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GULF SHORES, ALA. (Nov. 3, 2023) – DD Partners, LLC of Birmingham, Alabama, and Marietta, Georgia, Peachtree Group of Atlanta and Woodbine Development Corporation of Dallas announced the development of Embassy Suites Gulf Shores, a full-service resort overlooking the Gulf of Mexico and its renowned white sand beaches – located in Alabama’s No. 1 tourism destination, the City of Gulf Shores.
Now underway, Embassy Suites Gulf Shores is a joint venture among the three firms. DD Partners and Woodbine are leading development and asset management efforts, and Peachtree will manage operations for the resort upon completion in summer 2025. The architect of record for the project is PFVS, and the contractor is Robins & Morton.
The eight-story property will have 257 all-suite beachfront guestrooms; a lobby bar and restaurant; a rooftop amenity terrace inclusive of a bar and grille, pool deck and an outdoor entertainment venue; and 13,620 square feet of enclosed meeting and pre-function space, including a 7,800-square-foot ballroom. The resort will also have a three-story parking garage and 7,618 square feet of leasable retail space that will include a Starbucks.
“The Gulf Shores region has sustained solid momentum among leisure travelers thanks to its natural beauty and many attractions, and this destination’s amenities are designed to contribute to that momentum. Also, given the success of local meetings and events, we believe Embassy Suites Gulf Shores will be a sought-after destination for those who are traveling for business and special events,” said Ron Durham, co-founder of DD Partners, a joint venture he formed with Ron Day.
Durham and Day have strong backgrounds in commercial real estate development in the Florida/Alabama Gulf Coast, and they joined forces with Woodbine and Peachtree to pursue the Embassy Suites Gulf Shores opportunity. The team’s collective track record inhospitality and development – as well as DD Partners’ strong relationship with the City of Gulf Shores – resulted in the group closing on the project and beginning construction after many years of pursuit.
“We are excited to have Embassy Suites breaking ground here in Gulf Shores. This is the type of transformative project we envisioned for our beach area when we adopted Vision2025,” said City of Gulf Shores Mayor Robert Craft. “Having a high-end, full-service hotel with significant conference space in the heart of our beach district will boost our shoulder seasons, support local businesses year-round and be a catalyst for higher quality redevelopment in this area.”
Peachtree Group’s CEO and Managing Principal Greg Friedman said, “We are excited to advance this development with our partners and bring the dominant Embassy Suites brand to the vibrant Gulf Shores community. This resort aligns perfectly with the city's promising economic outlook, and as its operator, we anticipate its unparalleled location and all-suite offerings will establish it as the standout performer in its competitive segment, providing an enticing value proposition for business travelers and vacationers in the region.”
While it boasts plenty of its own amenities, Embassy Suites Gulf Shores will offer guests a great deal of options within the area. The property is situated footsteps from the beach as well as the Hangout Music Festival, National Shrimp Festival and NCAA Beach Volleyball Championships. It is also located adjacent to the city’s $15 million beachfront revitalization project, which was completed in 2018 as part of a master plan to enhance the area. Other nearby attractions include Gulf State Park, the Wharf at Orange Beach, Tanger Outlets, more than a dozen championship golf courses and easy access to the sports complexes in Foley.
About DD Partners, LLC
Based out of Birmingham, Alabama, and Marietta, Georgia, DD Partners, LLC was founded by Ron Durham and Ron Day. The team has more than 50 years of commercial real estate acquisition, development, construction, management and disposition experience across the Southeast. DD Partners has been involved in the Embassy resort project since its inception. DD was awarded the contract with the City of Gulf Shores through the RFP process, negotiated the terms and benefits of the Development Agreement with the City, secured the Embassy Suites by Hilton flag for the project and completed the conceptual design of the building before joining forces with hospitality partners Woodbine Development and Peachtree Group.
About Peachtree Group
Peachtree Group is an investment firm driving growth with a diverse portfolio of commercial real estate assets and other ventures. The company has executed hundreds of investments since its inception, focusing on real estate acquisition, development and lending valued at $9.0 billion in total market capitalization. Today, Peachtree manages over $2.5 billion in equity, augmented by services designed to protect, support and grow its investments. For more information, visit www.peachtreegroup.com.
About Woodbine Development Corporation
Woodbine Development Corporation is a full-service real estate company with 50 years of development, investment, acquisition and asset management experience. Since its founding in 1973, Woodbine has been involved in more than $7 billion in commercial real estate development, including resort, resort, mixed-use, office, residential, industrial and master-planned projects throughout the United States. The Dallas-based company offers a depth of hospitality expertise and services, including ground-up development, renovation, repositioning, asset management and ownership for full-service destinations and select-service stays for global and boutique brands alike. Its portfolio also features Woodbine Legacy Investments, an acquisition platform dedicated to the purchase and repositioning of lifestyle resorts, and Woodbine Commercial, a brokerage entity focused on industrial/office. Learn more at www.woodbinedevelopment.com.
ATLANTA, GA April 24, 2024 - Peachtree Group today announced that it has been recognized by Hilton as the 2023 Developer of the Year in the Focused Service category. The Hilton Americas Development Awards recognize the achievements of owners, development partners and hotel teams in the Americas across several categories.
“We are immensely honored to have been named Developer of the Year by Hilton, a distinction that underscores our desire to build outstanding hotels,” said Mitul Patel, principal, Peachtree Group. “This recognition highlights our unwavering commitment to creating exceptional hotels and further strengthens our partnership with Hilton. This award is a testament to our strategic approach to hotel development, which combines identifying great locations, assembling a top-tier team and maintaining a steadfast focus on quality.”
In 2022, Peachtree Group received the Multi-Brand Developer of the Year from Hilton.
These annual awards celebrate the resiliency and commitment of Hilton’s owners and team members who spread the light and warmth of hospitality. For more information about Hilton, visit the company’s newsroom at stories.hilton.com.
About Peachtree Group
Peachtree Group is a vertically integrated investment management firm specializing in identifying and capitalizing on opportunities in dislocated markets, anchored by commercial real estate. Today, the company manages billions in capital across acquisitions, development and lending, augmented by services designed to protect, support and grow its investments. For more information, visit www.peachtreegroup.com.
Contact:
Charles Talbert
678-823-7683
ctalbert@peachtreegroup.com
ATLANTA (April 3, 2024) – Peachtree Group ("Peachtree") announced the elevation of three senior executives, expanding their roles to strengthen the firm’s executive leadership team. The promotions include Michael Harper to president of hotel lending, Jared Schlosser to executive vice president of hotel lending and head of CPACE and Michael Ritz to executive vice president of investments.
"These appointments underscore Peachtree's commitment to its core growth initiatives in hotel lending, as well as fostering talent from within our own ranks, with an eye toward further diversifying its allocation strategies as it taps into new investment opportunities," said Greg Friedman, Peachtree's CEO and managing principal.
Since joining Peachtree in 2014, Harper has distinguished himself through a succession of leadership roles, directing the company's credit business, particularly in loan originations and strategic acquisition of credit portfolios. Since joining, he has led the team through over 500 investments totaling over $6 billion. As president, he is responsible for the entirety of Peachtree's credit platform for hotels, guiding all facets of the credit business.
Schlosser's promotion to executive vice president of hotel lending and head of CPACE reflects his exceptional performance and extensive knowledge of the hotel loan origination processes and the firm's Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (CPACE) program. His significant contributions since joining the firm in 2019 have been crucial in advancing Peachtree's CPACE program, which now exceeds $800 million in transactions and has become one of the largest in the U.S. Furthermore, since taking over hotel originations at the start of 2022, Peachtree has completed more than $1.5 billion in hotel loans, further demonstrating his expertise and effectiveness in these dual roles.
Ritz has been elevated to the position of executive vice president of investments and will oversee Peachtree's credit and equity investments across commercial real estate and other ventures. He joined Peachtree in 2017, and his promotion recognizes his expertise in successfully managing and growing a portfolio of investments that is now approaching $10 billion in transaction asset value.
Peachtree was recently ranked as the tenth largest U.S. commercial real estate hotel lender, its third consecutive year in the top ten, by the Mortgage Bankers Association ("MBA") 2023 loan origination rankings.
About Peachtree Group
Peachtree Group is a vertically integrated investment management firm specializing in identifying and capitalizing on opportunities in dislocated markets, anchored by commercial real estate. Today, we manage billions in capital across acquisitions, development, and lending, augmented by services designed to protect, support and grow our investments. For more information, visit www.peachtreegroup.com.
Contact:
Charles Talbert
678-823-7683
ctalbert@peachtreegroup.com
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ATLANTA (April 2, 2024) – Peachtree Group ("Peachtree") ranked as the seventh largest U.S. commercial real estate investor-driven lender by the Mortgage Bankers Association ("MBA") 2023 loan origination rankings. In 2023, Peachtree deployed over $1.0 billion in commercial real estate credit investments.
Peachtree was also ranked as the tenth largest U.S. commercial real estate hotel lender, its third consecutive year in the top ten. In addition, the firm was among the leading lenders in the retail, multifamily, industrial and 'other' sectors.
"We have experienced a wave of activity since the fourth quarter of 2023, driven by the expectation of persistent high-interest rates and a constrained lending environment from banks," said Greg Friedman, Peachtree's CEO and managing principal. "With traditional lenders stepping back, we have seen a pronounced shift in the capital markets at a time when there is a steep increase in debt maturities within the industry, potentially nearing $1 trillion in this year alone."
Amid the debt market dislocation, Peachtree has already deployed nearly $1.0 billion in credit transactions this year.
"The tidal wave of maturities and trillions of dollars more through 2028 favors private credit lenders like Peachtree to capitalize on these opportunities and close the funding gap left by traditional capital channels," Friedman said.
As a direct commercial real estate lender, Peachtree offers permanent loans, bridge loans, mezzanine loans commercial property-assessed clean energy (CPACE) financing and preferred equity investments across all commercial real estate sectors.
Stakeholders in the commercial real estate arena are navigating through this era marked by rising capital costs and limited liquidity. These conditions are particularly challenging when securing necessary capital for acquisitions, recapitalization and development initiatives.
"Years of dedicated effort in building our capital foundation have equipped us to support real estate owners in executing their business strategies, a commitment that remains firm even during uncertain times," Friedman concluded.
About Peachtree Group
Peachtree Group is a vertically integrated investment management firm specializing in identifying and capitalizing on opportunities in dislocated markets, anchored by commercial real estate. Today, we manage billions in capital across acquisitions, development, and lending, augmented by services designed to protect, support and grow our investments. For more information, visit www.peachtreegroup.com.
Contact:
Charles Talbert
678-823-7683
ctalbert@peachtreegroup.com