It was the Hilton Branson Convention Center in Missouri that first brought Rick Huffman, CEO of local and Phoenix-based real estate development and management company HCW, and Dallas-based designer Kellie Sirna, together. The hotel opened in 2007 across the street from Branson Landing, HCW’s $420 million lakeside shopping, dining, and entertainment destination. Sirna’s tireless efforts on the property impressed Huffman. “She understands quality and the type of customers we are trying to attract,” he says.
Sirna, who founded Studio 11 Design in 2011, was at Duncan & Miller Design when she first met Huffman. Nearly two decades later, they remain collaborators, having worked together on a range of projects, including the Aloft Glendale at Westgate and SpringHill Suites Phoenix Goodyear in Arizona, the Hilton Garden Inn Manhattan in Kansas, and the clubhouse at the Branson Hills Golf Club.
The recently opened 265-room Caesars Republic Hotel Scottsdale in Arizona
They’ve also united over their Midwestern roots. Sirna is a native of Kansas City, Missouri, and Huffman calls Wichita, Kansas home. It’s not uncommon for them to text each other during Kansas City Chiefs games, or for Huffman to act as a de facto uncle to Sirna’s two sons. “He’s truly like family; he’s invited us to stay in his home,” says Sirna. “He’s also one of the smartest and most interesting people you’ll ever meet.”
Huffman’s roots are in finance. His brother-in-law supported him through his Series 6 and Series 7 exams in New York, and then he launched his career at a Wall Street pension company before heading back to Wichita to join his brother-in-law’s company Primeline Securities Corporation. “But my heart was always in construction,” he says, “because I did that until I was 21.”
After dabbling in the sports world for a few years, handling investments for NBA players, he decided to nurture that passion, forming HCW in 1992. With the help of a $500,000 loan, he and partners Sam Catanese and Marc Williams formed a multi-state timeshare resort development and management company. In 2004, they sold it for $68 million to Westgate Resorts. Now at HCW, Huffman oversees a portfolio spanning such hotel brands as Tru by Hilton, Residence Inn, and Hyatt Place, as well as restaurants and residential communities.
Roman columns inspired the reception desk at the Caesars Republic Hotel Scottsdale
Most recently, Huffman and Sirna joined forces on the 265-key Caesars Republic Hotel Scottsdale in Arizona. Launched earlier this year, it includes the restaurant Luna by Giada from chef and TV personality Giada De Laurentiis and signals a new direction for Caesars Entertainment.
When HCW embarked on a relationship with the brand in 2019, it had some 55 million rewards members, and “they wanted to create a luxury, non-gaming concept that would expand and build the rewards program in other markets,” explains Huffman. “Scottsdale is the No. 1 tourist destination in Arizona, and this property is located next to Scottsdale Fashion Square mall, which does over $2 billion in annual sales.”
The prime setting required a distinct aesthetic that Huffman was confident Studio 11 Design could execute alongside Springfield, Missouri-based BRP Architects. “We asked Kellie to create interiors that are warm and welcoming but eclectic and modern,” he says, and Sirna and her team responded with plentiful artwork and an earthy palette that pulls from the surrounding landscape.
The lobby of the Caesars Republic Hotel Scottsdale is anchored by stone-wrapped columns
“The design changed a lot from when we started until its completion,” says Sirna, noting how the hotel was on hold for several years. After revisiting the plans, however, she was convinced she could take them even further. “We spent a couple days redesigning the guestrooms, and now there’s a beautiful tower of liquor bottles in them, so when the party shuts down, guests can carry on.”
Such evolutions are an organic outgrowth of Sirna and Huffman’s long, trusting relationship. “She allows me to express my vision, but doesn’t mind telling me where I might be wrong,” Huffman says. They communicate honestly, which inevitably leads to what Sirna describes as creative friction. “We go back and forth about how to space plan, program, or generate revenue, but we always align in the end.” Adds Huffman: “Just work hard and try to have good ideas. It’s worked well for us.”
Luna restaurant at the Caesars Republic Hotel Scottsdale boasts a glass wall offering views into the kitchen
This article originally appeared in HD’s July 2024 issue.
