Hotel Development Consultants Archives

The Ritz-Carlton Aspen Hotel – Owner Representation

Owner representation during construction completion and for ongoing hotel asset management. Evaluated feasibility of in-house spa facilities for the hotel. Part of Aspen Mountain P.U.D. The destination resort has since been re-flagged as the St. Regis Aspen.

Our resort project consulting responsibilities included oversight of the hotel management company (Ritz-Carlton), including capital improvement programs. On behalf of the family office of Newfield Enterprises International (NEI), itself owned the Ibrahim brothers: HES’ Abdulaziz, Khaled, and Waleed bin Ibrahim Al Ibrahim.

Aspen, Colorado ranks as one of the world’s top resort destinations, known both for its skiing and Winter sports, as well as its considerable year-around cultural and intellectual pursuits. The Aspen Institute is known worldwide for its schedule of events.

From its mining town origins, the central business district of Aspen is now an upscale shopping district that includes high-end restaurants, salons, and luxury retail stores. Aspen (Pitkin County) was founded as a mining camp during the Colorado Silver Boom and named for the abundance of aspen trees in the area. The city emerged as a ski area after World War II, with the foundation of Walter Paepcke’s Aspen Skiing Company.

In 1995, a group of investors led by Marriott International (Washington, DC) purchased a stake in The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co.

Feasibility Study for Hotel Project

01.09.2019 Hotel Development Consultants, Project Feasibility Consultants

Feasibility study for hotel project at LAX in Los Angeles, including market analysis, a relative order-of-magnitude (“ROM”) capital budget, facilities recommendations, and financial projections. Our financial projections included several scenarios to estimate varying potential operating results depending upon the build-out and facilities enhancement program at Los Angeles International Airport.

As hotel development consultants we provided a project feasibility report, including market analysis with financial projections, facility recommendations, and hotel franchise affiliation recommendations, for this (then) planned commercial hotel situated along Century Boulevard at the Los Angeles International (LAX) Airport.

The facility was eventually designed for 747 guest rooms within a 12-floor building envelope. An interesting aspect of the hotel feasibility analysis was identifying the facilities and amenities to attract business travelers to stay in the airport area rather than the extensive overnight accommodations available throughout Los Angeles.

Our work was prepared for Watt High-Rise, Inc., then an operating division of the Watt Companies. Inc. headquartered in Santa Monica, California. Watt Companies has developed a diversified portfolio of real estate properties, including commercial real estate, hotels, and master-planned communities.

The property opened as a Stouffer Hotel and was later re-flagged as The Westin Los Angeles Airport. Our work as development feasibility consultants in preparing the project feasibility study for this hotel project, was completed prior to the branding change from Stouffer branding to Westin.

Nalubaale Resort at Lake Victoria – Project Feasibility Analysis

19.08.2018 Hotel Development Consultants, Site Planner

Initial resort project feasibility and conceptual site master plan for destination resort on the shores of Lake Victoria, near where Owen Falls existed in Uganda.

Facilities were envisioned to include a main hotel building (lodge), garden attraction, marina on Lake Victoria, a cultural venue, and other venues. “Nalubaale” is the Uganda name for Lake Victoria.

For this hotel development consulting assignment, interesting site design issues included significant elevation changes between the lake shore part of the site and the upper site hilltop.

Hotel Development Consultants - project feasibility consultants

Kuki’o Beach Resort at Kuki’o Bay

19.08.2018 Golf course redevelopment and adaptive re-use, Hotel Development Consultants, Project Consultants for Tribes and First, Project Feasibility Consultants

Destination resort with “resort residential” housing product. Feasibility analysis including market study, financial projections, and facilities recommendations, for proposed 660-acre resort and timeshare development on the Big Island of Hawaii. The Kuki’o Beach Resort is adjacent to the Four Seasons Hualalai Resort and situated along the Big Island’s Kona Coast.

Our hotel development consulting work was completed in support of an overall master plan for development of the property, to include low-density residential, golf, and hotel facilities.

Owner Representation for Property Buy / Sell – Seaside Resort Monterey Bay

19.08.2018 Golf course redevelopment and adaptive re-use, Hotel Development Consultants, Transaction and Dealmaking Projects

Diamond Ventures, Inc. (Tucson) | Represented seller to prospective buyer of this to-be-built California coastal resort on lands that include two existing golf courses.