

 

"We look forward to improving these numbers as we further implement our proprietary strategies and sharing similar results with new clients.”

                        “It is important to me to help create acquisition opportunities that pave a pathway to women and minorities within the sector,” Almos added. 

“Though women make up more than half the workforce, they account for a much smaller percentage of ownership.  I am delighted to see those numbers improving annually and look forward to helping them grow even further.”

            In addition to Ashburton’s advisory services, the firm is actively pursuing acquisition opportunities to grow the portfolio.  With headquarters in Atlanta, Ga., the firm provides services throughout the country with a particular focus on select- and limited-service hotels along the Eastern Seaboard.

Prior to founding Ashburton, Almos was senior vice president of strategic operations for Mission Hill Hospitality. 

Dubai travel by camel

Previously, she served as senior vice president of acquisitions and asset management for Investra Capital, Inc., a Dubai-based private equity firm.

 

Her early career began as an asset and feasibility manager overseeing Africa and the Indian Ocean for South Africa-based IFA Hotels & Resorts listed on the Kuwait stock exchange.

                                                                                                               

Contact:

 

  Chris Daly, media

  chris@dalygray.com

  (703) 864-5553.

 

JLL Capital Markets arranges sale of the 543,378-square-foot, Target-anchored open-air retail portfolio located in the Toledo, OH MSA

  

Keely Polczynski

PHILADELPHIA, PA – JLL Capital Markets has closed the sale of the Monroe Street Portfolio, a 543,378-square-foot collection of three, adjacent, open-air shopping centers located in Toledo, Ohio. The price was not disclosed.

 

 Jim Galbally

JLL represented the seller

 and procured the buyer, Triple BAR Group. The deal was managed by J.C. BAR Properties, along with Triple Crown Corporation.

The 94%-occupied portfolio includes Franklin Place, Monroe Street Marketplace and a Fresh Thyme Market-anchored center.

 

The properties feature an excellent credit profile and stable, predictable revenue stream with high-performing credit and anchor tenancy that includes Target, Golf Galaxy, Gabe’s, Bob’s Discount Furniture, Marshalls, HomeGoods, PetSmart, Five Below, Fresh Thyme and more.

 

The portfolio is one of the dominant, center-of-gravity open-air shopping centers in the extended trade radius along the Monroe Street Corridor (+22,000 VPD), ranking as the 3rd most visited property within a 30-mile radius with over 5.0 million visits over the last 12 months.

Michael Nieder

The property has enjoyed excellent leasing momentum since 2020 with over 45,200 square feet of new leases signed and 83,000 square feet of renewals executed.

 

The JLL Retail Capital Markets team that represented the seller was led by Senior Managing Director Jim Galbally, Senior Director Michael Nieder, Managing Director Keely Polczynski and Director Patrick Higgins.

 

“Investor interest for the portfolio was robust during the marketing process despite challenging macroeconomic conditions, underlining the strength of fundamentals and the durability of cash flows in the retail asset class,” said Higgins.

 

Patrick Higgins.

 

“The Monroe Street portfolio enjoys excellent positioning within the market and an excellent national credit and tenant lineup, which makes it a destination for high-performing retailers and consumers alike,” added Nieder.

 

“We continue to see robust investor demand for large format retail centers due to the high yield premium compared to other asset classes, as well as the excellent fundamentals in the retail asset class,” said Galbally.

 

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Contact:

 

Jenna Sharp

JLL, Public Relations, Capital Markets

Dallas, Texas

M +1 214 394 3356

Jenna.Sharp@jll.com

Hospitality Ventures Management Group (HVMG) Names Mike Woodward Executive Vice President and Chief Growth Officer

  

Mike “Woody” Woodward 

ATLANTA, GA — Hospitality Ventures Management Group (HVMG), an Atlanta-based, privately-owned third-party hotel operator and investor, announced that Mike “Woody” Woodward has been named executive vice president and chief growth officer.

 

  In his new role as a member of HVMG’s executive team, Woodward will lead the organization’s growth and investment team and be responsible for strategies that lead to both third-party management agreements and property acquisitions.  In addition, he will have a strong focus on owner and investor relationships.

“From the restaurant industry to hotels, Woody has been a rising star and thus far has had a phenomenal hospitality career, implementing highly successful sales and growth strategies across multiple brands and companies,” said Robert Cole, CEO, HVMG. 

 

Robert Cole

 “With an extensive track record of success sourcing new opportunities, building teams and both cultivating new and maximizing existing relationships, his ingenuity and tenacity have led to almost unprecedented growth with the two hospitality companies he had been with over the past 18 years. 

"Woody's expertise, enthusiasm, authenticity and competitive nature are just a few of his key attributes that we thought would be ideal and a great fit as we ambitiously pursue our growth objectives in the coming years, and I am thrilled to welcome Woody to our team.”

Prior to joining HVMG, Woodward was senior vice president of franchise development for Focus Brands, a developer of global food service brands such as Schlotzsky's, Carvel, Cinnabon, Moe's Southwest Grill, McAlister's Deli and Auntie Anne's.   

Previously, Woodward was senior vice president of franchise development for Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, where he was promoted several times during his 16-year tenure and ultimately responsible for the growth of 20 hotel brands. 

  During his 20-year career, he has received multiple RVP of the Year, All-Star and President's Club awards.  Woodward earned his Bachelor of Arts in economics from the University of Connecticut while playing all four years for the Men’s basketball team.

                                                                                                               

Contact:

           

Chris Daly

Daly Gray, Inc.

703-435-6293

chris@dalygray.com

 

Hold-Thyssen Closes Last Lease at Southwest Orlando’s Phillips Place in Orlando, FL, Boosting Occupancy to 100 Percent

ORLANDO, FL --- Darby Hold, Senior Director at Hold-Thyssen, Inc., a full-service real estate services firm headquartered in Winter Park, leased the last available space at the end of 2023 to an established sales and management firm at Phillips Place, 7575 Dr. Phillips 

-- Darby Hold

Blvd.

Bob Hold

The multi-year lease to Gustin Group, LLC brings the 56,000 square foot Phillips Place to 100 percent occupancy.

 Hold-Thyssen, the leasing and management representative at the upscale office/retail campus in southwest Orlando, completed Q4 leases there for a total of 5,772 square feet of space, bringing Hold’s total leased space for 2023 in the Orlando market to 31,519 square feet valued at more than $3,500,000.00.

Phillips Place, 7575 Dr. Phillips Boulevard,
southwest Orlando, FL

Besides Gustin Group, tenants completing recent lease agreements include First Mover Finance;  Patten Law; Real Asset Investors; A&P International and American Concept & Design. 

 

Hold negotiated all of the transactions representing the Cincinnati, Ohio-based Landlord, Financial Way Realty, Inc.  

 

Hold-Thyssen provides commercial property brokerage and leasing and management services to institutional and private investor clients nationwide.  The 40-year old firm’s current portfolio includes more than 100 commercial properties throughout the United States.

                                                                                                               

Contacts:

           

Anthony Fisher

 Vice President

 Hold-Thyssen Real Estate Services,

 407-691-0505 

afisher@HoldThyssen.com 

 

Robert P. Hold

Principal

Hold-Thyssen, Inc.

 407-691-0505

 bhold@HoldThyssen.com

 

Beth Payan

 Larry Vershel Communications Inc.

407-461-3781 

beth@larryvershel.com.

 

JLL Capital Markets arranges $45 million refinancing of the 267-unit / 403-bed Vue53, a luxury student housing community at University of Chicago in Chicago, IL

Tara Hagerty

CHICAGO, IL, Jan. 23, 2024 – JLL Capital Markets announced today that it has arranged the $45 million refinancing for Vue53, a 267-unit / 403-bed student housing community located at the University of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois.

 

Brian Walsh 

JLL worked on behalf of the borrower, a venture between Blue Vista and Bain Capital Real Estate, to secure the refinance loan through a fund managed by Argentic Investment Management LLC (“Argentic”).

Dan Kearns

The JLL Capital Markets Debt Advisory team was led by Senior Directors Brian Walsh and Dan Kearns, Associate Tara Hagerty, and Analyst Dave Hunter.

 

Brandon Honey, SVP Capital Markets at Blue Vista, said, “We appreciate the high-quality debt options JLL sourced for Vue53, and we’re very happy to be working with Argentic.”

 Dave Hunter

Vue53 is located less than a 10-minute walk to the prestigious University of Chicago campus in Hyde Park. 

It offers high-quality studio, one- and two-bedroom units with floor-to-ceiling windows, granite countertops, private bathrooms, in-unit washers and dryers and stainless-steel appliances.

 

Renters also have access to a wide array of community amenities, including a bike storage facility, a business center, study lounges, a fitness center, a clubroom with pool tables, and sun decks. 

A 24-hour doorman, on-site parking, package storage and handling, and campus shuttle pickup offer complete convenience and quick accessibility. The property also includes 27,367 square feet of ground-floor retail anchored by a Target with a Starbucks.

 

Brandon Honey

JLL Capital Markets is a full-service global provider of capital solutions for real estate investors and occupiers. 

The firm's in-depth local market and global investor knowledge delivers the best-in-class solutions for clients — whether investment sales and advisory, debt advisory, equity advisory or a recapitalization. 

The firm has more than 3,000 capital markets specialists worldwide with offices in nearly 50 countries.

 

For more news, videos and research resources on JLL, please visit our newsroom.

CONTACT:

 Jenna Sharp

JLL, Public Relations

Dallas, Texas

M +1 214 394 3356

Jenna.Sharp@jll.com