Lowe Enterprises, Los Angeles, has named James “Jamie” Sabatier president and chief operating officer of Destination Hotels and Resorts, the firm’s hospitality management subsidiary.
Sabatier will take the helm on April 9 from retiring-president Charles Peck, who has led the company for 15 years.
“Jamie is a skilled and innovative leader who shares our vision for the future of Destination Hotels and Resorts,” said Robert J. Lowe, Jr., co-president of Lowe Enterprises. “With 25 years of experience both inside and outside the hospitality industry, he is well-suited to guide Destination Hotels and Resorts through a new phase of growth.”
As a senior executive with Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, Stamford, Connecticut, Sabatier was part of the team that led the W Hotels brand to industry prominence, involved in determining the strategic direction, positioning and growth plan for the brand. During his tenure, W Hotels’ portfolio and its active pipeline grew significantly.
Sabatier also oversaw Starwood’s global investment team as it completed approximately 50 corporate and real estate transactions including the Le Meridien mezzanine investment and brand acquisition and the US$600 million acquisition of Vistana, its residential, fractional and vacation ownership company.
Prior to his time at Starwood, Sabatier was a senior member of the investment banking division of Montgomery Securities where he led the completion of merger, acquisition and equity transactions totaling more than US$1 billion.
He began his career in investment banking with Lehman Brothers and, before that, Coldwell Banker Commercial.