People
phone: 404.239.5209
email: jberkman@hwehotels.com
Robert J. Webster
Bob’s career during the last 26 years has spanned a broad range of disciplines within the hotel industry. Before joining Hodges Ward Elliott in 1989, he was Director of Real Estate for the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company. Prior to that he was a senior hotel real estate consultant with Laventhol & Horwath in Boston. Bob also held management positions with Westin Hotels at the Plaza Hotel in New York City and at the Westin Copley Place, Boston. He is a graduate of the Whittemore School of Business and Economics at the University of New Hampshire.
Bob’s approach to hotel real estate and finance is focused and service oriented. His extensive experience in the hotel industry, including senior level positions in operations, real estate consulting, development, brokerage and finance, puts him in a unique position to add significant value for his clients. Since 1998, Bob has exclusively represented clients in the sales and financing of more than 35,000 hotel rooms totaling more than $9 billion. Bob has been recognized by Real Estate Forum magazine as a “Superstar Investment Sales Broker” ranking him the third most productive investment broker in the country.
Bob’s experience in hotel transactions is highlighted by his involvement as the investment broker in a number of notable transactions including:
• $330 million sale of The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel
• $214 million sale of the Boston Marriott Copley Place
• $55 million first mortgage financing of The Ritz-Carlton, Denver
• $231 million sale of the Boston Marriott Long Wharf Hotel
• $93 million sale of the Le Meridien Hotel in New Orleans
• $136 million sale of the Ritz-Carlton Resort Amelia Island
• $260 million sale of the Mayflower Renaissance Hotel in Washington, DC
• Portfolio sale of the Westin Charlotte and the DFW Lakes Hilton Conference Center for $168 million
• $125 million sale of the Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay
• $93 million sale of the Ritz-Carlton, Pentagon City
• $238 million sale of two Renaissance Hotels in Austin and Atlanta
• $108 million recapitalization for the first Nickelodeon Family Suites Resort
• $92 million sale of the Ritz-Carlton, Palm Beach
• $48 million sale of leasehold interest in the Kapalua Bay Hotel in Maui
• $65 million sale of the Renaissance Hotel LAX
• $150 million sale of eight Marriott Hotels
• $136 million sale of two New York City area conference centers
• $250 million recapitalization of nine hotels in New England.
• $68 million sale of the Residence Inn, Cambridge, MA
• $287 million sale of the Marriott East Side, New York
• $1.7 billion sale/joint venture of a 105-hotel portfolio
• $215 million sale of four hotels in Southern California
• $144 million sale of a 13-hotel portfolio
• $71 million sale of the JW Marriott Cherry Creek
• $80 million sale of The Ritz-Carlton, Atlanta Downtown
• $150 million portfolio sale of six hotels in California
• $225 million sale of the Esmeralda Resort in Palm Springs and the Vinoy Resort in St. Petersburg, Florida
• $900 million sale of the 22-property RLJ Urban Lodging Fund
• $180 million JV of a to be developed luxury hotel in IBM tower in Chicago
• $113 million sale of the Hyatt Regency Boston in February 2009
• $36 million sale of the Marriott Napa Valley Hotel & Spa in May 2009
In 2005, Bob closed more than $1 billion in volume and in 2006 closed $4.2 billion. In 2007, Bob represented clients in the sale of $2.2 billion in hotel assets. During 2008, Bob closed more than $1 billion in transactions and in 2009 has closed the $113 million sale of the Hyatt Regency Boston and is actively marketing another $1 billion in hotel assets expected to close during the next eight months. Last year, Real Estate Forum recognized Bob as the 5th top investment sales broker in the country.
Jeff Berkman
Jeff Berkman joined Hodges Ward Elliott in May of 2007 as a Vice President. Prior to that, he was a senior underwriter for the capital markets group with CWCapital, LLC. In the two years Jeff worked for CWCapital, he was lead underwriter on over $500 million in fixed and floating rate transactions. The underlying collateral included office, industrial, retail, multifamily, self-storage, senior living, automotive and hospitality.
Before his work at CWCapital, Jeff was a consultant/contract underwriter at Mortgageramp (then a division of GMAC Commercial Mortgage). In three years at Mortgageramp, he underwrote several hundred million dollars worth of fixed rate conduit loans on behalf of GMAC, Lehman Brothers, Citigroup and others. In addition, Jeff performed hundreds of site inspections and composed market analysis reports for various CMBS “B-Buyers”.
Early in his career, Jeff held a variety of real estate positions including those as a Director for United Systems Integrators (corporate services), Analyst at ING Investment Management and Tenant Representative at Icon Commercial Interest and Richard Bowers and Company. Jeff primarily works with Senior Managing Director Mark Elliott and Executive Vice President Pete Dannemiller. His roles include marketing, package production, debt placement and special projects. Jeff was born and raised in Atlanta. He is married and is the father of two young boys.
