Darien Wright

We believe partnering with Starwood Digital Ventures positions MARA to participate meaningfully in the highest demand segments of the data center market, including enterprise, hyperscale and AI, where institutional credibility, development certainty, and tenant relationships are decisive competitive advantages.

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Barry Sternlicht sees trouble brewing for big hotel chains. The Starwood founder warns that nimble upstarts will steal their market share one social media post at a time.

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Moneyball for Hotels: How a $12 Billion Asset Management Firm Finds Value "HotelAVE (short for Asset Value Enhancement) has found millions in additional profit at properties by questioning conventional wisdom about everything from housekeeping schedules to room pricing strategies." https://hubs.li/Q03FXwN20

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Noble Brings Data-Driven Discipline to a Slower Market Noble’s Dustin Fisher spoke to CoStar News Hotels (Hotel News Now) about the slowdown in hotel transaction activity and why Noble continues to evaluate and pursue opportunities as others remain on the sidelines. “We’re looking at real-time performance, we’re looking at pace, we’re looking at forward bookings, and we really don’t see this stark erosion that I think you’re seeing characterized in the marketplace right now,” said Fisher. "People that have a lodging mandate will ultimately look back at this period of stagnation and transaction activity as a time they likely missed good buying opportunities." Read the full article in CoStar News: https://lnkd.in/eCrpNvKf #NobleEndeavors 

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Starwood Capital Group's CEO Barry Sternlicht says AI is accelerating a major shift in real estate, driving job cuts and pushing billions into data centers as major firms overhaul their investment strategies. Here’s what you need to know: 🔹 AI now replaces work of entire teams, speeding layoffs. 🔹 Starwood is investing $20B into data centers with major AI tenants. 🔹 Leaders warn AI infrastructure needs may outpace economic capacity. 🔗 Full story in the comments below.

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Thoughtful succession planning is key to long-term success in hospitality. In her latest article, Alice Sherman shares insights on how organizations can proactively build leadership pipelines and future-proof their business. 📖 Read the full article on HotelExecutive here: https://lnkd.in/disbXeSb #SuccessionPlanning #HospitalityLeadership #FutureReady #HVSExecutiveSearch #LeadershipDevelopment HVS

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A Seyfarth team led by Atlanta partners Tom Gryboski and Catherine Morgen represented Noble Investment Group in its acquisition of a 35-hotel Sonesta Simply Suites portfolio. “This transaction is a strong example of how our hospitality platform helps clients execute complex, multi-jurisdictional portfolio deals,” said Catherine. “Coordinating 35 assets totaling more than 4,000 rooms across 19 states and 25 markets requires deep sector experience and an integrated team to deliver a structure that supports both operational efficiency and long-term value creation.” “Our team focused on aligning brand, management, and ownership interests across all 35 properties for scaling efficiently while preserving flexibility at the asset level,” added Tom. “It’s exactly the kind of full-cycle, solution-oriented work our hospitality practice is built to deliver.” Learn more about this transaction here: https://ow.ly/wWcr50XGV0W

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Despite market headwinds, smart deal-making never stops. Our SVP of Acquisitions & Dispositions, Michael Bernath, was featured in a recent article in CoStar News discussing how Peachtree Group navigates today’s hospitality investment landscape. From renovation timing to sourcing materials, Michael shares how we approach every acquisition with a long-term, strategic lens. Read more → https://lnkd.in/eC5M_QgR #PeachtreeGroup #HospitalityInvestment #Acquisitions #InTheNews

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The hospitality capital markets conversation has shifted. Jonathan Morrow and Carter Gradwell break down the most important takeaways from ALIS 2026 that are shaping investment strategy in 2026, from liquidity trends to lender appetite and transaction pacing. Read the full article:https://bit.ly/3MREmiS #WalkerDunlop #CRE #Hospitailty #CommercialRealEstate #CapitalMarkets #ALIS2026 #ALIS26 #RealEstate #Insights #ThoughtLeadership

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A&M Managing Directors Doug Lowrie and Hunt Holsomback share their perspectives in Merger & Acquisitions Magazine’s October 2025 feature of “Stuck in the Middle.” They discuss how rising costs, tighter margins, and upcoming debt maturities are putting pressure on middle-market hotel owners, creating new opportunities for stressed and distressed transactions. With lenders beginning to sell loans and private equity firms targeting prime locations, deal activity in the hotel sector remains strong. Read the full article: https://okt.to/GP4Sqx #AMon #Hospitality #MandA #DistressedInvesting #PrivateEquity Paul Aversano, Jonathan Gibbons, Philip Mitchell, Fabio G. Pires, Ashish Bansal, Bhavik Hathi, Xuong Liu, Stella Yuan, David Willis, Paul Licursi, Kate Lowry

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New Episode Out Now: The Business of Hospitality, The Heart of Leadership with Pierre-Louis Giacotto | SVP Asset Management, AJ Capital Partners What does it really take to bridge the gap between hotel operators and ownership? How do we create greater alignment across stakeholders - while still honoring the human side of leadership? In this episode of The Power of Hospitality, I sit down with Pierre-Louis Giacotto to explore what happens when decades of on-property experience meet the strategic lens of ownership. Now overseeing a diverse portfolio at AJ Capital Partners - including iconic hotels like the Chicago Athletic Association and Coral Sands in The Bahamas - Pierre-Louis shares how trust, communication, and empathy are essential for asset value and leadership impact. We talk about: 🔹 The mindset shift from operator to asset manager 🔹 How to build trust across the owner-operator relationship 🔹 Why hospitality still comes down to people This one is for hotel leaders, GMs, owners, and anyone who believes great leadership is a force multiplier. Listen now: https://lnkd.in/emXcHTxT Watch on YouTube: https://lnkd.in/e-nGE_r6 If this conversation speaks to you, please consider sharing or tagging someone it might inspire.

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LOAN NEWS: Berkadia has arranged a highly structured $353 million capital solution on behalf of Kemmons Wilson Hospitality Partners and Ascendant Capital Partners in connection with the acquisition and privatization of Sotherly Hotels, a publicly traded hotel company that owns a portfolio of 10 assets across the Southeast United States. https://lnkd.in/gCBFb9Xa

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McWin Capital Partners and TriSpan eye bite of Flat Iron in £50m steakhouse deal. Sources indicate McWin, which already backs hospitality brands including Sticks'n'Sushi, Big Mamma Group, and GAIL's, will likely take the largest economic interest in the transaction. Flat Iron previously appointed Houlihan Lokey in October 2024 to explore strategic options, including a potential sale. The company aims to open four to five new sites annually as part of its expansion plan. The deal underscores private equity’s ongoing interest in fast-growing, scalable restaurant brands with strong unit economics. Read more: https://lnkd.in/dGBStybg #PEInsights #privateequity #acquisition #hospitality

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The hospitality market is shifting fast. Costs are climbing, capital is tightening, and owners are being forced to rethink how they plan, design, and build. In his latest article for HotelExecutive, Chief Revenue Officer Scott Lowe explores how owners can navigate today’s economic pressures. He also breaks down why strategies like design-build, early collaboration, and data-driven decision-making are helping teams deliver high-performing hotels — including Populus in Denver and Nobu Hotel Atlanta. Dive into Scott’s perspective on what it takes to build smarter in today's market: https://loom.ly/10UGIJs #DesignBuild #HospitalityDesign #HospitalityConstruction #HospitalityDevelopment

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Kemmons Wilson Hospitality Partners, a hospitality-focused investment management firm, and Ascendant Capital Partners, a vertically integrated real estate investment, development and operating platform, agreed to acquire Sotherly Hotels Inc., the owner of a portfolio of full-service hotels located in the high-growth markets of the Southern US, for $46.3m. Sotherly Hotels (led by Drew Sims) is advised by Piper Sandler and Frost Brown Todd (led by Jeffrey Hallos and James Giesel). KWHP (led by Webb Wilson, CFA) is advised by Bass, Berry & Sims (led by Richard Mattern), Milbank LLP and Berkadia. Ascendant (led by Alex Halpern) is advised by Gasthalter & Co. LP (led by Nathaniel Garnick). https://lnkd.in/dG3TBNYT #MergersAcquisitionsDivestitures #HospitalityInvestment #RealEstate

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In his June article for Restaurant Finance Monitor, MMB’s Dennis Monroe, JD, MBA offers ideas for restaurant operators on how to effectively prepare for and approach lease renegotiation meetings with landlords. Takeaways include: - Assess whether there’s demand for your space or if the market is limited. - Review the provisions in your lease regarding what defines “sales” when determining percentage rent.  - Consider the possibility of purchasing the real estate as a strategic move. For more insights, explore the full article here: https://lnkd.in/dvjc--t4 #RestaurantFinance #RestaurantBusiness #BusinessStrategy

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Hilton's SF hotel portfolio sold for $404 million, 74.1% below its original $1.56 billion appraisal. More from our #CMBS Newsflash: https://lnkd.in/eVvH9ST9 #CRE

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