Cayuga provides a full range of asset management and strategic advisory services to owners and potential owners of hotel and resort investments. Cayuga’s Consultants add focus and provide strategic direction to owner objectives, then represent owner interests in dealing with franchisors, managers and other parties. We employ a multi-disciplined approach which encompasses operations, real estate, finance, construction, legal issues, marketing issues and risk issues to provide oversight, analysis and counsel to add value and maximize return to the owner. Senior-level asset managers assist with asset/portfolio acquisition, due diligence, strategic planning, value enhancement, exit strategy development, asset oversight, financing strategies and risk management. We bring experience and relationships with franchise companies and management company executives, as well as specialized consultants whom we may recommend to solve problems or exploit opportunities in areas such as staff planning, purchasing, property positioning and real estate tax appeals. For new projects or major repositioning, we may coordinate and cooperate with experts from Cayuga’s Brand Services and/or Development Consulting Groups.
Cayuga’s Asset Management Services include:
- Development Planning
- Financial modeling; return analysis
- Due diligence
- Brand selection, franchise negotiation
- Management company selection and contract negotiation
- Financing strategies
- Exit strategy formulation
- Asset Oversight
- Market competitive position and potentials
- Operational quality reviews
- Operating performance effectiveness
- Organization structure and staff utilization
- Sales and marketing strategies and effectiveness
- Yield management and pricing decisions
- SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) Assessment
- Budget and business plan approvals
- Capital expenditure planning and control
- Operator best practices
- Management contract and regulatory compliance
- Brand standards and brand relations
- Value enhancement opportunities
- Cash flow and funds utilization
Advisory Members
The following members are available through Cayuga to provide a full range of consulting services.
R. Eric Bettelheim (Las Vegas, NV)
President of The Ascona Group, with more than 30 years operations and consulting experience, primarily in the deluxe category of hotels and resorts worldwide. The Ascona Group specializes in project consulting, development, condominium hotel/resort development, pre-opening project management, executive search, operator selection, management contract negotiation, operations analysis, and asset and interim management of hotels and resorts in the US and abroad.Visit his site
at www.asconagroup.com.
James E. Burr, CHA (Chicago, IL)
President of Burr Company, based in Chicago. More than 40 years of industry experience, including consulting at the Principal level, franchise operations and managing or asset managing hotels totaling over $900 million in asset value, including Embassy Suites, Hilton, Holiday Inn, Hyatt, Marriott, Sheraton and the Essex House, New York City, which operated under both the St. Regis and Westin brands. Cayuga’s Asset Management Group Leader.
William J. Callnin, CHA (Virginia Beach, VA)
Cayuga Chairman and Managing Director, specializing in development and operations analyses of casinos; Group Leader, Casino Gaming Group (a division of Cayuga), an international, full-service gaming consultancy. Casino design, operating procedures and internal controls, operations analyses, management-performance reviews, regulatory compliance audits, casino lease / management contract negotiations, asset management.
Shelly La Motte (Frederick, MD)
With over 20 years of diverse hospitality experience, including positions with two international CPA firms and a number of management positions in the hospitality industry, Shelly was also Acquisitions and Portfolio/Asset Manager for an international owner/operator, and Vice President of Asset Management for the JBG Companies, an investor/owner/developer in the Washington, DC area. Her asset management expertise relates to: hotels; inns; condo hotels; bed and breakfast facilities; time-share and interval ownership facilities; restaurants; casinos; golf courses; convention centers; mixed-use developments including office, retail and condominium; and, most other commercial real estate uses. She has handled assignments in Brazil, Chile, Mexico, the Caribbean, Bermuda and Australia, as well as throughout the U.S.
Thomas W. Lattin, CPA (Houston, TX)
CPA and Managing Director of his consultancy, Lattin & Associates, and a Professor at the Conrad N. Hilton College in Houston, teaching accounting, finance and advanced lodging management courses. Background includes positions with: PricewaterhouseCoopers, Patriot American Hospitality, Paine Webber, Coopers & Lybrand, and Laventhol & Horwath. Specializing in: litigation support and expert witness testimony dealing with hospitality industry financial issues and management contracts; procurement of debt and equity and other investment banking services including merger and acquisition; operational studies and reviews, management audits and profit improvements; and asset management services.
Rudolf W. Muenster (Berlin, Germany)
Managing Partner of RWM Hotel
Consult GmbH, founded in 1980 and active in 45 countries on four continents. Services provided include: feasibility studies (IFC, EU and others); privatization efforts (especially in Slovenia, Morocco for UNDP, Tanzania and Germany); hotel development, executive search and asset management for hotel owners and real estate companies in Germany, Slovenia, the U.S. and France. Fluent in German, English, French, Spanish, Italian and Indonesian.
Theodore A. Seale (Bethesda, MD)
President, THEO Consultants,
LLC: assists financial institutions, investors, owners, operators, attorneys and accountants in the evaluation of hospitality real estate assets. THEO offers consulting services to corporate, REIT and individual owners and operators of hotels, motels, resorts, inns, bed and breakfasts, country and city clubs, restaurants and health clubs. Services include market and economic research, appraisals and valuations, litigation support/expert witness testimony, financial analyses and property asset management.
David M. Theophilus, CPA (Orlando, FL)
President, DMT Hospitality Advisors, Inc., providing professional services for hotels, resorts, condominiums and apartments. Thirty years of experience in the hospitality field. Specializing in asset management and litigation support including expert witness testimony.www.dmthosp.com
