All Consultants / Larry Spelts
Larry Spelts
Hotel Development & Repositioning
Expert in hotel development and repositioning, helped create upper-upscale and luxury boutique hotels under a number of luxury brands and independents, and steered growth of management companies.
Key Consulting Services
- Market Studies & Feasibility Reports for Hotels
- RFPs & Conduct Vetting Professional Services
- Development & Renovation Technical Services
- Troubleshoot Underperforming Hotels
- Business Development for Management Companies
Expertise
Spelts has a background in upper-upscale and luxury boutique hotels including leading projects in Relais & Châteaux, Rosewood, Autograph, Tribute, Curio, Kimpton, and Graduate hotels. He is skilled in performing market studies and feasibility reports for hotel projects including financial proformas. Spelts has experience with F&B concepts, co-work, retail, spas, fitness as well as rooms operations. This makes it possible to prepare detailed operating proformas. His work to incorporate financial proformas for proposed hotels into development project investment workbooks calculates returns on investment. Spelts is skilled in preparing Requests For Proposals (RFPs) to select architects, branding agencies, interior designers, procurement agencies, low-voltage system, and IT system providers and defines scope and requirements for project execution. Spelts leads an organized vetting of the proposals. As and advisor to owners and developers, he provides development technical services to support the planning and design of back-of-house areas, review FF&E and OS&E, and recommend technologies needed for effective operation. With years of experience in analyzing underperforming hotels, identifying deficiencies, and recommending solutions, he is a key advisor to turnarounds. Spelts has had extensive experience in creating business development plans for growing management companies and their portfolios.
Background
- In 1991 Spelts joined Charming Inns of Charleston, Inc. as opening GM for a new 18 room luxury inn, Victoria House. 2 years later, he managed a 3rd project and opened a 27 key hotel, Fulton Lane Inn and oversaw the merging of Victoria House with Fulton Lane Inn to create 40 key boutique hotel. In 1994 Spelts redeveloped the circa 1844 Planters Inn from 41 to 64 keys and added a restaurant, Peninsula Grill in 1997 In 1998, Spelts got Planters Inn admitted to Relais & Châteaux. In 2005, Spelts went to the 225 key Carlyle Hotel in NYC and project managed the exterior renovations and coordinated interior renovations. In 2004 opened Core Club. In 2008 prepared the Hotel Roger Williams to sell. Became VP of Charlestowne Hotels 2009 - 2017 growing CH from ten hotels to fifty hotels. Worked with AJ Capital Partners to launch Graduate Hotels. 2017 joined Lincoln Property Company in Dallas to start Village Hospitality. Returned to Charleston to start the Indigo Road Hospitality Group in 2020.
Professional & Other
Completed and received certificate for Survey of World Wines at the International Culinary Institute in NYC 2007. Six weeks of courses led by top sommeliers and tasted leading wines from the world’s leading wine regions.
Italian fluency Level 2 on ILR fluency scale.
Bachelor of Arts degree (BA) for Interdisciplinary Fine Arts completed in 1989 at the College of Charleston. Spent one semester studying Renaissance Art, Florentine Renaissance History and Italian Language in Florence, Italy. Was a Fine Arts Department Honor Graduate. Curriculum focused on architecture, art, and theater. Interned during summers working on opera stage productions in Paris, Bari, Italy, Spoleto, Italy, and New York City.
