History
Our history runs deep with industry ties dating back to 1948 as Seymour N. Logan Associates, a Chicago based real estate firm with a concentration in ownership and management of hospitality assets through its wholly owned subsidiary, Associated Hotels, LLC. The organization focused on hospitality and real estate investments that presented opportunities for improved performance through better oversight, financial controls and asset repositioning through renovation and brand change.
Since inception, our unique management approach has operated with an entrepreneurial attitude and fiscal discipline, focusing on bottom line results that drive owner returns.
In 2019, with the ever-changing dynamics in the lodging industry, our leadership team along with our strategic owners/partners identified underserved areas of support within the lodging segment. Based on our experience and the recent consolidation of 3rd party management companies over the last several years, we have identified a lack of robust management company support for small to mid-sized hospitality assets in the 80-300 room range.
Tackling this area of opportunity head on, our organization leveraged its existing platform and transformed Associated Hotels into Griffin Hotel Management, a personalized robust solution to hospitality management. The transformation to Griffin Hotel Management has resulted in a high value-added management company working on behalf of individual ownership groups and institutional investors to deliver exceptional owner returns. Griffin offers a custom-tailored approach with streamlined corporate operations, active property oversight and a direct focus on results.
The Team
Jay Fishman, Managing Partner & Chief Executive Officer
Jay brings diverse management expertise to Griffin Hotel Management. He joined the predecessor company to Griffin, Associated Hotels, in 1994 after serving as Senior Vice President of Hotel Investments at VMS Realty Partners. During his tenure with VMS he handled acquisitions, management, and disposition of over 40 hotels – including everything from mid-market assets to five-star resorts. His expertise includes the development and implementation of workout strategies and load restructuring, hotel repositioning, negotiation and administration of management and franchise agreements, and portfolio management. Prior to VMS, Jay worked in public accounting for several years. In 2003 he served as the President of the International Association of Holiday Inn Owners (IAHI) and remains active today, most recently as Vice Chairman of the IHG Rewards Club committee and Board Member. Jay graduated Indiana University with a B.S. in Accounting and is a CPA.
Joseph Gonzales, Partner & Chief Operating Officer
Joe’s diverse background is a differentiator that gives him a unique skillset and perspective as he leads the company’s growing portfolio. Joe is responsible for the daily operations and oversight, bringing over 25 years of operating expertise to Griffin Hotel Management. Joe has successfully provided leadership for multi-million-dollar properties with revenue streams of $50M+. He has been involved with all facets of the lodging sector including select service, full service and extended stay assets that encompassed owned and managed, third party management and institutional investors. In addition to his operations experience, Joe boasts a broad working knowledge of sales and marketing, pre-opening, and preventative maintenance programs for award winning hotels while working at Concord Hospitality and Peachtree Hotel Group, where he rose through the ranks and received such notable accolades as General Manager of the Year, Volunteer of the Year, and numerous other service and community awards.
James Kirkland, Partner & Chief Sales and Marketing Officer
Prior to joining Griffin, James held numerous “above” property sales and operations leadership roles working with both Marriott International and Hilton branded properties. Most recently James was with Midwest-based Good Hospitality Services where he led the portfolio’s revenue generation and optimization efforts for the organization and served in an operational regional leadership capacity overseeing both Marriott and Hilton branded assets. James has also worked with Peachtree Hotel Group where he served in several internal positions ranging from Senior Regional Director, Full service and Lifestyle brands to Corporate Director, Business Strategy and Analytics. Throughout James’ hospitality career he has successfully opened over 30 premium-branded select service, extended stay and full-service properties across the United States. James attended Texas State University where he studied Business Administration with a concentration in management.
Don Szuberski, Chief Financial Officer
An industry veteran, Don’s hospitality career encompasses over 25 years of experience that includes everything from guest services to food and beverage and operational accounting. After attending Mankato Technical College and achieving a degree in accounting, Don joined Seymour N. Logan Associates, the predecessor to Associated Hotels and now Griffin Hotel Management. In Don’s role as CFO he is responsible for the daily oversight of all financial reporting, payroll, and internal audits.
Tami Simmons, Vice President of Revenue Strategy
Tami joined the predecessor company to Griffin, Associated Hotels, in 1997 holding numerous property-level and above property leadership roles. Tami’s career began as a Guest Services Representative and Night Auditor where she developed a passion for the hospitality industry. From there, Tami worked her way through the ranks holding leadership positions that included Reservations Manager, Director of Room Revenue and Assistant General Manager at several full-service properties throughout the Midwest. Tami’s passion for numbers naturally led her into a career of revenue management where she has received several internal promotions and currently holds the position of VP of Revenue Strategy leading the portfolio’s revenue optimization strategy.