DIGGING UP OPPORTUNITY IN EUROPE Plato Ghinos , president of Shaner Hotel Group , is taking advantage of what he sees as a lack of quality , branded product in Italy and Greece . With four hotels open , three signed and a few more in the pipeline , the State College , Pennsylvania , owner-operator of some 60 hotels is investing about € 55 million ( US $ 61 million ) and could grow to up
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to 15 hotels in those markets in the next three to five years , he says .
Ghinos says Shaner Italia division ’ s Renaissance Tuscany Il Ciocco Resort & Spa in Bargo , Italy , went from 80 % domestic to an 80 % international market by renovating and branding . “ That has been our experience in Italy and Greece — that ’ s the niche and that ’ s the opportunity ,” he says .
Shaner runs revenue management , social media and other functions from headquarters but says
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local partnerships are key and ownership stakes are no more than 50 %. In Italy , it has an operational managing director , corporate sales team and a legal advisory group .
Last year , Shaner opened the Academia of Athens under Marriott International ’ s Autograph Collection and a Moxy-branded hotel in Patras , Greece , with more Moxy deals in the works . It ’ s developing another Autograph Collection in the Peloponnese and
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a Marriott Tribute Portfolio soft brand in Athens ( scheduled to open in 2021 and 2022 , respectively ). Its Greek partner is Athens-based CS Hospitality .
Shaner , which has a predominantly select-service portfolio , is converting a Cyprus resort to a Tribute ; Shaner Italia is refurbishing and converting the Grand Lucca Universe in Lucca , Tuscany , to an Autograph Collection . Scheduled to open in May , the project is a refurbishment of a 10th century palace .
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The complex permitting process got even more thornier after Roman ruins were discovered ; after getting approval to move ahead , the basement space was converted into a wine cellar , complete with some of the site ’ s antiquities .
Its local partner in Italy is the Emarcucci Family from Tuscany . “ We are learning from them how to make money in food , and we are teaching them how to make money in the rooms ,” Ghinos explains .
— JEFF WEINSTEIN
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