Plano's Aimbridge Hospitality Creates 2 Operating Divisions, Announces Leadership

Aimbridge Hospitality, a Plano-based global hospitality management company and the world’s largest third-party hotel operator, announced plans to enhance and streamline its U.S. operations, including adding a dedicated owner relations team to its structure and moving to two focused operating divisions named Aimbridge Select and Aimbridge Full Service.

AImbridge said the changes reflect its commitment to delivering the most comprehensive, performance-driven management service in the industry, while highlighting its objective to be recognized as the clear third-party leader among owners, brands, and associates.

The company said its new owner relations team is a nod to the ever-evolving, fast-paced environment hotel owners, asset managers, and hospitality brands face daily and looks to provide partners with superior solutions that meet their biggest challenges.

Aly El-Bassuni, divisional president of owner relations, will lead that team. El-Bassuni joined Aimbridge in 2023 as divisional president of enhanced select service. The company said he has a strong track record of building outstanding partnerships and driving operational results.

“The addition of a dedicated owner eelations team builds on the work that’s been done over the last two years and points to the ongoing investment Aimbridge is making in helping owners meet ambitious goals,” Aimbridge Global President Mark Tamis said in a statement. “This team will be focused on looking across the portfolio for opportunities that drive performance, mobilizing expert resources across the organization, and implementing improvements that benefit our partners.”

El-Bassuni will report to Allison Reid, chief global growth officer for Aimbridge.

The owner relations team will study proprietary data and insights, gather and synthesize stakeholder feedback, and partner across the organization to more quickly achieve higher portfolio profitability and improved satisfaction scores, Aimbridge said. The team will also be responsible for launching the Aimbridge Owners Council, a new advisory committee that will include representatives across ownership groups and serve as a valuable resource as Aimbridge seeks to make ongoing enhancements to its product offerings.

New divisions for U.S. operations and leadership

Aimbridge said it will simplify its U.S. operations into two divisions, with its above property operations teams shifting its focus to actions that drive better property-level performance, associate engagement, and owner satisfaction.

The two divisions will be:

Aimbridge Select, a comprehensive select service division that includes select enhanced, select, economy, and extended stay properties, that will be led by Simon Mendy, divisional president–select service.

Aimbridge Full Service, a full service, luxury, and resort business, including Evolution, Aimbridge’s Lifestyle vertical, that will be led by Rob Smith, divisional president–full service.

Aimbridge said that Mendy and Smith are longtime industry leaders and Aimbridge executives who bring deep operational know-how to the verticals they are tasked with overseeing. The company said the new operating structure is set to go into effect in mid-February, following a brief transition period.

“The industry is at an inflection point as brands continue to move to a predominantly franchised model and owners lean on third-party managers to provide the operating experience and track record they need to succeed, which is where Aimbridge shines,” Tamis said. “The strategic shifts we’re making to our U.S. operating model will inject even greater agility and effectiveness into how we run our business, and ultimately, drive higher property and portfolio performance.”

More on Select and Full Service portfolios

The company said that the expanded Aimbridge Select division will manage a robust coast-to-coast portfolio, deeply embedded in key travel markets including Chicago, Washington, D.C., Houston, Los Angeles and more.

Aimbridge Select has a brand-rich mix of properties representing the most well-known hotel flags such as Courtyard by Marriott, AC Hotel, Hilton Garden Inn, Hilton Home2 Suites, Hyatt Place, Holiday Inn, Comfort Inn, Days Inn, Extended Stay America, and beyond.

The company said that the new Aimbridge Full Service division portfolio, including lifestyle properties managed by Evolution, features properties in some of the most iconic and sought-after destinations in the U.S., the Caribbean, and Canada.

That includes award-winning management of the HALL Arts Hotel Dallas, Yours Truly in Washington, D.C., The Highlander Hotel Radford in Virginia, Hotel Milo in Santa Barbara, California, and Morningstar Buoy Haus Beach Resort at Frenchman’s Reef, an Autograph Collection property in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.

Aimbridge said it plans to redeploy its above-property operations teams by geography to reinforce and strengthen the close-knit and collaborative network between hotel and above-property support teams and deepen its market expertise.

“The combination of proven brand and operating abilities, extensive market knowledge, and meaningful scale is unique to Aimbridge and sets us apart. When paired with our dedicated account management, we’re able to offer the industry’s most comprehensive management service and help owners of any size gain a competitive edge,” Tamis said. “Our commitment as the leader in the third-party hotel management space has always been, and will continue to be, finding ways to exceed the expectations of our owners, brand partners and associates. By building on the strong foundations already in place, we will accelerate future growth for our partners and for Aimbridge.”