Greenville-based Hospitality America celebrates two decades of hotel management
February 13, 2017
This year, Hospitality America, with offices in Nashville, TN and Greenville, will celebrate twenty years of developing and managing hotels across the US and in the Caribbean. The company was founded in 1995 by CEO Chris Cargen and currently operates 17 hotels with over 2,000 rooms. The Hospitality America portfolio consists primarily of Marriott and Hilton branded properties, five of which are managed here in the Upstate, with one currently in development.
“We are a unique organization compared to other hotel management companies across the country. One feature that sets us apart is the tenure of our employees. I joined Hospitality America 17 years ago and the majority of our employees have been with us for more than 10 years. That’s very rare in our business,” said David Berger, VP of Operations for Hospitality America. “The result is that Hospitality America clients develop a level of trust in our team because of our knowledge of them and their specific needs.”
Actively engaged in the bustling Greenville community, David Berger sits on the Board of Directors for Artisphere and Visit Greenville SC, two organizations who seek to celebrate the natural and multicultural beauty of Greenville. By way of Hospitality America’s dynamic engagement with clients, David has supported local organizations that are committed to the diverse community of Greenville.
“We are a boutique company, with strategic flexibility allowing us to very effectively compete with larger management companies. Our advantage is that we have autonomy to operate each hotel independently. While we certainly follow brand standards and operating procedures, the management approach is customized to the particular property, unburdened by rigid, large-company policies and mandates. When the hotel is a new-build, the partnership with the development company begins pre-construction. They trust us and want our input from site selection, room count, room mix and more. After opening, our mission is to develop a special relationship with the guests at the hotels. We make each feel valued and work hard to ensure that every guest has the best possible experience,” said Beth Harris, Embassy Suites Greenville Downtown Riverplace area director of sales and marketing.
Hospitality America’s first client when they opened the doors in 1995 was Bo Aughtry of Windsor Aughtry Hotel Group. The project at that time was a 77-room Hampton Inn in Johnson City, Tennessee. The company sold the hotel just last year, but managed it for over 20 years which is typical of the partnering relationship with its owners. As Windsor Aughtry’s family of hotels grew, so did the relationship with Hospitality America. To date, the two companies have worked together on a total of 20 projects all over the Southeast. Hospitality America’s most recent addition to its managed properties in the Upstate is the Embassy Suites Greenville Downtown Riverplace, a 156 all-suites hotel located in the heart of downtown Greenville.
“During our 22 year relationship, I have never had a reason to consider engaging another hotel management company. Hospitality America and the dedicated team have worked extremely hard to earn our business year after year. The 156 suite Embassy Suites Greenville Downtown Riverplace opened its doors in September and we couldn’t have done it without the Hospitality America team,” said Bo Aughtry, principal at Windsor Aughtry Hotel Group.
Hospitality America currently manages 521 rooms throughout the Upstate including the Courtyard Marriott Greenville Downtown, Hampton Inn and Suites Greenville Downtown Riverplace, Embassy Suites Greenville Downtown Riverplace and the Hampton Inn on Woodruff Road. They will also manage the Residence Inn by Marriott Greenville I-85 at the Point when it opens in Spring of 2018.
About Hospitality America
Hospitality America is a full-service hotel management company that presently operates nationally and internationally with 17 hotels under management, 2 under construction and 5 additional hotels in various stages of development. Services include operations management, accounting, sales and marketing, development and renovations, asset management and consulting. Upper 25 by Occupancy, ADR and RevPAR. Top 100 Hotel Management Companies – HOTEL BUSINESS. For more information visit www.hospitalityamerica.com.
