ATLANTA — Since hotel management company Aperture Hotels launched one year ago, it's added one hotel per month to its portfolio.
This is a big accomplishment for a company of Aperture's size, President and CEO Charles Oswald said during a video interview at the recent Hunter Hotel Investment Conference.
Atlanta-based Aperture previously operated as Banyan Tree Management and managed the hotel portfolio of Banyan Tree Investment Group before branching off.
It started with operating 15 hotels and resorts across more than 2,000 rooms a year ago. At the time of the video interview, the portfolio stood at 25 hotels; one hotel has since left the portfolio.
Aperture's hotels are primarily lifestyle, premium select-service and compact full-service hotels. The 12 new hotels are affiliated with Hilton, Marriott and IHG Hotels & Resorts brands as well as some independent properties.
Through the company's growth, Oswald has noticed a common theme of owners recognizing there's some upside versus their current management company.
Third-party management deals "have actually come through a process of management company churn as opposed to coming in at the point of acquisition, which is typically what we see in our industry," he said. "I was initially concerned about that in 2023 and that slowing transaction market, that it might be difficult for us to launch and have such a successful first year. But I've been pleasantly surprised at the amount of management company churn."
To support growth, Aperture grew its executive team substantially.
"We wanted to build the capacity into the organization before we add properties as opposed to reacting to new properties put under contract and then adding the staff," he added.
For more from Aperture's Charles Oswald on company strategy going forward, watch the video above.