UK / EMEA

Areas of Expertise: Asset Management, Due diligence, Feasibility Studies, Hotel operator selection, Investment Analysis, Investment Management, Management Contract Negotiations, Owner Representation, Shareholder Management

Alex has over twenty years’ experience in investment managing hospitality and mixed use assets through all stages of the investment cycle –concept, feasibility, design, pre-opening, operating, asset management, pre-sale and disposal.  Over this time he has worked in five continents and been responsible for over $7 billion of global hospitality assets over both portfolio and single asset transactions and spans a multitude of global brands and operators.  From an operational perspective he has conducted numerous business reviews identifying areas for business repositioning, revenue enhancement and cost control as well as conducting ongoing reviews, regular reporting on business operations and stakeholder management.

Areas of Expertise: Market Entry Strategy, Market Studies, Operator Selection / Contract Negotiation, Sales & Marketing Strategy, Sales Planning

David Atkinson is an expert in marketing, sales and distribution who works with organisations helping them deliver superior results. He provides in depth sales, marketing and development expertise combined with extensive operational experience for both internationally branded and independent hotels, and broader travel and tourism companies in the EMEAI regions.

Areas of Expertise: Accounting & Controlling, Desktop Valuations, Feasibility Studies, Investment appraisal

David White specialises in analysing and modelling business performance and informing and challenging strategic and operational decision-making with a track record of delivering a range of expertise within the hospitality industry over 20+ years.  He combines a strong financial background with knowledge of systems and operations to inform a whole picture approach to high level initiatives and business restructure. David has a record of leading and participating in teams formulating and delivering strategies to optimise performance and deliver results in the areas of financial and organisational management, acquisition, disposal and MBO transactions, organisation restructure, investment in capital projects and maximising the value of assets.

Areas of Expertise: Concept Studies & Design, Design Reviews / Technical Services, Food & Beverage Concepts, Spa & Wellness Concepts

Deirdre Renniers is an award-winning interior and environmental designer. Her projects have been cited in the Tatler Awards, Conde Nast Traveller Hot List and TripAdvisor Traveler’s Choice Awards. Her passion for delivering an amazing customer experience through interior environments has taken her into airport lounges and as far as tea plantations.

Areas of Expertise: Due diligence, Hotel management contracts

Douglas has over 35 years’ experience in the hospitality and leisure sector advising hotel/resort owners and developers on both legal and commercial aspect of hotel management and franchise agreements.

Areas of Expertise: Benchmarking performance, Business Review / hoteldoctor, Business turnaround, Management Contract Negotiations, Mystery Guest, Operational Due-diligence / Process Improvements, Owner Representation, Pre-opening & Turn-key Management, Standard Operating Procedures & Operations, Training Plans and Concepts

Duncan MacArthur consults on all aspects of operational excellence in hotels, resorts and mixed use developments including those with leisure components such as Golf and Spa. Duncan has worked extensively in a leadership capacity within the hospitality and leisure industry. His experience covers project management, general management, property management, sales and marketing, food and beverage management, human resource management, and training and development. He has lived and worked in Africa, the Caribbean, the Middle East, Asia and Europe.

Areas of Expertise: Property Investments & Acquisitions

Hotel Solutions Partnership launched its Hotel Acquisition division, headed by Elena Tsap, a few years ago with a view to identifying and advising on acquisition opportunities for our clients who range from high net worth individuals, hotel operators, family offices as well as large investment funds.

Areas of Expertise: Brand management, Distribution Analysis & Strategies, Market Entry Strategy, Market Studies, Operational Due-diligence / Process Improvements, Pre-opening & Turn-key Management, Revenue Management, Sales & Marketing Strategy, Sales Planning

Ewa Kossakowska has 25 years’ sales and marketing experience in the hospitality, travel and tourism industries. On behalf of Hotel Solutions Partnership she recently prepared market studies and advised on the business plans for a boutique hotel in Krakow, and a 5-star hotel as well as extended stay hotel in Wroclaw.

Areas of Expertise: Benchmarking performance, Concept planning, Development strategy, Feasibility Studies, Hotel management contracts, Hotel operator selection, Investment appraisal, Shared ownership

Gabrielle Gambina advises investors, developers, banks and hotel owners on a range of investment issues, from the improvement of hotel cash flow through to a range of operational improvements, assisting both owners and banks to decrease debt.

Areas of Expertise: Asset Management, Concept Studies & Design, Management of Acquisition & Development Processes, Operational Due-diligence / Process Improvements, Operator Selection / Contract Negotiation, Owner Representation, Pre-opening & Turn-key Management, Pre-sale Asset Preparations

Greg Place joins Hotel Solutions Partnership as the UK EMEA Team’s Pre-opening and Turn-key Management consultant. Following 25 years’ experience at a senior level in both operational leadership and development within the hotel and leisure sector, Greg set up his own practice, Hotel Creations with Jon Barker in 2012. He is an expert at planning and delivering the numerous and intricate steps leading up to a successful hotel opening.

Areas of Expertise: Design and Documentation Reviews, Design of hotel and resort projects, Due diligence, Feasibility Studies, Technical and Sustainability Guidelines, Technical Independent Client Advisor

Gregoir has over 40 years of international experience in the design, management and delivery of sustainable projects worldwide working closely with developers, architects and non-aligned think tanks. In his 35 years with Arup in London as Director and later as the Head of Arup Global Hospitality, he has been involved with more than one hundred hospitality projects. As a mechanical engineer and designer Gregoir has focused on delivering sustainable and low-energy design projects in the built environment. The role demanded an understanding of engineering in relation to reuse, remanufacturing, recycling and the effects of carbon emissions.

Areas of Expertise: Concept Studies & Design, Construction Project Management / Construction Financial Control, Design of hotel and resort projects, Design Reviews / Technical Services, Development strategy, Identification of Acquisition & Development Opportunities, Management of Acquisition & Development Processes, Owner Representation, Technical Services

Ian went back into Private Practice in 2002, after 20 years in the Development and Hotel Industry as both a Consultant in private practice, and also Development Director of a number of Hotel Groups. He has experience working in the UK, Africa, Europe and the Caribbean on a number of new-build and refurbishment hotels and resorts. With degrees in Quantity Surveying and Project Management, Ian offers Technical Services covering the Design of Hotels, as well as Project Management, Construction Financial Control, Quantity Surveying and FF&E Procurement for Hotel Projects.

Areas of Expertise: Hotel operator selection, Pre-opening & Turn-key Management, Sales & Marketing Strategy

Specialising in sales & marketing and opening boutique hotels, Jankarl provides expert guidance throughout the pre-opening, launch and operational phases. He has worked within the luxury hotel and resort sector since 2000.

Areas of Expertise: Brand management, Concept planning, Concept Studies & Design, Design of hotel and resort projects, Design Reviews / Technical Services, Development strategy

Jon Barker has 20 years’ professional experience at a senior level working in consultancies, including Peter Leonard Associates, David Davies Associates, Landor and BDG McColl, where he left the position of Creative Director to set up his own practice in 2002.

Areas of Expertise: Market Studies, Mystery Guest, Pre-opening & Turn-key Management, Sales & Marketing Strategy, Sales Planning

Karina Vilanova has been in the hotel industry for almost 20 years providing in depth experience in Sales & Marketing and Rooms Division.   Karina is a sales and marketing expert with a strong background in operations. She has lived and worked in seven different countries where she was involved in developing and opening hotels for international chains and independent properties.

Areas of Expertise: Asset Management, Concept planning, Development strategy, Hotel Strategy, Innovation and Execution, Identification of Acquisition & Development Opportunities, Management of Acquisition & Development Processes, Market Entry Strategy, Operator Selection / Contract Negotiation, Owner Representation, Pre-sale Asset Preparations

As CEO of Hotel Solutions Partnership Ltd, Katrina Craig heads a network of over 30 hotel industry experts offering advisory, short-term management and acquisition and investment support. The partnership has teams based in the Americas, UK EMEA and Asia Pacific.

Areas of Expertise: Advisory & Team Selection, Architecture Design, Design of hotel and resort projects, Masterplan Design

Kevin  is a design leader in the creation of large-scale integrated resorts and boutique projects. His 30 years of diverse international experience brings together design services and construction oversight and management.  He visualises first stage concept designs that integrate with brand and identity creation. He goes beyond typical front-end services to incorporating costings, engineering, and speciality consultants as needed.

Developing a large integrated resort is a complex task, with diverse elements. Kevin provides Design Management and Advisory services including ‘big picture concepts’ and the selection and appointment of key people in brand, identity, design, engineering and construction.

Areas of Expertise: Asset Management, Concept planning, Concept Studies & Design, Design Reviews / Technical Services, Development strategy, Hotel operator selection, Hotel Strategy, Innovation and Execution, Identification of Acquisition & Development Opportunities, Owner Representation, Sustainability

Miguel Ruano has rejoined Hotel Solutions Partnership in 2018 as Project Conceptualisation and Development Strategist. He is a registered architect and planner with 35+ years’ experience in global real estate design and development projects, especially on mixed-use and hospitality, and has served in senior development and technical roles within Marriott, IHG and Aman. Miguel is an expert in assessing hotel and resort opportunities, formulating their USPs, competitive positioning and development strategy and has specialised in project conceptualisation, design management and project management strategy. Miguel also supports hotel companies in the formation and deployment of innovation platforms and growth strategies and is Co-Founder of Hotel2030, a platform for discussing, developing and acting on future changes for the hospitality industry.

Areas of Expertise: Asset Management, Business turnaround, Hotel operator selection, Hotel Strategy, Innovation and Execution, Owner Representation

Neville Ablitt is a highly experienced senior director in the hospitality sector, having gained financial, operational and development experience over more than three decades. He has held board positions and senior management roles for many years and now sits on various Boards in executive, non-executive and advisory roles.

Areas of Expertise: Accounting & Controlling, Asset Management, Business turnaround, Desktop Valuations, Due diligence, Investment appraisal, Mergers and Acquisitions, Risk Management, Standard Operating Procedures & Operations

Philippe works on systems design and processes in the Finance, Administration and Operational areas of a business.  He has in-depth experience in procedural solutions and his strong finance background and operational knowledge results in sound and robust solutions to the most difficult of finance and control assignments.  Whilst covering all areas typically associated with Director of Finance or Chief Audit Executive responsibility, he has a particular emphasis on Risk Management, Internal Controls, GDPR, and Internal Audit.

Areas of Expertise: Human Resource Audits & Managerial Design, Mystery Guest, Standard Operating Procedures & Operations, Training Plans and Concepts

Rosie Hobbs specialises in designing and implementing organisation development solutions to support hotel companies with their start up, change or expansion objectives. With over 25 years of international hospitality experience in multicultural environments, her particular expertise is in the people development arena, designing and delivering best practice processes and training initiatives to realise performance potential and competitive advantage.

Areas of Expertise: Sales & Marketing Strategy, Sales Planning, Set up and establishing new brands and destinations

Seema has over 25 years of experience and is an expert in driving and optimizing hotel revenue streams, outpacing competitors and visibility in target markets and segments in the hospitality arena while utilizing the latest strategic planning, design methodologies as well as innovative strategies that enhance brand image across industry and key markets.

She specializes in the overall commercial set up, hands on set up of teams as well as in optimizing sales, marketing and revenue channels to maximize revenue driving opportunities.

Having been an integral part of local homegrown brands as well as large hotel chains, Seema has a deep understanding and experience in setting up leading commercial teams and strategies which are instrumental in driving top line revenues.

Areas of Expertise: Asset Management, Due Diligences to Support Transactions, Feasibility Studies, Investment appraisal, Market Studies, Operator Selection / Contract Negotiation, Owner Representation

Simon is a very experienced hotel adviser, who has appraised and valued many hundreds of hotels and hotel development projects throughout the UK, Europe and MEA during a 25-year career in hotel consultancy. Prior to consultancy, Simon spent nine years in operational roles with Hyatt International, including 13 hotel openings on four continents. Simon will conduct bespoke local research and analysis of hotel concepts and business models. He will advise on hotel investments, developments, acquisitions and business plans, and he will prepare HSP’s financial forecasts and commercial recommendations. He will also undertake the operator search and selection process.