And this "change in mood," as you might call it, seems to be spreading around the hotel sector. For example, locally based AmericInn is looking ahead to strong growth opportunities in 2010.
The company also welcomes Ron Burgett to the leadership team. With more than 20 years in hotel real estate and management, Burgett joins AmericInn parent company Northcott Hospitality as executive vice president of development. His charge is to lead AmericInn's aggressive expansion beyond its Midwestern roots.
"There has been a lack in renewal of licenses among major brands, so we'll be exploring the potential for targeted conversion projects," Burgett says. "While not ruling out any expansion targets, AmericInn aims to grow naturally from its Upper Midwest base into strategically targeted areas nationwide."
Burgett's experience includes founding Hospitality Sales Group, a private consulting firm in real estate brokerage and hospitality. He spent 13 years in management with Choice Hotels International, ultimately serving as national vice president of development.
At Choice, Burgett managed US and Caribbean sales and development for Choice brands including Comfort Suites, Comfort Inn, Quality Inns & Suites, Clarion, Sleep Inn, Mainstay Suites, Suburban Extended Stay Hotel, Econo Lodge and Rodeway Inn. Under his leadership, the Choice development team posted several record sales years.
Burgett joins Paul Kirwin, recently named president and CEO of Northcott Hospitality after 25 years at Carlson, a global hospitality and travel company. At Carlson, Kirwin served as president of the Americas division with 800 hotels operating or in development. Kirwin also led Carlson's expansion in Asia and was president of its Country Inn & Suites hotel brand. During Kirwin's tenure with Country Inn & Suites, the brand grew from eight locations to more than 400 locations in multiple countries.
Kirwin and Burgett, both proven leaders at growing successful hotel brands, also have hands-on experience in hospitality as managers of individual hotel and restaurant properties.
"We understand the challenges and commitment it takes to run a hotel," Kirwin says. "Northcott is unique in the industry as we have experience building, owning and operating a diverse portfolio of properties. In addition, we're fortunate to have an active group of franchisees who have outperformed their peer group by many measurements in a very challenging environment. We're now ready to welcome more first-rate operators into the AmericInn family."
As AmericInn looks to the future, parent company Northcott Hospitality is celebrating its 50th year in the hotel and restaurant business. Founded with an investment in a single Perkins Pancake House restaurant, Northcott has grown in 50 years to include AmericInn, a mid-scale hotel chain with more than 250 locations open or under development, 21 Perkins restaurants, and four Houlihan's restaurants.
Today, Northcott provides hospitality services to customers in 27 states. "With the addition of Ron Burgett to our leadership team, AmericInn and Northcott are ready to write the next chapter in our 50-year growth story," Kirwin says. "We welcome the challenge of building for the next 50 years."
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Natalie Dolce
Natalie Dolce, editor-in-chief of GlobeSt.com and GlobeSt. Real Estate Forum, is responsible for working with editorial staff, freelancers and senior management to help plan the overarching vision that encompasses GlobeSt.com, including short-term and long-term goals for the website, how content integrates through the company’s other product lines and the overall quality of content. Previously she served as national executive editor and editor of the West Coast region for GlobeSt.com and Real Estate Forum, and was responsible for coverage of news and information pertaining to that vital real estate region. Prior to moving out to the Southern California office, she was Northeast bureau chief, covering New York City for GlobeSt.com. Her background includes a stint at InStyle Magazine, and as managing editor with New York Press, an alternative weekly New York City paper. In her career, she has also covered a variety of beats for M magazine, Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel, FashionLedge.com, and Co-Ed magazine. Dolce has also freelanced for a number of publications, including MSNBC.com and Museums New York magazine.
