Case Studies
joie de vivre joie de vivre
 
Carmel Valley Ranch Carmel Valley Ranch

  • In order to take full advantage of the favorable acquisition cycle in hospitality, we needed to marry our capital with an operating partner.
  • We believe that aligning Geolo with an experienced hospitality manager dramatically improves our ability to evaluate future opportunities, and to reconcept tired or failed hotels that need to be repositioned.
  • As the new majority shareholder of Joie de Vivre, we can help grow the leading West Coast independent hotel company into a significant national consumer hospitality brand, while at the same time providing management services to our own hotels.
  • Over the next 5 years Geolo plans to double the size of the management company platform by securing new third-party contracts and by acquiring or investing in $300MM to $500 MM of hospitality assets through this vehicle.
  
  • We identified this resort, an irreplaceable asset, as a neglected gem within the portfolio of a large hospitality investment group.
  • We assembled a team of management, design, construction and marketing specialists from our deep bench of contacts to evaluate and reposition the property.
  • We completed our due diligence on the property, developed an in-depth strategic and operating plan and consummated the transaction in about 60 days. Our plan calls for a complete revitalization of the facilities, the product offerings and the guest experience.
  • We are currently executing this plan, with many changes in process and a full re-launch of the resort planned for late Summer 2010.


Mandara Spa Mandara Spa
 

  • We were the first to recognize the opportunity to create and operate branded spa operations within existing luxury hotels.
  • We analyzed the marketplace and determined that Asia was the best place to launch this concept.
  • We assembled a management team, led by Tom Gottlieb and John Pritzker and launched the first Mandara Spa in Bali in 1996.
  • We refined the service offering, promoted the brand throughout Asia and aggressively expanded the business over the next five years.
  • During that period, we opened and operated over 60 spas in 15 countries.
  • Mandara Spa became the largest international operator of resort spas.
  • We sold the company to Shiseido Company of Japan and Steiner Leisure in 2001.