Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS)

Executives and companies responsible for the most influential hotel industry deals in 2014 were honored with prestigious ALIS awards at the Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS) awards luncheon today. Nominees are considered for the awards based on outstanding business performance in various industry sectors and determined by ALIS sponsors and delegates. This year's winners are:

  • Development of the Year 2014: The 1,175-room Marriott Marquis Washington, DC was developed by Quadrangle Development and Capstone Development, and is managed by Marriott International.
  • Single Asset Transaction of the Year:·Thayer Lodging Group acquired the 998-room Diplomat Resort & Spa in Hollywood, Florida from the Plumbers & Pipe Fitters Pension Fund for $535 million in an off-market transaction.
  • Merger & Acquisition of the YearLone Star Funds acquired 38 hotels from Hyatt Hotels Corporation for an estimated $590MM.
  • Jack A. Shaffer Financial Advisor of the YearRoy March, CEO, Eastdil Secured.
  • Bob Hazard, Former Chairman, CEO, and President (1980-1996) of Choice Hotels International and Former CEO, (1974-1980), Best Western International was honored with the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award.

 Co-hosted by the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) and Burba Hotel Network (BHN), the two-and-a-half-day ALIS event features an extensive array of seminars and panels hosted by leading experts and investors discussing important trends and identifying new opportunities. The conference attracts the lodging industry's leading hotel executives, investors, lenders, developers, and professional advisory community. Proceeds from ALIS benefit the educational, research, and training missions of the American Hotel & Lodging Education Foundation (AH&LEF), AH&LA's nonprofit affiliate. For information on the Foundation, visit www.ahlef.com.

Serving the hospitality industry for more than a century, the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) is the sole national association representing all segments of the 1.8 million-employee U.S. lodging industry, including hotel owners, REITs, chains, franchisees, management companies, independent properties, state hotel associations, and industry suppliers. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., AH&LA provides focused advocacy, communications support, and educational resources for an industry generating $155.5 billion in annual sales from 4.9 million guestrooms.

AH&LEF is the charitable fund-raising and endowed fund-management subsidiary of the American Hotel & Lodging Association. Founded in 1953, AH&LEF is the premier organization for scholarships, professional certification, and instructional material as well as funding for hospitality industry research.

 BHN is the worldwide leader in developing and organizing conferences for the hotel and tourism investment community. With almost three decades of experience, nearly 120 events completed to-date, and over 80,000 international delegates, BHN conferences have become "must attend" events for industry leaders who come together to network, conduct business and to learn about the latest trends. BHN events include: the Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS) in Los Angeles; ALIS Law in Los Angeles; ALIS Summer Update; Alternative Ownership Conference Asia Pacific (AOCAP) in Singapore; Caribbean Hotel & Resort Investment Summit (CHRIS) in Miami; Hotel Investment Conference Asia Pacific (HICAP) in Hong Kong; HICAP UPDATE in Singapore; Hotel Investment Forum India (HIFI) in Gurgaon Delhi N.C.R.; Hotel Opportunities Latin America (HOLA) conference in Miami; and Hotel Investment Conference Europe (Hot.E) in London. The BHN website at www.Burba.com is the gateway for information about the conferences BHN produces, as well as a direct link to important players in the hospitality investment world.

Chandler Smith
VP Communications (government affairs)
AH&LA