Cayuga’s Development Consulting Group is a full service international development consultancy offering an extraordinary variety of services to hotel, resort, club, casino, conference center, spa, golf club and restaurant owners, developers and operators as well as to communities in both the public and private sectors. Our goal is to assist our clients in achieving their stated development goals on time, within budget and with the agreed upon level of quality.
Cayuga’s Development Consulting Group is comprised solely of senior level executives; there are no juniors to be trained on client assignments nor any need to “make work” for a firm’s several layers of staff. Clients receive the benefits of many years of successful experience with each consultant working on an assignment.
Additionally, clients may take advantage of Cayuga’s other resources including Tourism Consulting Services, Casino Gaming Services, Ecotourism/Sustainable Tourism Services, and Food & Beverage Advisory Services, among others.
Cayuga’s Development Consulting Services include:
Market analyses and feasibility
studies- Market positioning and marketing
planning - Franchise/management agreement
counsel and negotiations - Financial operating projections
- Conceptual design
- Project programming
- Critical path planning
- Interior design
- Food facilities design
- Laundry design
- Value engineering
- FF&E specifications and budgets
- OS&E specifications and budgets
- Licensing and permits
- Purchasing
- Installation
- Technology/systems/
telecommunications - Executive search/staffing
- Pre-opening budgets
- Expert witness and litigation
support services - Tourism planning for local,
regional and state
organizations
Advisory Members
The following members are available through Cayuga Hospitality Advisors to provide a full range of consulting services:
Michael
Sansbury (Orlando)
Cayuga’s Development Consulting Group Leader, offering extraordinary experience
with development, operations and strategic planning for upscale resorts, resort
casinos and high-end hotels, including executive positions with Baha Mar Resorts,
Loews Hotels, Mirage Resorts and Westin Hotels & Resorts. Also an expert
in: capital investment planning; government affairs and community relations;
casino management and operations; and, event planning and operations. Litigation
support/expert witness testimony experience in the areas of operational liability
and development issues.
John Banta (Kanagawa, Japan)
Currently based in Japan, John has spent thirty years in leadership positions with Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, Kintetsu and independent hotels, mostly dealing with troubled assets in need of repositioning. He has a unique and unparalleled record of consistent success in difficult markets, and has developed some of the strongest managers in the business. Capable of integrating modern western ideas into conservative Japanese business culture, John orchestrated the only successful repositioning of a Japanese hotel (500-room) by a foreigner in the history of Japanese hotels. Through Cayuga, John's consultancy, Post Hotels Company, offers expertise in the areas of: strategic planning, leadership training, high performance team building, operational management, hotel development and pre-opening planning, capital planning, event planning and marketing and sales.
Dick
Barger (Boston)
Chairman of The Barger Companies, with wide international and domestic development experience specializing in resorts, executive conference centers and golf resort projects. Providing complete development management including technical assistance, project design team, and identification of potential development team members.
Rowlie B. Bates (Boston)
With more than 30 years of residential and golf/hotel/resort acquisitions and development experience, Rowlie leads the Southworth Development team's acquisitions initiative for adding large scale Master Planned Communities and resorts to their portfolio. He was a founding partner and President of Golf Realty Advisors, Inc. the boutique golf consulting firm that managed golf development assignments across the US.
John Berndt (Las Vegas)
Offering 35 years of leadership experience in the hospitality/tourism industry growing luxury brands globally, having held senior positions with: Cipriani; Ritz-Carlton; Hyatt; Westin Hotels and Resort Groups; Harrah’s Entertainment; Sung Hung Kai, Hong Kong’s largest mixed-use developer; and, Wharf/Wheelock’s, China’s largest landlord. John has extensive experience in all aspects of developing, opening and operating high-end mixed-use centers partnering with the best brands offering today’s lifestyle luxury products, services and amenities.
Eric Bettelheim (Las Vegas)
President of The Ascona Group, with more than 30 years of worldwide operations and consulting experience, primarily deluxe category hotels and resorts. Specializing in project consulting, development, condominium hotel/resort development, pre-opening project management, executive search, operator selection, management contract negotiation, operations analysis, and asset and interim management of hotels and resorts in the US and abroad.
Bill Callnin (Virginia Beach)
Cayuga Chairman and Managing Director, with over 25 years experience consulting with casino developers and operators in the U.S., the Caribbean, Europe and Australia. Opened Bally’s Park Place Casino Hotel as Vice President of Operations. Developed casinos in Westin, Wyndham, Four Seasons and Fairmont Resorts, each a first-time casino within the client company.
Sean Callnin (Denver)
Principal with Ricca Newmark Design, an international hospitality design and consulting firm specializing in foodservice, interior and laundry design. Over 19 years of experience in foodservice, laundry, and back-of-house planning & design. His vast array of projects cover all markets within the hospitality industry, with major emphasis in luxury hotels & resorts, signature restaurants, public assembly, and ski resorts. As Principal: responsible for all aspects of programming, conceptualiza-tion, facility design, and inter-disciplinary coordination to assure project success. As Vice President: responsible for managing all aspects of Ricca Newmark’s foodservice division, including staffing, scheduling of resources, quality control, and internal peer reviews for every project.
Bill Caruso (Denver)
President of William Caruso Associates, offering food facilities planning and design; master planning, operational/design space planning and programming; development and negotiation of catering contracts; and market and economic feasibility analyses. Litigation support services offered in the areas of F&B operations, design and construction.
Michael Chiu (San Francisco)
President and Owner of Prima Donna Development Corporation, offering large-scale mixed-use developments including infra-structure, hotels, restaurants, retail centers, office buildings, subdivisions and apartment buildings. Extensive international experience in development, construction and management of upscale hotels in Malaysia, Fiji, Singapore and the U.S.
Stephen Darling (Vancouver)
Principal of Stephen Darling Hospitality Consulting, his recent assignment leading Shangri-La’s expansion into North America, as well as a key role with Mandarin Oriental, has brought him significant experience reviewing potential and existing projects. Through strategic analysis, working with legal, financial and design specialists, he developed a comprehensive approach to creating ‘next generation hotels’ with competitive cost advantages, whether branded or affiliated, especially in multi-use developments. Stephen attained his icd.d designation as an independent corporate director, bringing a balanced strategy of entrepreneurial risk to the clients he works with.
Stefan Diederichs (Brussels, Belgium)
Managing Director of Othello Hotel Projects BVBA, specializing in procurement of furniture, fixtures and equipment (FF&E) and project management for hotel openings in Europe and the Middle East. Fifteen years of experience with European and American construction companies, interior designers, owners and operators.
Jennifer Dorhmann-Alpert (San Rafael, CA)
A highly educated Consultant with practical training in hospitality management and tourism strategy, Jennifer specializes in: market feasibility and financial feasibility studies for resort real estate projects, with a special focus on Latin America and the Caribbean; tourism development and sustainable tourism development; and, development planning, specifically strategic hospitality and real estate development. Fluent in Spanish, she has lived and worked in Costa Rica, Mexico and Puerto Rico. She has significant experience analyzing the demand for hotels, resorts, and recreation oriented facilities within the United States, the Caribbean, Mexico, and Central America. As a Senior Consultant with Economics Research Associates (ERA), Jennifer supervised and conducted a variety of projects involving market support and feasibility analysis for tourism related projects in unique markets and situations. She also has substantial skills in sustainable tourism and sustainable hotel development through her tenure with the Caribbean Alliance for Sustainable Tourism (CAST) in Puerto Rico, where she assisted hotels in implementing better environmental practices. Her scholastic background has provided her sound training in both the public and private sectors and an ability to understand the nuances of both, particularly as they relate to hospitality real estate and strategic business development. Jennifer’s hotel management background includes positions at the Four Seasons Biltmore, the Bellagio and the Mirage in Las Vegas.
Leif Evensen (Oslo)
Cayuga Managing Director, offering feasibility studies, project planning and development services, as well as operational analysis and trouble-shooting for hotel, restaurant and cruise-line owners and operators in Europe and the Middle East. Fluent in: Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, English, French and German.
Gary Henkin (Rockville, MD)
President of WTS International, one of the world's leading leisure consulting and management firms providing conceptual planning, feasibility studies, design consultation, pre-opening preparation and daily operations/management services for spas, fitness centers, athletic facilities and leisure complexes around the world. Currently working with over 100 properties worldwide.
Jean G.J. Keijdener (Seoul)
General Manager of the Somerset Palace, Seoul and Country General Manager for South Korea for The Ascot Ltd., “JK” is a multi-lingual global hospitality professional with over thirty years spent in hospitality leadership positions for Hyatt America & Hyatt International, Conrad-Hilton, Renaissance-Ramada, Sedona Hotels International & The Ascot Ltd. His expertise is in hotels, resort and serviced residences ranging from luxury through limited-service, as well as hospitality real estate and asset management, covering five continents: Europe, the U.S., the South Pacific, the Middle East and Asia. JK specializes in real estate development and pre-opening planning, operational management, strategic planning, government affairs and community relations, event planning and operations, and more. Fluent in Dutch, English and German; conversant in French, Indonesian and Spanish.
Joe Lavin (Washington, DC)
President of HarborStone Hospitality, an entrepreneurial venture to develop and own hotels while providing general consulting in the hospitality industry. Career focus has been hotel development, franchising and brand creation through the initiation and management of change.
Rudy Muenster (Berlin, Germany)
A Managing Director of Cayuga and Managing Partner of RWM
Hotel Consult GmbH, founded in 1980 and active in 45 countries on
four continents. Services include: feasibility studies; privatization efforts;
and, hotel development, executive search and asset management for hotel
owners and real estate companies. Fluent in German, English, French, Spanish,
Italian and Indonesian.
Mac Noden (Amelia Island, FL)
The former Senior Lecturer in Marketing, Information Systems, Strategy and Tourism (MISST) at Cornell’s Hotel School and a well-known expert in the areas of tourism policy, promotion and development. Served as the Academic Director of the Cornell Hotel School Advanced Management Program, and the Certified Corporate Travel Executive (CCTE) accreditation program on behalf of the U.S. National Business Travel Association (NBTA). He is a past Chair of the Education Committee of the Pacific Area Travel Association (PATA), and a founding member of the Educators Forum of the U.S. Travel & Tourism Research Association (TTRA). He is a founding member and serves on the editorial board of TEOROS International, a theoretical research journal for education and tourism, and is a founding member of, and immediate past Cornell representative to, the Educational and Training Board of the World Tourism Organization. A Managing Director of Cayuga Hospitality Advisors, Noden is also the leader of its Tourism Consulting Services Group.
Albert Pucciarelli, Esq. (Ridgewood, NJ)
A partner with McElroy, Deutsch, Mulvaney & Carpenter, LLP with a national and international law practice. Recognized for his expertise in hotel and resort development and operations, his practice is concentrated in these areas, as well as in aviation law, general corporate law and real estate law. Between '88 and '98 he served as Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of Inter-Continental Hotels, with over 200 hotels in 70 countries. Mr. Pucciarelli served as Chair of the Hotels, Restaurants and Tourism Committee and as Chair of the Aeronautics Law Committee of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York. He is a Director and President-elect of the Hospitality Industry Bar Association. He taught International Business Law as an adjunct professor at the Fordham University Graduate School of Business and was a member of that school’s Advisory Board. He is a Director of Skytop Lodge in Skytop, PA. Mr. Pucciarelli offers services in hotel & resort development; legal aspects of hotel operations; litigation support, expert witness testimony and alternate dispute resolution. His clients include the owners and developers of Marriott, Ritz-Carlton, Fairmont, Mandarin-Oriental, Hyatt, Andaz, St. Regis, Westin, and more. He is fluent in Russian and a commercial pilot.
Robin Ricketts (Naples, FL and Anguilla)
A native of England and raised in China, Robin is a classically trained hotelier with 35 years of experience in the hospitality industry. With his wife, Sue, he founded Ricketts and Associates Ltd. in 1978. Registered in Anguilla, British West Indies, they offer services in: product concept development; pre-opening project management; hotel and villa construction management; hotel and villa management; food and beverage management; public relations and sales and marketing in the US, UK, Europe and South America; and, interior design and planning. Ricketts & Associates have advised governments, developers, hoteliers and villas throughout the Caribbean. Amongst Robin’s most important accomplishments include the development of the exclusive five star hotels of Cap Juluca and Malliouhana in Anguilla, for which he acted as co-developer. Both properties have continued to rank in the top ten list of Caribbean hotels since their openings. Robin was also the mastermind behind the conversion of the Grace Bay Club, Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands from a failing condominium development in the early 1990's to one of the most highly regarded hotels of the region. Robin’s hotel background includes stints at the Dorchester and the Inn on the Park - Four Seasons in London, the Meurice in Paris, and the Mandarin in Hong Kong. His Caribbean experience, of well over 25 years, encompasses several operational positions in Aruba, Bonaire, Martinique and the Bahamas, as well as Anguilla and the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Thomas Riegelman (Nashville)
Offering an extraordinary range of expertise in asset and facility management, with over 30 years managing corporate level hotel and resort operations. His 19 years with Hyatt Hotels Corporation as VP of Technical Services, and then VP of Engineering provided him with broad experience in all phases of hotel and resort planning, construction, engineering, and facility operations. Tom also served as a General Manager with the Prudential Realty Group, asset managing their $900 million Northeast hotel portfolio. After graduating from the Cornell Hotel School with a concentration in hotel planning and design, he earned an MBA in Finance from the University of Chicago.
Jules Sieburgh (Bethesda)
Visionary of creative technology applications for the hospitality industry. Served as senior information technology executive for Sonesta Hotels, InterContinental Hotels, Host Marriott Corporation and Kerzner International. Jules’ responsibilities for these international chains covered all aspects of technology as it relates to the hospitality industry. In addition Jules spend a couple of years with priceline.com expanding their hotel product line. Jules is a member of the Hospitality Financial and Technology Professional’s International Hall of Fame.
David Southworth (Boston)
President and CEO of Southworth Development LLC, specializing in the development of residential resort and hospitality branded real estate communities. Extensive and unique experience in hospitality development: over $1 billion in golf and hospitality projects; served as manager, consultant or construction manager to 43 golf properties in the last 13 years.
Wim Steenbakker (Hallandale, FL)
President of Steenbakkers & Associates, with 27 years of experience operating and developing unique destination resort properties throughout North America, Europe and the Caribbean. Mr. Steenbakkers delivers the energy, insight, marketing expertise and organizational leadership required to achieve key business objectives for the development and operations of elegant boutique hotel and resort properties. He formulates detailed operational plans, budgets and schedules, and institutes business processes, performance metrics and reporting systems. In the development of properties, he: engages and coordinates the work of professional designers, architects and construction contractors; secures the necessary regulatory permits; troubleshoots and resolves complex problems; and, manages government and business relationships. Mr. Steenbakkers also provides personalized asset management services for luxury, independently owned and operated properties. His focus is on increasing the “guest experience” while improving the bottom line for the owner(s) by implementing strict cost control measures, effective marketing initiatives, and using proven management techniques.
Derek
Sylvester (Philadelphia)
Vice President of Development for Gulph Creek Hotels, founded in 1995 and recognized as one of the leading hotel management companies is Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland and Delaware. Gulph Creek offers services in the development, acquisition and management and asset management of first-class, full- and limited-service hotels with 100 to 400 rooms. Derek is an expert in the areas of market analysis and assessment of site location and market potential. His background includes positions with Marriott Hotels & Resorts, and he was a consultant with Pannell Kerr Forster as well as Restaurant Advisory Services. His consulting projects have included: the development of the Palace at Somerset Park in Somerset, NJ and Castle Hill Inn & Resort in Newport, RI; as well as, the redevelopment of the Hotel Hershey and the Wyndham Bermuda Resort in Southampton, Bermuda.
Thomas K. Tritschler (Munich, Germany)
CEO of Tritschler Associates and its subsidiary Sensible Hospitality with offices in Berlin and Munich. Specializing in the marketing of luxury boutique hotels, Sensible Hospitality offers unparalleled and personalized support to fine independent hotels and resorts worldwide. Thomas has more than twenty years of operational experience in successfully managing international luxury hotels and resorts with some of the most acclaimed hotels and hotel companies in the world. Fluent in English and German, proficient in French.
