OTH Hotels Resorts (OTH), has appointed James Hansen as the company’s new Chief Development Officer. Hansen brings nearly 25 years of executive level industry leadership experience to his newly minted position at OTH, where he will work directly with CEO Todd Felsen to power the company’s aggressive growth strategy and long-term domestic and international expansion plans.
Hansen’s vast industry experience encompasses all facets of revenue-focused hospitality and asset management strategy including roles in sales, operations, finance, and marketing, with a proven track record of exceeding revenue, unit growth, profitability, and return targets for owners and stakeholders. Most recently, he served as Executive Vice President of Business Development for Hotel Equities, an owner, operator, and development firm managing a portfolio of more than 250 hotels and resorts throughout the United States and Canada. During his tenure with Hotel Equities, he oversaw the company’s business development team stationed within the domestic and Canadian markets and was responsible for growing its third-party management platform. Prior to Hotel Equities, Hansen served as Vice President, Sales & Marketing and Asset Manager for Florida-based Kolter Hospitality. An integral member of Kolter’s founding leadership team, Hansen was responsible for developing the company’s revenue, sales, and marketing operational standards including branding, revenue management, sales processes and automation, RFP processes, and all strategic planning guidelines for the company’s $200 million portfolio.
Additionally, his resume includes sales and marketing oversight roles with Interstate Hotels & Resorts, a subsidiary of global third-party management leader Aimbridge Hospitality, as well as at several top east coast hotels and resorts including Hilton Palm Beach Airport, Hilton Singer Island Oceanfront Resort, Crowne Plaza Oceanfront, and Holiday Inn West Conference Center/Ramada Inn & Suites. Hansen holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Hospitality & Tourism Management from the University of Florida in Gainesville, and a Master of Business Administration degree from Northwood University, MI. He will remain based out of OTH’s newly opened offices in Palm Beach, Florida.
Hansen’s appointment as Chief Development Officer arrives in tandem with an exciting growth period for OTH. The company is strategically positioning itself for robust expansion in 2024 and beyond by escalating its operations in key, high-barrier-to-entry markets across the United States and the Caribbean, centered on adding significant third-party management agreements. In addition to third-party management, OTH is actively pursuing new development deals, identifying opportunities to partner with owners and sponsors that require expertise in development services to help launch both branded and independent hotels in several of the US and Caribbean’s top destinations.
