LW Hospitality Advisors (LWHA ®) Announces Appointment of Edward Shapard as Managing Director, Platform Head and Robert Higley as Vice President of LWHA Asset Management Group

Lodging industry experts Edward Shapard and Robert Higley have joined LWHA's senior leadership team

NEW YORK, Jan. 04, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- LW Hospitality Advisors (LWHA) today announced the appointment of Edward Shapard as Managing Director, Platform Head and Robert Higley as Vice President of LWHA Asset Management Group.

Mr. Shapard, who is based in Aspen, CO has more than 25 years of international hospitality industry experience having held an array of leadership roles in lodging management, food and beverage operations, sales and marketing, product development, and revenue management with blue chip organizations that include: CIM Group, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group International Limited, St. Regis Hotels & Resorts, and Timbers Resorts and at iconic hotel properties that include: Mandarin Oriental Elbow Beach Bermuda, Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong, Mandarin Oriental New York, The Dominick New York, The Langham Chicago, and The St. Regis Deer Valley.

Mr. Higley, who is based in New York, NY has 20 years of lodging sector and commercial real estate experience with numerous prestigious firms that include: CBRE, Cushman & Wakefield, Marriott International, Procaccianti Companies, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc., and Woolbright Development, Inc.

“Edward Shapard’s experience and capabilities in lodging real estate are wide and deep, which further enhance the firm’s senior ranks,” said Daniel H. Lesser Co-Founder, President & CEO of LWHA. Mr. Lesser further added “Along with Vice President Robert Higley, who recently joined LWHA Asset Management Group from Procaccianti Companies, we look forward to continue to expand our practice of problem-solving assignments that have resulted in significant value creation for our clients.”

LWHA Co-Founder, Chief Operating Officer, Principal Evan Weiss said, “We are fortunate to have been retained in connection with a myriad of litigation, receivership, value enhancement, and workout strategy mandates. Edward Shapard and Robert Higley join LWHA at a time when our clients have indicated that they anticipate a rapid volume of additional complex assignments that will require our expertise and assistance.”

Mr. Shapard said, “I am delighted with the opportunity to join LWHA, a group of well-known, highly respected lodging industry professionals who have developed the nation’s best in class hotel centric valuation, advisory, asset management services, and predictive analytics platforms."

LWHA Chief Commercial Officer, Peter Kressaty said, “I have had the distinct pleasure of working with Edward Shapard for over a decade, and I cannot think of a better and more timely addition to our growing Asset Management Group. Mr. Kressaty further added “Edward Shapard and Robert Higley’s hospitality operational backgrounds combined with their specialized asset management expertise which have been developed from the owner’s perspective, perfectly positions them to develop, enhance and implement systems and processes to ensure that our clients’ needs are understood and that are our customers’ expectations are exceeded.”

LWHA specializes in a range of lodging centric services including Asset Management, Underwriting Due Diligence, Transaction Advisory/Receivership & Restructuring, Consulting/Advisory/Valuation & Appraisal/Feasibility & Market Study, Litigation Support & Restructuring and Predictive Analytics focused exclusively on hotels, resorts, gaming properties, and conference center assets. LWHA works with corporate, institutional, and individual clients, as well as with municipalities and governmental agencies. With a presence in Atlanta, GA, Asheville, NC, Aspen, CO, Austin, TX, Boston, MA, Cleveland, OH, Denver, CO, Las Vegas, NV, Minneapolis, MN, New York, NY, Panama City Beach, FL, Park City, UT, San Diego, CA, Seattle, WA, and Washington, D.C., LWHA’s 40 professionals execute assignments in all 50 states, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and the United Kingdom.

LWHA Asset Management Group headquarters is located at 200 West 41^st Street, Suite 602, New York, NY 10036 USA. For more information contact: Edward Shapard at [email protected] 212.300.6684 x 145; Peter Kressaty at [email protected] 212.300.6684 x 137; Evan Weiss at [email protected] 212.300.6684 x102; Daniel H. Lesser at [email protected] 212.300.6684 x101 http://www.lwhospitalityadvisors.com/