ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA Interstate Hotels & Resorts announces the appointment of Edward J. Blum to the position of executive vice president of development and acquisitions.
Blum will be responsible for identifying management contract opportunities and hotel acquisition candidates, as well as overseeing the company’s relationships with hotel owners and hotel franchise companies. Blum will report to Leslie Ng, Interstate’s chief investment officer.
Blum joins Interstate from Molinaro Koger, an international hotel real estate advisory firm, where he served as global head of capital markets. Under his leadership, the group originated more than US$1 billion in debt and equity financing for hospitality transactions throughout the United States, Europe and Asia.
“International expansion is an important part of our corporate growth plans, and Ed Blum’s 25 years of experience in international hospitality and real estate and exceptional industry relationships will be invaluable as we move forward in this area,” Ng says. “A highly regarded industry veteran, he has compiled a successful track record in real estate acquisitions and development, business development, lender and investor relations and capital markets. As we continue to expand our international outreach, Ed will play a key role in this area, building on the operating platforms we have put in place over the past two years.”
Prior to Molinaro Koger, Blum was senior vice president of finance for Europe at Wyndham International, where he restructured Wyndham’s Europe investments and directed hotel acquisition and development activities in the United Kingdom, France, Italy and Spain. Blum also served as chief financial officer for Grand Heritage Hotel Group, an international owner and operator of historic boutique properties; vice president of capital markets, mergers and acquisitions at Patriot American Hospitality; and chief financial officer of Imperial Hotel Corp. and The Cafritz Co.
Blum earned a bachelor of science degree in business administration and a masters of international management, both from University of Maryland University College. He is a certified public accountant.
Interstate Hotels & Resorts Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of a joint venture between subsidiaries of Thayer Lodging and Jin Jiang. It is the largest independent hotel management company in the United States, based on revenue managed. The company and its affiliates manage or have ownership interests in 227 properties with more than 45,000 guestrooms in 36 states, the District of Columbia, Russia, India, Mexico, Belgium, Canada, Ireland and England. The company has ownership interests in 54 of those properties, including six wholly owned assets.