Shatterproof honors Capuano at ALIS
LOS ANGELES – Shatterproof, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to transforming the way the healthcare system addresses and treats substance use disorders, will honor Marriott International President and CEO Anthony Capuano as its 2026 Shatterproof Hospitality Hero on January 27 at the Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS) at the J.W. Marriott at L.A. Live in Los Angeles.
Capuano is being recognized for his leadership, advocacy, and compassion in raising awareness of substance use disorders and in supporting efforts to end addiction stigma across the hospitality industry. He will be honored at the ninth annual Hospitality Heroes Reception, which raises vital funds to support Shatterproof’s mission to transform addiction treatment, strengthen prevention efforts, and eliminate stigma nationwide.
“Tony’s leadership reflects the best of the hospitality industry—compassion, inclusion, and a commitment to improving lives,” said Shatterproof CEO Pam Jenkins. “His advocacy helps create a culture where employees and families affected by addiction feel supported and understood. We’re honored to recognize him as a true Hospitality Hero.”
Since joining Marriott in 1995, Capuano has played a pivotal role in its steady global growth, including the landmark acquisition of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide in 2016. Under his leadership, Marriott encompasses more than 30 brands and 9,700 properties across 143 countries and territories.
“I am deeply honored to receive the Shatterproof Hospitality Hero Award,” Capuano said. “More than the recognition, I am grateful for the opportunity to stand alongside so many leaders in our industry to support the life-changing work Shatterproof is doing. Addiction affects every community, every family, and every workplace. In fact, 17% of employees in the hotel and food services industry struggle with substance use disorder, and 15% face serious alcohol-related problems. At Marriott, we believe in showing up for our people and our guests with empathy, dignity, and care. That’s why we are proud to partner with Shatterproof to help end the stigma of addiction and expand access to resources that save lives. This award is a reflection of our collective commitment to making a difference.”
The 2026 Shatterproof Hospitality Heroes reception will take place on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, from 6:30 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. at the J.W. Marriott at LA Live in Los Angeles.
The Hospitality Heroes Reception was created by Gary Mendell, a former hotelier who co-founded and chaired HEI Hotels & Resorts before launching Shatterproof in memory of his son, Brian, who lost his life to addiction in 2011. Determined to spare other families the same heartbreak, Mendell founded Shatterproof to drive systemic change in addiction prevention, treatment, and recovery.
Now in its ninth year, the Hospitality Heroes Reception has raised more than $5 million and engaged over 100 hotel companies and 500 industry leaders in support of Shatterproof’s work. Each year, the event celebrates a hospitality executive whose leadership advances awareness, compassion, and change within the industry.
The 2026 Hospitality Heroes Committee includes:
Mike Barnello, Badlands Hotel Capital; Jeff Higley, The BHN Group by Northstar; Paul Whetsell, CapStar Hotel Company; Ted Darnall, Clark Hanrattie, Anthony Rutledge, and Greg Mendell, HEI Hotels & Resorts; Chris Nassetta, Hilton; Dan Lesser, LW Hospitality Advisors; Bill Reynolds, Marcus Hotels; Anthony Capuano, Marriott International; Joel Eisemann, Noble Investment Group; Mark Woodworth, RM Woodworth Hospitality Advisors; Robert Alter, Seaview Investors; Stacy Silver, Silver Hospitality Group; Pam Jenkins and Gary Mendell, Shatterproof; Thomas Corcoran, TCOR Hotel Partners; Patrick Campbell, Tim Hodes, and Merrick Kleeman, Wheelock Street Capital; and Geoff Ballotti, Wyndham Hotels and Resorts.
MEXICO CITY – Tortuga Resorts, owned by KSL Capital Partners and Mexican family office Rodina, has named Leo Schlesinger as chief executive officer. The real estate and asset management platform recently announced the acquisition of 15 all-inclusive resorts from Hyatt Hotels Corp. across Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Jamaica and is expected to invest capex into select assets in the new portfolio.
Schlesinger brings more than three decades of experience, including serving as Group CEO of Norte 19, one of Latin America’s largest publicly traded hotel owners and operators, overseeing a portfolio of 154 hotels across diverse markets and working closely with global hotel brands, including Marriott and City Express. He previously led the transformation of Aliat Universidades into one of Mexico’s largest higher-education institutions.
“Tortuga’s strength has always come from its people – our dedicated teams, trusted partners and the incredible communities we serve across Mexico and the Caribbean,” Schlesinger said. “I’m thrilled to work alongside our brand partners and property teams to continue innovating and providing the resources to help deliver exceptional guest experiences and drive long-term value across our platform. Together, I am confident that we’ll set new benchmarks for excellence and create meaningful experiences for our guests and communities.”
In addition to the new Hyatt deal, Tortuga has continued to invest in its operational capabilities, talent and leadership, including appointing Hans Schroeder as chief financial officer in December 2024.
At the time of the Hyatt deal, Tortuga listed eight properties in its portfolio, including two under the Hyatt flag: the Hyatt Zilara Riviera Maya All-Inclusive Adult Resort and the Hyatt Ziva Riviera Cancun All-Inclusive Resort.
“We now have a footprint that really is a big swath of the map. So, it opens up a lot of new markets for us,” said Habeeb, who did say that Wolman is becoming a partner in Maverick.
While he didn’t rule out another portfolio acquisition, Wolman said it has to be just right. “This was one where the dynamics, the chemistry, the organizations, the geographic footprint, the assets under management really fit well together,” he added. “That’s why it came together, including, the people, which are the most important element in any transaction or organization.”
Any assets owned separately, in partnerships or as individuals will remain separate from the management company, according to Wolman. Any sliver equity interests taken to grow the business would be separate investments through existing entities.
Wolman said that he felt the timing was right for this deal a long time in the making. “We’ve always felt we wanted to do it conservatively and with the right kind of platform from a financial standpoint, not to put any pressure on the organization and have it grow in the right way with strong financial demographics and dynamics.”
Habeeb explained, “The more that I conversed with Len, the more that I realized that he is an absolute wonderful guy and that his company's values are the kind of values that we want to emulate. And that was, for me, the biggest selling point. We gain all those financial things – strength in numbers, a bigger platform. It allows us to expand more rapidly. He has a very mature home office team, whereas we're a relatively young company. So, those two things seem to marry together well.”
Blackstone closes deal to buy San Francisco's Four Seasons Hotel
Blackstone has purchased the Four Seasons Hotel in downtown San Francisco in the latest sign of the city’s real estate recovery.
The Four Seasons confirmed in a statement that the global investment giant had acquired the downtown hotel; a price was not disclosed. The Wall Street Journal reported last month that Blackstone was close to a deal to buy the 277-room hotel for $130 million.
“The city is experiencing a surge in demand and office utilization, driven by significant new AI investment, which we believe is supporting a strong rebound in travel and hospitality,” said Scott Trebilco, a senior managing director at Blackstone Real Estate.
That price reveals how far the city's hospitality market has fallen in recent years. It breaks down to around $470,000 per room, representing a steep discount from San Francisco’s pre-COVID-19 days, before tourism evaporated and negative headlines about crime damaged the city’s reputation. San Francisco remains the least recovered market in the country in terms of hotel demand, though that appears to be changing thanks to leases from artificial intelligence startups and rapidly rising rents.
Mayor Daniel Lurie celebrated the recent sale of two of the city’s largest hotels, the Hilton San Francisco Union Square and Parc 55 San Francisco, to Newbond Holdings and Conversant Capital following two years in which they languished without an owner and came to symbolize the city’s real estate woes.
The purchase price of $408 million for a combined total of nearly 3,000 rooms in downtown San Francisco represented a nearly 75% discount from the hotels’ appraised $1.56 billion value in a 2016 financing.
Four Seasons General Manager Stéphane Gras said in a statement that Blackstone’s acquisition of the hotel signified “a renewed confidence in San Francisco’s tourism landscape.”
Looking ahead, full-year revenue per available room, or RevPAR, is projected to grow by approximately 6% in 2025 and 2026, driven largely by high-profile events in the Bay Area such as FIFA World Cup matches and the 2026 Super Bowl.
Investment firm Sixth Street announced last month that it had acquired The Clancy, a 410-room hotel, for $115 million.
The San Francisco Planning Commission has approved a proposal for a 29-story hotel downtown with 211 rooms at 570 Market St. in the Financial District, with officials saying the establishment would be well timed to serve a revived hospitality market in the city. The new hotel was proposed back in 2019, when the city had a decade of steadily growing year-over-year tourism numbers.
Blackstone has not slept on the city's rebound, reentering San Francisco's real estate market this year and partnering with DivcoWest to buy an office building at 300 Howard St. for $111.34 million in what was then the largest office transaction to close in the city's post-pandemic era.
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