Just a month after Choice Hotels International completed the $675 million acquisition of the franchise business, operations and intellectual property of Radisson Hotel Group Americas, former Radisson chief development officer Phil Hugh has launched a new advisory firm.
Hugh Hotel Group will be “focused on maximizing profitability and value for hoteliers through partnerships and relationships,” according to the announcing statement. Hugh developed those relationships after 13 years of leadership roles in companies like Radisson and Red Roof Inn. “[I’ll] be able to gather a group of people together that can help owners maximize their portfolio and and reposition assets,” he said.
Beyond Radisson and Red Roof, Hugh has held positions at Realogy Franchise Group, Development Opportunity Corp. and Cendant Corp. (now known as Wyndham Hotels & Resorts) and has experience in development, sales, operations and growth in the space.
During his 28 years in the industry, Hugh said, the business has changed significantly. While taking care of guests is the ultimate goal, “the real estate play, the structure of the capital stack and choosing a brand is is critical,” he said. “We're looking at things [with] a new eye. What's the best brand? How are you going to align your property to stand out in the marketplace? Who are you going to work with from a financing perspective to have the best structure?” Money, he added, is “readily available” for the right project. “And I think that by looking at each each project differently or each hotel differently, we can come up with some creative ways for owners to maximize their investments.”
The company’s first projects will be announced in the coming days, Hugh said, but he said some would be international and that the firm was investing in another company with whom it could “align” to help hotel owners. “A lot of good stuff [is] happening,” he said. "We've been helping with some franchise conversations on one-off properties [and] we're working on two very large resort opportunities right now.”
"Phil understands the hospitality industry like no one else," said Vijay Patel, president and CEO at Dhruv Management. "His advice is always excellent, his ideas are disruptive, strategic and easily implementable. He has the relationships and resources to get things done and I look forward to working with him in his new endeavor."