Los Angeles, CA – January 24, 2017 - At the Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS) awards presentations today, executives and companies responsible for the most influential hotel industry deals in 2016 were honored with prestigious ALIS awards. Nominees are considered for the awards based on outstanding business performance in various industry sectors and determined by ALIS sponsors and delegates. This year’s winners include:

Development (Full Service) of the Year 2016

Note: Full Service includes branded and unbranded - luxury and upper upscale chain scales, and casinos.

• Marriott Marquis Houston – Houston, TX

The 1,000-room Marriott Marquis Houston was developed and owned by RIDA Development Corporation and ARES Management and is managed by Marriott International.

Development (Select/Limited Service) of the Year 2016

Note: Select/Limited Service includes branded and unbranded - upscale, upper midscale, midscale, and economy chain scales.

• Courtyard New York Downtown Manhattan/World Trade Center – New York, NY

The 317-room Courtyard New York Downtown Manhattan/World Trade Center was developed by Robert Finvarb Companies and Hidrock Properties and is managed by Concord Hospitality Enterprises Company.

Single Asset Transaction of the Year 2016

• LondonHouse Chicago – Chicago, IL

An affiliate of Union Investment Real Estate purchased the 452-room LondonHouse Chicago for approximately US$315 million through a sale-lease-management back transaction from an Oxford Group, LLC led venture with Angelo, Gordon, & Co.

Merger & Acquisition of the Year 2016

• Marriott International, Inc. / Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.

Marriott International, Inc. acquired Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. for approximately US $14.6 billion.

Jack A. Shaffer Financial Advisor of the Year 2016

• Amish Barot, Managing Director/Head of Americas, REGAL, Deutsche Bank

Thomas Corcoran, Jr. of FelCor Lodging Trust, JP Ford of Lodging Econometrics, John R. Karver of CBRE Hotels, and Benjamin Leahy of Goldman Sachs & Co. served as ALIS Awards Committee Chairs.

Thomas J. Corcoran, Jr., chairman of the board and co-founder of FelCor Lodging Trust, was also honored with the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award at the Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS), January 23-25, 2017 in Los Angeles. This prominent award is presented to an individual who has made significant contributions to the hospitality industry over his or her lifetime through their actions, deeds, and great accomplishments.

Co-hosted by the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) and Burba Hotel Network (BHN), the two-and-a-half-day ALIS event features an extensive array of seminars and panels hosted by leading experts and investors discussing important trends and identifying new opportunities. The conference attracts the lodging industry’s leading hotel executives, investors, lenders, developers, and professional advisory community. Proceeds from ALIS benefit the educational, research, and training missions of the American Hotel & Lodging Education Foundation (AHLEF), AHLA’s nonprofit affiliate. For information on the Foundation, visit www.ahlef.com.

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Serving the hospitality industry for more than a century, the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) is the sole national association representing all segments of the 8 million jobs the U.S. lodging industry supports, including hotel owners, REITs, chains, franchisees, management companies, independent properties, bed and breakfasts, state hotel associations, and industry suppliers. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., AHLA focuses on strategic advocacy, communications support, and educational resources for an industry that advances long-term career opportunities for employees, invests in local communities across the country and hosts more than one billion guests’ stays in American hotels every year. AHLA proudly represents a dynamic hotel industry of more than 54,000 properties that supports $1.1 trillion in U.S. sales and generates nearly $170 billion in taxes to local, state and federal governments. Learn more at www.AHLA.com.

AHLEF is the charitable fund-raising and endowed fund-management subsidiary of the American Hotel & Lodging Association. Founded in 1953, AHLEF is the premier organization for scholarships, professional certification, and instructional material as well as funding for hospitality industry research.

BHN is the worldwide leader in developing and organizing conferences for the hotel and tourism investment community. With three decades of experience, over 130 events completed to-date, and more than 90,000 international delegates, BHN conferences have become “must attend” events for industry leaders who come together to network, conduct business, and to learn about the latest trends.

BHN events include: the Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS) in Los Angeles; ALIS Law in Los Angeles; ALIS Summer Update; Alternative Ownership Conference Asia Pacific (AOCAP) in Singapore; Caribbean Hotel & Resort Investment Summit (CHRIS) in Miami; Hotel Investment Conference Asia Pacific (HICAP) in Hong Kong; HICAP UPDATE in Singapore; Hotel Investment Forum India (HIFI) in Mumbai; Hotel Opportunities Latin America (HOLA) conference in Miami; and Hotel Investment Conference Europe (Hot.E) in London.

The BHN website at www.Burba.com is the gateway for information about the conferences BHN produces, as well as a direct link to important players in the hospitality investment world.