Houston Hospitality BOOM!

Ira Mitzner is President and CEO of Rida Development Corporation. Rida is a diversified real estate development and investment firm having ownership and equity investments in over $3.5 Billion of real estate assets worldwide, including hotels, office buildings, shopping centers, and corporate parks, and together with its development pipeline, is working on assets totaling $5 Billion worldwide. Mr. Mitzner is also CEO of Apollo-Rida Poland, one of Poland’s largest private real estate investment groups. In Poland, he oversees a property portfolio of over 8 Million sq ft valued at approximately $2.0 Billion. In addition, Apollo-Rida is the managing partner of an additional 2 Million sq ft throughout Germany and Central Europe. In the US, Rida’s flagship development is the ChampionsGate Resort, Orlando, Florida. To date, over $500 Million has been invested in ChampionsGate with an anticipated total build-out totaling $1.5 Billion in the next ten years. ChampionsGate is anchored by the 730 room Omni Resort and includes plans for 2500 additional residential, hotel, and condominium units. In September 2009, Rida completed its largest hotel development, a $400 Million, 1400 Room Hilton Branded Convention Hotel in Orlando, Florida, the largest hotel completed in the United States in 2009. Since 2010, Rida has been involved in the repositioning and expansion of over 2,000 hotel rooms, with a value in excess of $500 Million. Mr. Mitzner is now leading the development of two transformational hotel projects; A 1,000 room, $335 million, Marriott Marquis in Houston, Texas and a 1,500 room, $750 million, Gaylord Convention Hotel in Aurora, Colorado. Mr. Mitzner’s thirty plus years of professional experience includes the development, construction, and investment in over 16 Million square feet of commercial and residential properties. He currently supervises activities for Rida’s four offices in Houston, Texas; Orlando, Florida; Warsaw, Poland; and Moscow, Russia.

Peter McStravick manages the development and implementation of entrepreneurial and business development opportunities (new and existing) for the corporation. Previously, he was Houston First's point person in implementing corporation strategy at the Hilton Americas-Houston. He was responsible for all aspects of the Houston Convention Center Hotel Corporation's operations, from 2001 to 2011, and was deputy director of the Convention & Entertainment Facilities Department, deputy city controller for public finance, and an assistant director in the city's Finance and Administration Department. He received a degree in finance from the University of Houston.

With design degrees from Harvard University and Texas A&M, an impressive portfolio of prestigious commissions, and a slew of design awards from some the most notable design organizations in the country, Douglas Oliver is, amazingly, one of the most talented, yet amiable and pragmatic designers you will ever meet. Douglas’s design education began in Texas where he received his undergraduate architectural training at Texas A&M’s Ernest Langford College of Architecture. Moving to New York City, he attended the Institute for Architecture and Urban Studies and interned with acclaimed architect and theoretician Peter Eisennman. Douglas then pursued graduate work at Harvard University where he attained his Masters of Architecture With Distinction. Returning to Texas in 1991, Douglas began his professional career at CRSS Architects where, among other commissions, he served as Lead Designer for the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum located on Texas A&M’s main campus in College Station. Over the next two and one-half decades, Douglas has continued to design award-winning work both on the national and international stage. He has been published in professional journals such as Progressive Architecture Magazine, Architectural Record, Architecture, Texas Architect, and the book Digital Architecture and made appearances on CNN in support of his design work. Douglas is also in- demand speaker on current topics for professional and academic conferences at top-tier schools such as Auburn and the University of Houston. Douglas believes in the importance of training the next generation of designers and, in support of that belief, he maintains a relationship with young architects by teaching studio courses in architectural design and integrated building technologies. He is currently in his seventeenth year at the Rice University School of Architecture where he holds the title of Professor In Practice. He has also been on the faculties or a visiting professor of the architecture schools at Texas A&M, the University of Houston, and the University of Texas Arlington.

Since his arrival to Z Resorts in 2009, Matthew Nuss has reshaped the operations at both Hotel ZaZa Dallas and Hotel ZaZa Houston. With over 25 years of successful leadership within the luxury and boutique segments, Nuss leads all operational functions for the company. “I am fortunate to be a part of such a unique culture and brand,” said Nuss. “We enjoy a distinct competitive advantage because of the thoughtfulness, creativity and inspiration we bring to the travel and food + beverage experiences. Plus, we are not afraid to have a little fun along the way.” Nuss launched the Hotel Valencia brand for Houston-based Valencia Group during his six years with the company as Principal and Executive Vice President as well as enjoyed a successful 10-year career with Omni Hotels highlighted by a General Manager of the Year award in 2000.

David’ real estate practice includes development, leasing, financing, acquisition, and sale of hotels, office buildings, multi-family residential properties, shopping centers, mixed-use developments, airports, convention centers, and sports and entertainment venues. His public law practice includes public-private partnerships, economic development, public information, entitlements, grants, and other local government matters. His practice focuses on the travel, convention, and visitor industry. This includes developing, leasing, operating, managing, and marketing of convention, sports, and entertainment venues and airport facilities. He serves in leadership positions with several professional organizations, including as a member of the Urban Land Institute’s national Travel Experience and Trends Council.

John M. Keeling is EVP with Valencia Group and primarily responsible for sourcing and vetting both hotel acquisitions and development projects. He is a noted lecturer, teacher, author and authority on hotel matters who is frequently sourced by respected industry trades, business journals and newspapers, brings over 40 years of experience in hotel asset management, brokerage, appraisal and consulting to Valencia. Mr. Keeling formally began his hospitality career with Marriott International at the Marriot Twin Bridges, Arlington, VA in 1974 and, after several expedited promotions and moves, left the company as a manager at the Dallas Marriott. Mr. Keeling’s numerous professional memberships include the AICPA (CPA), Counselors of Real Estate (CRE), Appraisal Institute (MAI), Boutique & Lifestyle Lodging Association (Board of Advisors), Hotel & Lodging Association of Greater Houston (Past Chairman) and the Executive Committee of the Greater Houston CVB. He was named an honorary alumnus of the University of Houston’s Conrad N. Hilton College, Alumnus of the Year (2015) at Michigan State University (MSU) School of Hospitality Business, and received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Hotel & Lodging Association of Greater Houston. Mr. Keeling serves on the Real Estate Investment Management Advisory Council at MSU.