Financiers Michael Lipson and Jon Wright, who have funded more than $20 billion within the hospitality industry to date, have formed Georgetown Hospitality Partners (GHP), a full-service funding platform dedicated to the hospitality sector. The firm, established as an alliance with Georgetown Capital Partners, provides a complete range of debt, loan servicing, and capital advisory expertise.
“The business model of GHP is based on current market realities,” Wright says. “The hospitality industry is at a critical juncture, where operating performance is rebounding against a steady stream of loan maturities, limited new debt providers, and brand commitment to sustainability and growth. The future success of all assets requires reliable access to capital to ensure market share through enhanced customer experiences that drive long-term loyalty.”
Immediately prior to forming GHP, Lipson was president and CEO of Berkadia Commercial Mortgage, LLC, which was created from the mortgage origination and servicing business of Capmark Financial Group. Lipson shaped the face of hospitality lending when he founded Lexington Mortgage in 1992. Lexington’s origination volume and revenues led GMAC Commercial Mortgage (GMACCM) to acquire the company and establish it as their Hospitality Industry Division. Continuing to lead the Division for GMACCM, Lipson recruited Jon Wright from InterContinental Hotels Group in 1997 to create an Asset Backed Lending (ABL) Group for GMACCM.
Prior to working with Lipson at GMACCM, Wright managed the hospitality franchise industry’s first captive finance division for InterContinental for nearly a decade. Wright grew the highly productive ABL Group for GMACCM for more than eight years before structuring the group’s sale to a privately held bank in 2005. As president and managing director of this new entity, Wright branded it as Specialty Finance Group, LLC. He maintained Specialty Finance Group through July 2010 before rejoining forces with Lipson to establish GHP.
