Posts by author

Ellen Meyer

24 posts
View Post
  • 6 min

Takeoff Strategies: PM Hotel Group President Joseph Bojanowski on His Path and Plans

🏨 Joe Bojanowski, PM Hotel Group President, leads the company's growth and instills a passion for innovation. Early in his career, Bojanowski interned at DoubleTree in Phoenix while studying at the University of Arizona, then managed a 600-plus-room hotel's F&B outlets in D.C. He advanced by modeling successful mentors and understanding the hospitality business's profitability, moving through roles in Rhode Island, Ohio, and South Florida. In 1997, he joined PM Hotel Group, shifting from operations to development, managing a project in Beijing City in 2007, and becoming president in 2011. PM Hotel Group's strategic growth includes merging with Paramount Hotel Group, adding 12 hotels, and acquiring Modus Hotels to enter the lifestyle segment. Bojanowski's leadership focuses on empowering others, aligning the team with a common vision and goals, and recognizing performance to create opportunities.
View Post
Share
View Post
  • 6 min

Pleasure to Serve: Rob Blood of Lark Hotels on Hospitality as a Lifestyle as Well as a Career

🏡 Robert Blood, founder of Lark Hotels, expanded his boutique hotel brand significantly, nearly doubling its size since 2020. Initially an English major, Blood began in hospitality on Nantucket and later purchased his first property in Kennebunkport, Maine, in 2004 for $1.725 million with various loans, including $350,000 from his mother. Lark Hotels, founded in 2012, now boasts 53 hotels, including sister brands Bluebird by Lark, AWOL, and Blind Tiger guesthouses, and offers extended services through Lark Independent. The affiliated investment division, Lark Capital, was created in 2022. Blood attributes his success to the right mindset and credits mentors Dale and Susan Hamilton for essential guidance in the industry.
View Post
Share
View Post
  • 5 min

Delivering the California Dream: Kirkwood Collection CEO Leverages His Film Industry Experience

🏡 Alex Kirkwood, at 38, transitioned from a Hollywood film advertising career to founding the Kirkwood Collection, a luxury boutique hotel firm. Graduated in 2007 from Chapman University, he initially lived on a boat due to L.A. housing costs. Kirkwood's first property investments started with family in 2012. The Kirkwood Collection launched with six hotels in 2016. It has grown to a $100 million real estate value, with a 10-property portfolio and a projected employee count to double from 150 in the next year. The Collection focuses on unique, historic boutique hotels in California, like the 18-room La Serena Villas (1933), the 17-room Del Marcos Hotel (1947), and the 10-room Three Fifty Hotel (1950).
View Post
Share