Steve Marx Named President and COO of Boutique Hotel Group
NEW YORK, NY, May 30, 2001 - Boutique Hotel Group has named Steve Marx, a prominent hospitality executive, as President and Chief Operating Officer of the company, effective June 1, 2001. The appointment caps a yearlong phase of strategic additions to the company's executive team, and readies the management group, founded in 1999, for its next stage of signature new growth and strategic acquisitions.
As President, Mr. Marx will preside over the largest boutique hotel portfolio in Manhattan; five small luxury properties known for their high design elements, unique architecture and a distinctly personalized style of service.
Mr. Marx brings to Boutique Hotel Group more than 25 years of broad-spectrum experience in the hospitality industry and a leadership role in the boutique hotel sector.
From 1999-2001, he was Executive Vice President-Operations for Loews Hotels, based in their New York headquarters. There he spearheaded the opening of two new major hotels, and supervised Loews' existing portfolio of 17 upscale city-center and resort properties throughout the United States and Canada. Under his watch, Loews Hotels experienced its most successful year ever in 2000, enjoying record levels of market penetration and profitability.
From 1993 to 1999, Mr. Marx was Vice President Hotels at the Kimpton Hotel and Restaurant Group, Inc., where he pioneered their expansion efforts and doubled the company's assets over a six-year period. During his tenure, he was a key player and principal in establishing the hotel group as one of the top ten independent hotel management companies, as well as the largest owner/operator of boutique hotels in the U.S. During this period, Mr. Marx was instrumental in developing and rolling out Kimpton's Monaco hotel brand, which is now recognized as the industry's most successful and customer-friendly four-diamond boutique hotel brand.
Prior to his Kimpton tenure, from 1990-1993, he was Chief Operating Officer of Bayview Hotels, one of the most prominent hotel companies on California's Monterey Peninsula, as well as the developer of Monterey's first upscale boutique hotels. From 1982-1990, Mr. Marx was Director of Rooms and Reservations Worldwide for Trusthouse Forte Hotels, based in the company's London headquarters. He began his hospitality career with Hilton Hotels Corporation in 1972, starting as Front Office Manager at the Beverly Hilton and advancing up the ranks to Executive Assistant Manager of the New York Hilton, and ultimately, to Resident Manager of The Atlanta Hilton and Towers.
At Boutique Hotel Group Mr. Marx will spearhead a five-year plan, focusing on controlled growth into new and existing markets, while retaining the group's hallmark individuality and entrepreneurial spirit. Since its inception in 1999, Boutique Hotel Group has laid the groundwork and assembled a team of pedigree hospitality executives in preparation for launching a strategic expansion and acquisition program. The Company has recently linked with several entrepreneurial capital sources to help drive its expansion.
The Company has also developed an association with the Puccini Restaurant Group of San Francisco, which provides concept development, design, and management services, primarily to hotel clients, including Outrigger, Renaissance and Shangri-La. Formed in 1996, the company is headed by Bob Puccini, who had previously spent eleven years with the Kimpton Group developing, designing and operating 24 restaurants in five cities, including The Grand Cafe at the Hotel Monaco in San Francisco and The Painted Table at the Alexis in Seattle. The Group also owns and operates Oritalia restaurants in San Francisco, Portland and Vancouver, British Columbia.
Boutique Hotel Group has taken the industry lead in developing the overall brand, while marketing the unique aspects of each property. Most recently the group achieved worldwide recognition for branding its own line of Jazz CD's and was awarded "Best Hotel Design 2000" by Interiors magazine. On an on-going basis the hotels integrate New York City arts organizations into the marketing mix, such as partnerships with American Ballet Theater, Broadway musicals and a rotating exhibition of works by emerging artists. Particular emphasis in the first year was given to developing the group's technological capabilities and creating one of the top online booking engines in the industry.
Boutique Hotel Group manages a collection of five distinctive hotels in Manhattan: The Shoreham, The Mansfield, The Roger Williams, Hotel Wales, and The Franklin, as well as the Beverly Crescent in Beverly Hills, California.