In The News

“The construction of the Hyatt Place Hotel across the street from Phoenix City Hall is a testament to confidence in the resiliency of the Phoenix economy. This exciting development is needed to add rooms to the city’s hospitality inventory, and it’s a statement that Phoenix is a strong market,” said Christine Mackay, director, Phoenix Community and Economic Development. “It’s the rare economic developer who can look out her window and see rapidly-occurring changes in a downtown landscape. From my vantage point, I am able to see eight cranes working to add high-rise buildings to Downtown Phoenix. There are a half-dozen more I can’t see, but know are keeping construction workers busily employed.”

Opening in September 2021, the Hyatt Place Phoenix Downtown will bring the brand’s intuitive design, casual atmosphere, and practical amenities, such as free Wi-Fi and 24-hour food offerings, to the Phoenix area. The hotel’s design will emulate the art deco design of the surrounding architecture, located adjacent to the Orpheum Theater. In the heart of downtown Phoenix, the hotel is just three blocks away from the Phoenix Convention Center and nearby to an array of downtown Phoenix attractions like Chase Field, Talking Stick Resort Arena, Phoenix Art Museum, shopping and restaurants. Getting here is a breeze just located a few miles away from Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport.

“Now more than ever, Pacific Hospitality Group is very excited to add our first Hyatt Place to our portfolio and our second hotel asset in Arizona. Our family has been in the hotel business for more than 30 years and we see this development as a testament to our commitment to our team members, guests and communities that our industry will come back from the devastation of Covid-19,” said Garrett Busch, Vice President of Capital Markets for Pacific Hospitality Group. “We are especially committed to the Arizona market and our budding relationship with the Hyatt brand,” added Busch. “The Arizona market, specifically downtown, is a top development market for PHG. We see a lot of potential in the economic diversity of the area, as well as the ASU presence and the scale of offerings in sporting and social events.”

“When seeking out a brand for this project, Hyatt was an obvious choice. Hyatt brings a longstanding tradition in excellence in hospitality; and the strength in their loyalty platform, World of Hyatt, will bring value to the diversity of offerings in the area.” Busch stated. “Similarly, we could not be more pleased to be partnering with Mortenson on this exciting project. Our partnerships with Mortenson and our long-time lending partner American National Insurance Company, especially in these times, have made this project possible. While this is our first project with Mortenson, this is our 7th ground up development with American National Insurance Company, among many other acquisition financings and refinancing’s over our 20+ year relationship. We are grateful to their whole organization for always supporting us and sharing in our vision investing in Phoenix for the long term.”

As a co-developer and builder for the hotel, this is Mortenson’s second Hyatt-flagged hotel in the Valley, as well as the second hospitality development in downtown Phoenix for the firm, second to the Hampton Inn & Suites located at Polk Street and 1st Street.

“Building upon our partnership we have established with Hyatt through the success of our Hyatt Place/Hyatt House hotel in Tempe, set to open this summer, Mortenson is proud to be partnering with Hyatt, Pacific Hospitality Group and the City of Phoenix to deliver this project for the community,” said George Forristall, director of commercial real estate at Mortenson. “The urban environment and vitality downtown are what attracted us to support the City of Phoenix in further enhancing the area with a new hospitality amenity.”

Hyatt Place Phoenix Downtown will offer:

• 238 spacious guestrooms with separate spaces to sleep, work and play, as well as a Cozy Corner sofa-sleeper
• Breakfast Bar featuring hot breakfast items, fresh fruit, steel cut oatmeal, Greek yogurt, and more
• The Market serving freshly prepared meals anytime, day or night
• Custom Lobby and Bar featuring an outdoor patio along Adams Street, premium beers, as well as wines and cocktails
• Necessities program for forgotten items that guests can buy, borrow or enjoy for free
• Free Wi-Fi throughout hotel and guestrooms
• Event Spaces offer 4,000 square feet of flexible, high-tech meeting/function space
• Fitness Center featuring cardio equipment with LCD touchscreens

For more information about Hyatt Place hotels, please visit hyattplace.com.

The term “Hyatt” is used in this release for convenience to refer to Hyatt Hotels Corporation and/or one or more of its affiliates.

About Pacific Hospitality Group
Established in 1987, Pacific Hospitality Group (PHG) is a growing hospitality company with 12 hotels in its portfolio. Based in Irvine, California, the company owns, manages, finances and develops hotels in iconic destinations. PHG serves as the parent company to a portfolio of lifestyle and luxury properties known as the Meritage Collection. Meritage Collection hotels include Paséa Hotel & Spa in Huntington Beach, Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa near San Diego, Ko’a Kea Hotel & Resort in Kauai, and two Napa Valley properties – The Meritage Resort and Spa and Vista Collina Resort.

Pacific Hospitality Group also serves as the franchisee of the following properties: AC Hotel and Residence Inn Dallas by the Galleria, AC Hotel Phoenix Tempe/Downtown, AC Hotel Irvine, AC Hotel New Orleans Bourbon/French Quarter Area, DoubleTree by Hilton Irvine Spectrum, and DoubleTree by Hilton Santa Ana /Orange County Airport. Other PHG affiliations include Trinitas Cellars.

About Mortenson
Mortenson is a U.S.-based, top-20 developer, builder and engineering services provider serving the commercial, institutional, and energy sectors. Mortenson’s expanding portfolio of integrated services helps its customers move their strategies forward, ensuring their investments result in high-performing assets. The result is a turnkey partner, fully invested in the business success of its customers. Founded in 1954, Mortenson has operations across the U.S. with offices in Chicago, Denver, Fargo, Iowa City, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Phoenix, Portland, San Antonio, Seattle, and Washington, D.C. For additional information, visit www.mortenson.com.

About Hyatt Place
Hyatt Place hotels combine style, innovation and 24/7 conveniences to create an easy to navigate experience for today’s multi-tasking traveler. Guests can enjoy thoughtfully designed guestrooms featuring distinct zones for sleep, work and play, and free flowing social spaces that offer seamless transitions from work to relaxation. With more than 300 locations globally, Hyatt Place hotels offer freshly prepared food around the clock, efficient service and differentiated experiences for World of Hyatt members. For more information, please visit hyattplace.com. Join the conversation on Facebook and Instagram, and tag photos with #HyattPlace and #WhySettle.

Forward-Looking Statements
Forward-Looking Statements in this press release, which are not historical facts, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results, performance or achievements may differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the use of words such as “may,” “could,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “seek,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” “continue,” “likely,” “will,” “would” and variations of these terms and similar expressions, or the negative of these terms or similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the issuer of this release, are inherently uncertain. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which are made only as of the date of this press release. Neither the issuer of this release nor any other entity associated with it or its subject matter undertakes any obligation to update publicly any of these forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, new information or future events, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors affecting forward-looking statements, except to the extent required by applicable law. If one or more forward-looking statements is updated, no inference should be drawn that any additional updates will be made with respect to those or other forward-looking statements.

CONTACT:
Katie Davison
Mortenson
480.339.7911
katie.davison@mortenson.com

Garrett Busch
Pacific Hospitality Group
949.861.4700
gbusch@pacifichospitality.com

 Pacific Hospitality Group (PHG) announces the expansion of its corporate leadership team with the appointment of Melanie Bucci as its Chief Financial Officer, Ajeet K. Anand as its Vice President, Sales and Marketing, and Stephen Schackne as its Regional Food and Beverage Director. The new team members will report to PHG President and COO Paul McCormick.

“Our corporate leadership team is one of the organization’s most valuable assets,” said McCormick. “We are pleased to have such an elite team of hospitality experts join us at PHG as each individual will be instrumental in the growth of the company.”

As Chief Financial Officer, Bucci will provide strategic direction and leadership to PHG’s accounting and finance teams, oversee corporate programs and initiatives for the company, and manage policies, procedures and best practices at the hospitality brand’s properties. Most recently Bucci was Vice President of Finance at Montage International where she advanced her career within the organization over eight years. Prior to her role with Montage, she held various accounting and finance management roles with Orient Express Hotels in Europe and Deloitte & Touche in Costa Mesa. Bucci graduated from the University of California Santa Barbara with degrees in Business Economics and Global Socioeconomics and Politics and is a California licensed CPA. 

Anand will lead the sales and marketing initiatives for the group’s portfolio of 11 properties as well as oversee the hospitality company’s dedicated sales and marketing team in her role as Vice President, Sales and Marketing.  Prior to joining PHG, Anand was Senior Vice President, Global Marketing for emerging hospitality brand Cachet Hospitality where she assisted with the development of a growing management team and established the brand’s marketing discipline focused on driving lead generation. In a previous role as Senior Director, Sales Innovation at Wyndham Hotel Group / Dolce Hotels & Resorts, she enabled the brand’s global sales organization to achieve $800 million in annual revenue by conceptualizing and developing a multifaceted plan. Before Dolce, Anand served on the sale operations and strategy team at Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide where she developed an account profitability model that addressed rising sales costs and market uncertainties. Anand received her MBA from Georgetown University and Bachelor of Arts degree from American University in Washington D.C.

As part of its new leadership structure, PHG has expanded its corporate food and beverage management team with the newly created role of Regional Food and Beverage Director. In this role, Stephen Schackne will be responsible for continuing to elevate and heighten the culinary experience at each of PHG’s properties, which prove to be a vital part of the guest experience. Prior to joining the company, Stephen was a team leader and hotel manager at the iconic Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego and consulted for Outrigger Hotels in Hawaii where he was responsible for a restaurant conversion project with a $10 million gross operating income. In addition, Schackne worked with KSL Resorts for 17 years where he increased revenue by $20 million over a decade and garnered numerous local and national awards for the hospitality brand’s culinary concepts and restaurants. 

Pacific Hospitality Group is comprised of 11 hotels and resorts located throughout the United States, and the company continues to expand its existing portfolio with the recent opening of the dual-branded AC Hotel and Residence Inn Dallas by the Galleria and debut of Vista Collina Resort in Napa Valley, California. For more information about Pacific Hospitality Group, visit pacifichospitality.com.

About Pacific Hospitality Group

Established in 1987, Pacific Hospitality Group (PHG) is a growing hospitality company with 11 hotels, including one currently under construction, and more than 120,000 square feet of event space in California, Hawaii and Louisiana. Based in Irvine, California, the company owns, manages, finances and develops hotels in iconic destinations. PHG serves as the parent company to a portfolio of lifestyle and luxury properties known as the Meritage Collection. Meritage Collection hotels include Paséa Hotel & Spa in Huntington Beach, Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa near San Diego, Ko’a Kea Hotel & Resort in Kauai, and two Napa Valley properties – The Meritage Resort and Spa and Vista Collina Resort.

Pacific Hospitality Group also serves as the franchisee of the following properties: AC Hotel and Residence Inn Dallas by the Galleria, AC Hotel Phoenix Tempe/Downtown, AC Hotel Irvine, AC Hotel New Orleans Bourbon/French Quarter Area, DoubleTree by Hilton Irvine Spectrum, and DoubleTree by Hilton Santa Ana /Orange County Airport. Other PHG affiliations include Trinitas Cellars. For more information, visit www.pacifichospitality.com or www.linkedin.com/company/pacific-hospitality-group.

Pacific Hospitality Group (PHG) announces the appointment of Paul J. McCormick as its President and Chief Operating Officer. In this new role, McCormick will oversee the operations of the current portfolio of 11 properties as well as activation of all new acquisitions for the growing hospitality company.

“I look forward to continuing to assist with the development of a world-class team to diligently drive a strong performance at our hotels & resorts,” said McCormick. “Our goal is to create a “Win-Win” relationship with our investors, community, guests and team members by developing exceptional guest experiences while increasing our portfolio’s overall asset value”

Prior to joining PHG, McCormick excelled in corporate and hotel-level leadership roles at a number of prominent hospitality companies. Most recently, as Senior Vice President of Miraval Group, he was responsible for providing operational oversight of the company’s destination wellness resorts and spas, and helped with the transition of the Group’s assets to Hyatt Hotels Corporation. Additionally, he served as Divisional Vice President for Sage Hospitality’s Premier and Lifestyle Division, leading operations for 10 luxury properties including the Ritz Carlton Chicago, The Logan Hotel in Philadelphia and the Oxford, Crawford and Halcyon hotels in Denver, Colorado. McCormick also spent more than 15 years with KSL Resorts, an affiliate of KSL Capital Partners LLC, serving as Vice President & Managing Director for several of its properties, including La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, California, Barton Creek Resort & Spa in Austin, Texas, La Quinta Resort and Club & PGA West in La Quinta, California, and the Grand Traverse Resort & Spa in Traverse City, Michigan.

“We are excited to have Paul lead the organization on a path toward continued growth,” says Tim Busch, CEO of PHG. “He has an exceptional track record as a leader in the hospitality industry and his outstanding operational expertise will add remarkable value to PHG.”

Pacific Hospitality Group is comprised of 11 hotels and resorts located throughout the United States, and the company continues to expand its existing portfolio with the recent opening of the dual-branded AC Hotel and Residence Inn Dallas by the Galleria and debut of Vista Collina Resort in Napa Valley, California, set to open July 2018. For more information about Pacific Hospitality Group, visit pacifichospitality.com.

About Pacific Hospitality Group

Established in 1987, Pacific Hospitality Group (PHG) is a growing hospitality company with 11 hotels, including one currently under construction, and more than 120,000 square feet of event space in California, Hawaii and Louisiana. Based in Irvine, California, the company owns, manages, finances and develops hotels in iconic destinations. PHG serves as the parent company to a portfolio of lifestyle and luxury properties known as the Meritage Collection. Meritage Collection hotels include Paséa Hotel & Spa in Huntington Beach, Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa near San Diego, Ko’a Kea Hotel & Resort in Kauai, and two Napa Valley properties – The Meritage Resort and Spa and Vista Collina Resort (opening July 2018).

Pacific Hospitality Group also serves as the franchisee of the following properties: AC Hotel and Residence Inn Dallas by the Galleria, AC Hotel Phoenix Tempe/Downtown, AC Hotel Irvine, AC Hotel New Orleans Bourbon/French Quarter Area, DoubleTree by Hilton Irvine Spectrum, and DoubleTree by Hilton Santa Ana /Orange County Airport. Other PHG affiliations include Trinitas Cellars. For more information, visit www.pacifichospitality.com or www.linkedin.com/company/pacific-hospitality-group.

Pacific Hospitality Group’s (PHG) sale of Bacara Resort & Spa was named the “Single Asset Transaction of the Year (Over US$25M) 2017” at the prestigious the Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS) Awards, produced by Northstar Travel Group in association with the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) and Burba Hotel Network (BHN). Among the finalists in the category were executives and companies responsible for being the most influential hotel industry deals over $25 million in 2017. PHG won the award in collaboration with Carey Watermark Investors Incorporated (CWI 1) and Carey Watermark Investors 2 Incorporated (CWI 2) for the sale transaction of the property that took place in September 2017. The two non-traded real estate investment trusts (REITs) rebranded the property as The Ritz-Carlton Bacara, Santa Barbara.

“It is a true honor to receive this recognition from the Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS) and the hospitality investment community,” said Tim Busch, founder and chief executive officer, PHG. “We were the recipients of the ‘Single Asset Transaction of 2013’ for our acquisition of Bacara Resort & Spa, and we are proud to win this distinguished award again for completing the sale transaction of the property. It is a true accomplishment for PHG and our investors.”

“The Bacara transaction was a home run, and we are grateful for being recognized by our investment peers in the hotel industry,” said Kory Kramer, chief investment officer, PHG. “It was a highly complex transaction from start to finish. We were successfully guided by a team of professionals including the advisory services of Hodges Ward Elliott and Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman.”

The former Bacara Resort & Spa was a part of PHG’s Meritage Collection, a portfolio of lifestyle and luxury hotels that blend iconic, one-of-a-kind places with locally-inspired experiences. Débuted in 2013, the Meritage Collection is comprised of five hotels and resorts throughout California and Hawaii, representing more than 1000 rooms and nearly 90,000 square feet of premier indoor and outdoor meeting and event space. It includes The Meritage Resort and Spa in Napa Valley, Paséa Hotel & Spa in Huntington Beach, Balboa Bay Resort in Newport Beach, Ko’a Kea Hotel & Resort in Kauai, Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa near San Diego and the currently under construction Vista Collina Resort (opening summer 2018) in Napa.

About Pacific Hospitality Group

Established in 1987, Pacific Hospitality Group (PHG) is a growing hospitality company with 10 hotels, including one currently under construction, and more than 100,000 square feet of event space in California, Hawaii and Louisiana. Based in Irvine, California, the company owns, manages, finances and develops hotels in iconic destinations. PHG serves as the parent company to a portfolio of lifestyle and luxury properties known as the Meritage Collection. Meritage Collection hotels include Paséa Hotel & Spa in Huntington Beach, Balboa Bay Resort in Newport Beach, Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa near San Diego, Ko’a Kea Hotel & Resort in Kauai, and two Napa Valley properties – The Meritage Resort and Spa and Vista Collina Resort (opening summer 2018).

Pacific Hospitality Group also serves as the franchisee of the following properties: AC Hotel Phoenix Tempe/Downtown, AC Hotel Irvine, AC Hotel New Orleans Bourbon/French Quarter Area, DoubleTree by Hilton Irvine Spectrum, and DoubleTree by Hilton Santa Ana /Orange County Airport. Other PHG affiliations include Trinitas Cellars, Balboa Bay Club and the Newport Beach Country Club. For more information, visit www.pacifichospitality.com or www.linkedin.com/company/pacific-hospitality-group.

About the Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS)

Produced by Northstar Travel Group in association with the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) and Burba Hotel Network (BHN), the two-and-a-half-day ALIS event features an extensive array of seminars and panels hosted by leading experts and investors discussing important trends and identifying new opportunities. The conference attracts the lodging industry’s leading hotel executives, investors, lenders, developers and professional advisory community. Proceeds benefit the educational, research, and training missions of the Educational Institute (EI) of the American Hotel & Lodging Education Foundation (AH&LEF), AH&LA’s not-for-profit affiliate. ALIS 2018 took place January 22-24, 2018 at the JW Marriott and Microsoft Theater L.A. LIVE. Visit the ALIS website, www.ALISconference.com, for additional information.