Island Hospitality Management In the Press

Island Hospitality Management Announces New Developments Ahead of 2022

Island Hospitality Management, the premier third-party management company for select service and upscale extended stay hotels in the United States, is commemorating 35 years with the announcement of new property additions to its portfolio of more than 70 North American hotels.

“Although the hotel industry has seen many changes over the last 35 years since we opened our first Hampton Inn, our focus has always remained the same – be innovative and maximize top and bottom-line performance, while at the same time develop our associates from within and promote a company culture that benefits all our constituents,” says Jeffrey H. Fisher, Founder and Principal of Island Hospitality Management. “As we look forward, we continue to see new and exciting growth opportunities to expand our footprint within the industry and continue to put relationships with our associates and owners at the forefront of all we do.”

NEW HOTELS TO THE COLLECTION

This year, Island Hospitality added new hotels to its portfolio, now serving as the third-party management company for two Austin-based properties located at The Domain, a mixed-use complex where Amazon, Meta (formerly Facebook), and IBM have offices. The hotels, acquired by Chatham Lodging in August 2021, include the 132-room Residence Inn Austin Northwest/The Domain Area, which opened in July 2016, and the 137-room TownePlace Suites Austin Northwest/The Domain Area, which opened in June 2021.

Additionally, Island Hospitality is emerging in new markets as it has been selected to manage three properties in Landsdale, PA and Ashburn, VA, totaling 414 guestrooms and 12,500-square-feet of meetings space. Hotel additions to the company’s portfolio include the 170-room Homewood Suites by Hilton Landsdale, minutes from Valley Forge National Historical Park, featuring spacious suites with in-suite kitchens and complimentary breakfast seven days a week. As Island Hospitality takes the reigns, the hotel will enter a new chapter in 2022 with plans for a total property renovation. Additional hotels include the 90-room Homewood Suites by Hilton Dulles-North/Loudoun and the 154-room Embassy Suites by Hilton Dulles North Loudoun, which offers 10,000-square-feet of meeting space. 

NEW DEVELOPMENTS

This January, Island Hospitality will open the new Home2 Suites by Hilton Woodland Hills Los Angeles in Los Angeles’ Warner Center neighborhood. The seven-story, 170ac-room hotel will feature contemporary design, with amenities including a state-of-the-art fitness center, saltwater swimming pool, dynamic meeting spaces, and city views from all public spaces. Upon opening, the first 100 guests to check-in will receive 5,000 Hilton Honors points and can expect all the perks the Home2Suites brand has become known for, such as complimentary breakfast and Wi-Fi, pet-friendly rooms and digital key.

The new Home2Suites by Hilton will feature the second outpost of Island Hospitality’s homegrown concept Toasted Barrel, an all-American, bourbon-forward restaurant offering an expansive outdoor patio, shareable plates, and locally influenced craft cocktails. The restaurant, intentionally designed to infuse local flavors and influences, is set to open in January.

“For the past 35 years, our passionate and results-driven team members have come together to build our reputation, expansive portfolio and strong industry relationships,” says Gregg Forde, Chief Operating Officer & Executive Vice President of Island Hospitality Management. “Collaboratively, we look forward to expanding our reach in new markets as we look ahead to travel’s return in 2022 and beyond.”

Island Hospitality Management Names John Abou-Ghannam Senior Vice President of Corporate IT Ops & Business Intelligence

Island Hospitality Management, the premier third-party management company for select service and upscale extended stay hotels in the United States, has named John Abou-Ghannam as Senior Vice President of Corporate IT Ops & Business Intelligence.

John joined Island Hospitality Management in 2004 as a Financial Analyst, where he made a sweeping rollout of newly designed operational budget models for all hotels within his first year, which promoted accuracy and efficiency to the entire budget process. Since then, John has worked his way up the ranks to become a recognized visionary leader, successfully implementing initiatives that further Island Hospitality’s business goals. Additional accomplishments include developing an Enterprise Windows application to streamline complex processes related to hotels and corporate operations and spearheading the cloud migration of the company’s IT infrastructures and technology platforms.

As Senior Vice President of Corporate IT Ops & Business Intelligence, John is responsible for building a responsive business intelligence team that consistently delivers results through aligning technology initiatives with business goals, with substantial improvement to solutions delivery, standardization, business, and processes performance.

“We are thrilled to recognize and celebrate John’s many achievements during his tenure at Island Hospitality and are honored to have him as a critical member of our leadership team,” said Gregg Forde, Chief Operating Officer & Executive Vice President, Island Hospitality Management. “He’s an incredible asset to our team with his extensive experience, hands-on approach, mentorship and ability to develop innovative solutions that surpass business goals.”

Michelle Marlowe Named Senior Vice President of Accounting At Island Hospitality Management LLC in West Palm Beach

Island Hospitality Management, the premier third-party management company for select service and upscale extended stay hotels in the United States, has named Michelle Marlowe as Senior Vice President of Accounting.

Bringing more than three decades of experience to her new role, Marlowe will oversee all day-to-day operational accounting functions for Island Hospitality, including financial reporting, cash management, accounts payable, taxes, audit and internal controls.

Prior to joining Island Hospitality, Marlowe served 10 years as Controller of Chatham Lodging Trust, a NYSE-listed hotel REIT; she was promoted to Vice President of Chatham Lodging Trust in 2016. Marlowe holds a B.A. of Business Administration in Accounting from Upper Iowa University and is an Iowa Certified Public Accountant.

Mark George Appointed Senior Vice President of Sales & Marketing At Island Hospitality Management LLC in West Palm Beach

Island Hospitality Management, the premier independent third-party management company for select service and upscale extended stay hotels in the United States, has announced the promotion of Mark George to Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing. In this new role, Mark will oversee sales and marketing efforts for the entire organization and lead strategies that support the changing landscape within the industry and the company itself.

In Mark's most recent role as Vice President of Sales & Marketing, he helped shape Island Hospitality Management's entrepreneurial, performance-driven sales culture, expanded digital and e-commerce efforts, and upheld the company's stellar reputation for its expertise in managing upscale extended stay, select service and full-service hotels across major brands such as Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, and IHG.

With more than 20 years of industry experience, Mark first joined Island Hospitality Management in 2005 as General Manager of the Residence Inn Binghamton, NY, where he was recognized as the company's General Manager of the Year. He has since held numerous leadership positions, including other General Manager roles at Island Hospitality managed locations such as Residence Inn by Marriott Gaithersburg Washingtonian Center and Sheraton Rockville Hotel in Maryland, and Courtyard by Marriott Ft. Lauderdale. Mark was promoted to Vice President of Field Sales in 2014 where he worked directly with more than 50 North American hotel sales teams to identify and maximize sales and marketing opportunities. Given his extensive experience, Mark has continued to play an integral role on Island Hospitality's specialist team that supports the onboarding process for new General Manager hires.

Tonya Moore Named Senior Vice President of Human Resources At Island Hospitality Management LLC in West Palm Beach

Island Hospitality Management, the premier third-party management company for select service and upscale extended stay hotels in the United States, has announced the appointment of Tonya Moore as Senior Vice President of Human Resources.

In this role, Moore brings more than 20 years of industry experience to oversee Island Hospitality Management's strategy for talent recruiting, team member compensation and benefits, and the development and implementation of internal training, leadership and mentorship programs.

In her most recent role as Vice President, Associate General Counsel - Compensation, Benefits and Mandated Leaves at Darden Restaurants, Moore served as lead attorney for the employee benefits and compensation practice group where she counseled business partners and provided business-oriented solutions to legal issues while maintaining legal and fiduciary compliance, among other responsibilities. Prior to Darden Restaurants, Moore worked for AON Hewitt and Orbitz Worldwide, where she managed and advised on all aspects of human resources law and policies relating to employment and benefits. Her career also includes several years at McDermott Will & Emery, LLP as a Senior Associate where she advised clients of new changing laws, regulations, policies and benefit plans.

Moore will also serve on Island Hospitality's Diversity and Inclusion Council, which for the past five years has focused on training and mentorship from within, strategic recruitment and hiring, company alliances, education and other initiatives to work towards a more diverse and inclusive hospitality workforce at the executive level.

Moore graduated from DePaul University with a B.A. in Political Science and English. Additionally, she holds a Masters of Laws degree in Employee Benefits from John Marshall School of Law and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Wisconsin School of Law.

Samantha Fisher Appointed Chief Investment Officer At Island Hospitality Management in Greater Los Angeles Area

Island Hospitality Management, the premier third-party management company for select service and upscale extended stay hotels in the United States, has announced the appointment of Samantha Fisher as Chief Investment Officer.

In this new role, Fisher will bring her deep understanding of diverse U.S. markets as well as established relationships with the industry's leading owners and investors to spearhead growth and development strategies for Island Hospitality's expansive portfolio, underwrite and source deals, and actively manage and establish key relationships with potential investors.

A seventeen-year veteran of the hospitality investment sales industry, Fisher has overseen more than $10 billion in hotel real estate transactions, including several high-profile deals in the Southern California region. Fisher joins Island Hospitality Management after serving as Senior Vice President and Managing Director at Hodges Ward Elliott, one of the fastest growing private real estate advisory platforms around the globe. Prior to her role at Hodges Ward Elliot, Samantha served in a similar position at Jones Lang LaSalle, a Chicago-based commercial real estate services company that provides investment management services worldwide.

Fisher also currently acts as Principal for a private venture, Three Palm Capital, a privately-held hotel investment and advisory company focused on acquiring, renovating, and asset managing hotels. She holds a B.S degree from George Washington University and lives in Palm Beach with her husband and three children.

Island Hospitality Management Celebrates Island Week of Sales

Island Week of Sales is a week of reconnecting with past clients to create new leads and sales. Island Hospitality Management holds two Island Week of Sales events a year. 

This week’s theme was Follow Up. Employees were encouraged to follow-up with past clients through appointments, prospecting calls, and key account engagement. Throughout this past week, our employees connected with and visited over 1,000 of our corporate business partners.

Roger Pollak Appointed Executive VP and CFO At Island Hospitality Management LLC

Roger Pollak joined Island Hospitality Management's predecessor as controller in 1995 and has held progressive positions within the company, including director of financial reporting and controller, as well as senior vice president-accounting.

In addition to being responsible for all financial functions of the company, he also has administrative oversight duties, including corporate administration and risk management functions, as well as the company's IT and business intelligence departments. Pollak has been critical to spearheading Island's growth in third-party management contracts. Prior to joining Island, Pollak held similar positions with various companies, including a large real estate developer and property management firm. Pollak received his Bachelor of Science in accounting from the University of Florida.

Gregg Forde Appointed Executive VP and COO At Island Hospitality Management LLC in West Palm Beach

Gregg Forde joined Island Hospitality Management's predecessor in 2003 after beginning his hospitality career with Marriott International in 1998.

He has risen steadily through the ranks, serving as general manager, area manager, portfolio manager, regional manager, regional vice president, senior vice president of operations, executive vice president and now also as chief operating officer. In this new role, Forde will be responsible for all hotel operations, revenue management, talent acquisition, sales & marketing and development & service organizations.He earned his Bachelor of Arts with a double major from Edith Cowan University in Western Australia, Australia.

Embassy Suites Springfield One of Few Hotels to Win 2019 Hilton Award of Excellence

Embassy Suites Springfield was recently awarded the 2019 Hilton Award of Excellence at the Hilton All-Suites Leadership Conference. The 2019 Hilton Award of Excellence is awarded to only a few hotels every year and recognizes those who achieve impressive performance results and stand out above the rest.

Each award is determined by criteria that include outstanding performance and commitment to ongoing excellence. Island Hospitality Management is very proud of this team’s hard work and dedication to the hospitality industry.