GB Lodging appoints Rodriguez as executive vice president president

According to GB Lodging, LCC, a hotel investment, development and asset management firm, Dionis Rodriguez, a 14-year hotel industry veteran, has been appointed executive vice president and will be responsible for the group's acquisition and development efforts. Prior to joining GB Lodging, Rodriguez was managing partner at Optimus Hotel Partners, where he was responsible for an international portfolio exceeding 1,000 hotel rooms. Prior to Optimus, he was vice president at Amstar Group, a leading US real estate private equity firm, where he led the Asia region, including a portfolio of eight hotels. Prior to Amstar, Rodriguez held key positions at AIG Global Real Estate, New Castle Hotels and HVS International. He received an undergraduate degree from the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration and an MBA from Harvard Business School. Dionis is also Founder & Co-President of the Harvard Business School Real Estate Alumni Association. "We're delighted to have Dionis lead our acquisition and development efforts given his 14 years of impressive investment, advisory and asset management experience, hallmarks of successful value-enhancement specialists" said Bruce Blum, President & Co-Founder. GB Lodging was formed in 2011 by Allen Gross and Bruce Blum. Under the leadership of Allen Gross, GFI Capital Group has successfully acquired and developed numerous commercial real estate projects in NYC and other top US metro areas during the past 30 years. In the lodging sector, GFI is owner, developer and asset manager of the highly touted boutiques Ace Hotel New York and Ace Hotel & Swim Club Palm Springs, as well as the operator of NoMad Hotel New York, which is scheduled to open in May, 2012. Blum, former Partner at The Chartres Lodging Group, and former President, Doral Hotels & Resorts, brings 28 years of principal oriented hotel experience. GB Lodging is uniquely focused on investment, development and asset management activities exclusively in the hospitality industry. Coupled with its ability to utilize GFI's resources, such as its development, brokerage and insurance businesses, the firm has several competitive advantages over typical hotel investment firms. GB Lodging will continue to focus on historic hotels where it can combine a unique building/location with leading brands/strategies at compelling investment bases in transitioning neighborhoods of major US cities. Also, the firm invests in independent and branded hotels where an opportunity exists to be all-in at an attractive basis, execute a product repositioning/rebranding, as well as lead a management turnaround in partnership with select operators.