Eric M Ewoldt

Operations & Re-structuring

Email: eewoldt@eO2HospitalitySolutions.com / Phone: 786-271-1270

West Palm Beach, FL

Eric has been in the operations and asset management side of the hotel business his entire career, starting in property operations with ITT Sheraton Corporation, and advancing up through Managing Director positions of 4 and 5-Star hotels, to Executive Vice President at both Ian Schrager Hotels and Doral Hotels & Resorts. In addition, he held a senior position in Asset Management with the private equity firm Colony Capital for their global hotel portfolio.  

In these various capacities, he specialized in managing complex properties in difficult situations to improve their profitability and asset value. The achievements were a result of professional activity with owners, developers, management companies, lenders, servicers, receivers and various other financial institutions.

Positive results were produced in important areas by re-engineering properties in key departments, concentrating on staffing, productivity, pricing & positioning, contracts, fixed expense modifications, purchasing, branding, etc.  Eric has extensive experience in the global hotel arena, specializing in the complex hotels in high-end Full Service and Luxury categories of both hotels and resorts. Additionally, he has organized boutique hotel management companies for clients and SPE’s for specific luxury hotels assets designated for an “exit” through a sale.  

Eric’s experience as a hotel Managing Director has included prestigious hotels such as the Ritz-Carlton Hotel and the 720-room Mayflower Hotel in Washington, DC and the former 810-room New York Vista Hotel in Manhattan. 

His hotel career has been oriented towards the special situation category of hotels and resorts that required re-structuring, renovation and/or repositioning as a result of negative market influences. Eric is considered a specialist in operating and directing hotels during economic crisis or individual property issues. In 2002, he transitioned to entrepreneurship and established his hospitality consulting company focusing on luxury hotels and resorts, where his company advised ownership groups, major real estate equity firms, CMBS special servicers and independent management companies. Also, his company has supported law firms as a fact and expert witness, in addition to working for court appointed Receivers of hotels and resorts.

Several years ago, Eric added an entertainment specialty service based on frequent requests from film studios.  He has worked with the film, television and recording industries to accommodate talent and production in properties he managed or directed, and so is uniquely positioned to respond to the exacting needs and requirements specific to the industry.  In the past five years he has supported production domestically and internationally in situations where special assistance is required with on-location property selection, accommodations, room rates, concierge services and more - meeting short deadlines and tight travel budgets.