What Acumen Development Partners does

Acumen Development Partners is a privately held professional services firm founded in 2011 and headquartered in St. George, Utah, specializing in turn-key real estate development for the hospitality sector. The firm delivers end-to-end owner's-representation services spanning market analysis, feasibility assessment, due diligence, franchise coordination, financial structuring, design management, permitting, construction management, FF&E procurement, utility negotiation, technology systems, energy management, MEP coordination, and punch/turnover quality control. It serves three primary segments: hospitality ownership groups, major franchise brands (Hyatt, Hilton, Marriott, Starwood, Loews, IHG), and real estate developers, with disclosed track record of 126 hospitality projects, 47 non-hospitality projects, 26,800 guestrooms built, 1.5 million square feet of meeting space, and $3 billion in development value across 82 cities and 21 states.

Revenue is generated through project-based professional services fees charged to ownership groups and developers on a custom engagement basis; pricing is not publicly disclosed. The firm operates with 1-10 employees and is led by Co-Founder & Managing Principal Steve Laski (27+ years experience, former founder of DCMI and Director at Hyatt) and Managing Principal Paul Bringhurst (joined February 2023, 22+ years, former Managing Director at Reef Private Equity), with Co-Founder Gary Womack serving as a Non-Operating Advisor while concurrently employed at Noble Investment Group. Distribution is exclusively direct B2B enterprise engagement through relationship-based sales, an investor-facing portal (acumen.investnext.com), and earned credibility from Project of the Year awards from Hilton, Marriott, and Hyatt.

The firm's core differentiator is deep domain specialization in hospitality development, supported by a proprietary product delivery system for construction quality assurance (overseen by Director of Quality Control Tracie Housel) and brand-level relationships with major franchisors. There is no disclosed AI/ML capability, no software product, and no public funding; growth is primarily driven by partner reputation, word-of-mouth referrals, and recent expansion into co-investing via the Ventana Resort offering on the investnext.com platform.

Name

Acumen Development Partners

Legal name

Acumen Development Partners

Website

https://withacumen.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Acumen Development Partners is a privately held hospitality-focused owner's-representation firm providing turn-key real estate development services, including design management, construction management, FF&E procurement, and feasibility, to ownership groups, franchise brands (Hyatt, Hilton, Marriott), and developers across 82 U.S. cities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hospitality Real Estate Development Services

NAICS

Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413)

SIC

Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531)

akta.pro primary industry

Construction Management (Agency/Owner’s Rep) (IMAFAAAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Real Estate Development Asset Management (Project/Construction-to-Stabilization) (BPAJAMAL)

Keywords

• Hospitality development services
• Construction project management
• Owner representation
• Real estate development
• Hotel construction management

Headquarters

HQ city

Utah

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Development Services Fees: Acumen generates revenue through professional services fees for turn-key real estate development including project management, design management, construction management, feasibility assessment, due diligence surveys, franchise coordination, financial services, permitting management, FF&E procurement, technology systems, and energy management. Revenue is project-based and derived from engagement fees charged to hospitality ownership groups and developers.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Acumen Development Partners provides turn-key real estate development services with a hospitality specialization. The firm delivers end-to-end project delivery covering market analysis, feasibility assessment, due diligence, franchise coordination, financial services, design management, permitting, construction management, FF&E procurement, utility negotiations, technology systems integration, energy management, MEP coordination, punch list execution, and quality control. It acts as an owner's representative for hotel ownership groups, franchise brands, and real estate developers across the United States.

Product overview

Acumen Development Partners is a national provider of turn-key real estate development services offering a comprehensive suite of hospitality-focused services. The company operates as a unified service offering rather than a software platform, providing end-to-end development services including Market Analysis, Feasibility Assessment, Due Diligence Surveys, Franchise Coordination, Financial Services, Design Management, Cost Forecasting, Permitting Management, Construction Management, FF&E Procurement, Utility Negotiations, Technology Systems, Energy Management, MEP Coordination, Punch and TurnOver, and Quality Control services. The company specializes in upscale and mid-scale hospitality projects with extensive experience in coordinating design, construction management, and project delivery across 126 hospitality projects and 47 non-hospitality projects totaling over $3 billion in development value.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Market Analysis Comprehensive market analysis services for hospitality and real estate development projects.
• Feasibility Assessment Evaluates project feasibility including financial modeling and risk assessment for development projects.
• Due Diligence Surveys Conducts thorough due diligence surveys for development projects.
• Franchise Coordination

Quantifiable outcome

• 126 hospitality projects completed
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Top-Tier Design Firms NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcumen works closely with a network of top-tier design firms that understand both the brand requirements and marketplace dynamics of hospitality assets. Acumen provides design management ensuring projects are financially viable and market-appropriate, from large-scale luxury to select-service properties.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• CBRE: Global real estate services firm with hospitality project management, owner's rep, and advisory capabilities that compete with boutique firms like Acumen on larger institutional hotel engagements.
• Cushman & Wakefield: Global real estate services firm with hospitality-focused project and development services that overlap Acumen's owner-representation offerings at larger scale and broader geographic footprint.
• JLL (Jones Lang LaSalle): Global real estate services firm with a dedicated hospitality practice offering project management, owner's representation, and development advisory — broader portfolio but overlapping with Acumen on hospitality PM services.

Direct peers

• Peachtree Hotel Group: Hospitality investment and development firm that sources, develops, and manages hotel projects — overlapping with Acumen in third-party hospitality development services and owner representation.
• New Castle Hotels & Resorts: Hotel owner, developer, and operator that runs third-party management and development engagements — comparable to Acumen in serving ownership groups across the hospitality lifecycle.
• Pyramid Hotel Group: Hospitality management and development firm with third-party owner services for institutional and private hotel owners — comparable customer base and service scope to Acumen.
• Lodging Dynamics: Hospitality-focused investment, development, and management firm that provides third-party development and project oversight services to hotel owners — a directly comparable hospitality owner's-rep and development platform.
• Hospitality Ventures Management Group (HVMG): Hotel management and asset management firm serving institutional and private owners across the U.S. — comparable to Acumen in serving ownership groups with hospitality-specific services.
• Woodbine Development Corporation: Hospitality real estate development and investment company that develops, owns, and manages hotels and resorts — a directly comparable hospitality development services peer.
• Remington Hospitality: Hotel management, development, and renovation services firm working with hotel owners and brands — overlapping with Acumen on hospitality owner's-representation and project delivery.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/withAcumen
• Facebookfacebook.com/withAcumen
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/acumen-development-partners

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Acumen Development Partners