Amina Gilyard James has acquired the 70-room Quality Inn in the Raleigh neighborhood of Memphis, Tenn. James participated in the 2022 SHaDPitch Today’s Woman competition from She Has a Deal, a real estate investment platform that creates new pathways to hotel ownership and development for women.
SHaDPitch is a hotel investment pitch competition launched in 2020 to start women on their journey to hotel ownership by facilitating the process for acquiring or developing a hotel and securing capital for the deal. Competitors identify a viable project and pitch the deal to potential investors, who also serve as judges. One team walks away from the competition with $50,000 in deal equity, and all competitors can build a network to make their own hotel deal. Prior to competition day, competitors take part in six months of coursework. This multimodule educational series is delivered on SHaD’s EdTech platform and by hotel industry insiders who educate participants on ways to chart a path to hotel ownership and prepare for the competition.
“The SHaDPitch competition and its curriculum provide an invaluable inside look at the hotel industry,” James said in a statement. “It provided a roadmap and extensive network that gave me foundational knowledge of the hotel acquisition and ownership space. SHaD prepared my company, Duke Ventures, to make the smartest investment possible. We’re proud of the deal we made and optimistic about what the future holds for this property and our investors.”
The hotel is close to downtown Memphis, Beale Street and AutoZone Park—home of the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds—and the Memphis International Airport. Hotel amenities include a business center, an indoor heated pool and a hot tub. Duke Ventures plans to invest $500,000 to refresh the property with new paint, furnitures, fixtures, equipment and additional cosmetic improvements.
The Quality Inn is Duke Ventures' third hotel, but its first as the sponsor and general partner. The company targets select-service hotels throughout the Midwest and mid-Southern states. Duke Ventures plans to acquire two additional hotels over the next three to five years.