Welcome to BRE Hotels & Resorts
About Us
We deliver industry-leading returns for stakeholders by driving excellence at every property within our diverse portfolio. As a Blackstone fund owned hospitality platform, our owned assets focus on upscale, extended-stay and select-service properties including:
Leadership
Senior Leadership Team
Joe Berger
President & CEO
Ken Barrett
COO
Amol Kale
CTO
Don Goodman
EVP, Development & Capex (Full Service)
Scott Spurlock
SVP, Asset Management (Full Service)
John Tolbert
SVP, Asset Management (Full Service)
Cristina Little
SVP, Revenue & Profit Optimization (Full Service)
Kathryn Arbogast
VP & Assistant General Counsel
Michael Pajak
SVP of Investments
Heidi Brashear
VP of eCommerce
Khoa Ngo
VP of Financial Planning & Analysis
Mahesha Jayawardana
VP of Investments
Trista Huang
VP of Technology and Analytics
Cindy Castillo
AVP - Head of People
Select Service Asset Management
Nele Breitbart
SVP of Asset Management
Lisa Leenheer
VP, Revenue Optimization (Select Service)
Fouad Faraj
VP, Asset Management (Southeast)
Kristen Townes
VP, Asset Management
Steve Reiswig
Vice President, Design & Construction
Values
At BRE Hotels & Resorts, our team is lean and ambitious, driven to achieve industry leading results within a framework of shared values that guide our actions and inform our decisions. We foster a positive, professional culture by encouraging our colleagues to:
History
Staying Ahead of the Times
BRE Hotels & Resorts traces its roots to Blackstone Real Estate Group’s 2004 acquisition of Boca Resorts Inc. BRE’s predecessor WHM was formed to manage Boca’s five distinctive destination properties in prime Florida locations, including the famed Boca Raton Resort & Club. Wyndham International was acquired the following year, a transaction that led to the creation of LXR Luxury Resorts to comprise not only Wyndham’s luxury portfolio – 14 full-service hotels, resorts and spas throughout the United States, Puerto Rico and the Caribbean – but also the Boca Collection and Prime Hospitality’s proprietary full-service brand.
BRE’s current platform was established in 2013 with the purchase of a select service portfolio from Apple REIT. Since then BRE Hotels & Resorts has expanded its asset base to include all chain scales with a focus on luxury and upper upscale resorts. A shrewd approach to hotel acquisitions continues to expand the platform’s reach into diverse markets with strong demand generators. This dynamic portfolio emphasizes profitability, with a proven strategy to significantly re-invest in acquired assets to improve guest experience and thus enhance share. The result is a powerful investment vehicle focused on long-term hold for a steady income stream.
Responsibility
Be the Difference
BRE Hotels & Resorts takes seriously our commitment to corporate responsibility, with efforts focused on environmental stewardship and community outreach. Some recent highlights include:
Supporting Local Communities
- The Turtle Bay Resort Foundation awarded $100,000 in scholarships to 41 students in Q2 2022; the awards propel the Foundation's giving to more than $1MM in scholarships
- Hyatt Regency Atlanta held an event as part of Hyatt's “Change Starts Here” initiative to support more than 25 African American-owned small businesses
- BRE Full-Service Hotels implemented a Refugee Program to actively recruit and employ refugees at multiple full service properties
Sustainability Initiatives
- A property-wide LED lighting upgrade at the Arizona Biltmore will be complete in Q3'22 and is expected to reduce electric usage by 30% over '19 annually
- 18 new water efficiency initiatives are underway at select service hotels. These projects are estimated to save over 8M gallons annually
- Hotel Kabuki’s LED lighting upgrade is expected to decrease electricity usage by 422K kWh annually
- Ritz‐Carlton Maui’s water efficiency project is expected to decrease property‐wide water usage by 11% annually
BRE Hotels & Resorts is proud of our partnership with CoreGiving. 1 in 4 children in America struggles with hunger, and CoreGiving gives our company the opportunity to raise awareness and make a meaningful impact in our local communities by providing funds that directly fight child hunger. Follow CoreGiving for more information.
Facebook: @CoreGiving Twitter: @CoreGiving
Instagram: @CoreGiving Linkedin: @CoreGiving
In an effort to share aloha with resort employees, The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua prepared and distributed care packages of fresh food to its more than 600 team members. They also donated more than 1500 canned goods and monetary donations to the Maui Food Bank and provided 12 cases of personal care items. Great job Ritz-Carlton Kapalua!
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Grand Wailea is investing in the local community and in the spirit of aloha. Our beautiful resort pledges to continue to make Maui a better place for its ohana, guests and the people of Hawaii.
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Blackstone fund owned hotels, Grand Wailea and The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua, partnered with the Maui Food Bank to distribute 2,000 food packages to local families during drive-through events hosted by employee volunteers at the resorts on Friday. In total, the Grand Wailea and The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua donated a combined $100,000 to feed families across the island.
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