Landmark Developers

What Landmark Developers does

Landmark Developers, doing business as By Landmark, is a vertically integrated developer and operator of distinct hospitality real estate founded in 1996 and headquartered in Plainfield, New Jersey (with a principal office in Jersey City). The company owns and operates over 1.2 million square feet of hospitality real estate across 19+ active venues spanning upscale restaurants (Felina, Felina Steak, Landmark Tavern, Maddy Rose), boutique hotels (Albion Summit, Logan Inn, Mansion Inn, Hotel Du Village, Elkins Estate, Cascade Lodge, Ryland Inn), and wedding, corporate, and social event venues. Its operations are supported by two wholly-owned in-house subsidiaries — Black Dog Construction for development and building, and Pie Labs for centralized marketing — giving the firm end-to-end control from acquisition through ongoing operations. The company has a stated 25-year history and explicit expertise in adaptive reuse of historic properties (churches, industrial sites, estates).

The underlying technical platform comprises a proprietary operational and training software system that accelerates new venue openings, a fully automated centralized financial accounting and revenue management system applied across all venues, and the Pie Labs marketing infrastructure. Together these form the 'hub' of a hub-and-spoke operating model that standardizes culture, core proficiencies, pricing, and reporting while allowing each venue to retain distinct brand identity (Maddy Rose, Felina, Landmark Tavern, etc.).

By Landmark generates revenue through five streams: venue and event bookings (quote-based pricing per event), restaurant and bar food and beverage sales, hotel room bookings, lifestyle and experience revenues (ticketed events, Stork Club membership, lounges, spas, recording studios, coworking), and real estate investment syndication (capital raised from individual investors for property acquisitions). The go-to-market model is direct-to-consumer via owned venues, supplemented by phone reservations, Typeform inquiry forms, gift cards, and municipal partnerships for adaptive reuse projects. Customer segments are horizontal — weddings, corporate events, private dining, restaurant guests, and hotel/lifestyle guests — served through five concurrent sub-brand portfolios. The founder, CEO and principal is Frank Cretella.

Name

Landmark Developers

Legal name

Landmark Developers

Website

https://landmarkdevelopers.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Landmark Developers (By Landmark) is a vertically integrated developer and operator of hospitality real estate, owning over 1.2 million square feet and 19+ venues across restaurants, boutique hotels, and wedding and event spaces in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, with expansion planned across the Northeast, Southeast, and Florida.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hospitality Real Estate Development and Operations

NAICS

Historical Sites (712120), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), Historical Sites (71212)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000), Operators Of Nonresidential Buildings (6512), Operative Builders (1531)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty & Historic Venues (Landmarks, Estates) (THAHAAAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Historic & Heritage Full-Service Hotels (THAGAAAG), Historic Inns & Heritage B&Bs (THAGAHAC), Specialty & Entertainment Venue Property Management (BPAJAGAO), Hospitality & Entertainment Venue Construction (IMAFACAC)

Keywords

• Hospitality real estate development
• Wedding and event venues
• Boutique hotel operations
• Restaurant and dining services
• Adaptive reuse properties

Headquarters

HQ city

Plainfield

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Venue & Event Bookings: Revenue from booking wedding venues, corporate events, social events, and private dining. Pricing is quote-based and customized per event.
2. Restaurant & Dining Operations: Multiple restaurant brands including Felina (Ridgewood, Summit, Steak in Jersey City, Steak in South Orange), Landmark Tavern (Logan Inn, Stone House, Ryland Inn), and Maddy Rose (Liberty House, The Landing). Revenue from food and beverage sales.
3. Hotel Accommodations: Boutique hotel operations including Albion Summit, Logan Inn, Mansion Inn, Hotel Du Village, Elkins Estate, Cascade Lodge, Ryland Inn, and private retreats. Revenue from room bookings.
4. Lifestyle & Experiences: Ticketed events, experiences, lounges, spas, travel services, Stork Club membership, productions, recording studios, and coworking spaces.
5. Real Estate Investment Syndication: Vertical integration approach allows the company to acquire, develop, design, brand, construct (via Black Dog Construction), and operate properties, maximizing value from initial investment and creating high-margin business models.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Landmark Developers (operating as "By Landmark") is a full, in-house, 360° developer and operator of distinct hospitality real estate, handling acquisition, development, design, branding, construction, and operations across more than 19 active venues spanning restaurants, boutique hotels, wedding and event venues, bars, lounges, and spas. The company controls over 1.2 million square feet of hospitality real estate under multi-brand restaurant concepts (Felina, Landmark Tavern, Maddy Rose), boutique hotels (Albion Summit, Logan Inn, Mansion Inn, Hotel Du Village), and event venues (Elkins Estate, Ryland Inn, Liberty House, Hudson House, Stone House, Cascade Lodge, The View, Banq on Parq), supported by in-house entities Black Dog Construction and Pie Labs. It also offers Stork Club membership, ticketed lifestyle experiences, and real estate investment syndication opportunities.

Product overview

Landmark Developers operates as a vertically integrated hospitality real estate developer and operator with a multi-brand portfolio of 19+ active venues. The company manages a full-circle operation encompassing real estate acquisition, development, design, branding, construction, and venue operations. The portfolio spans multiple sub-brands including restaurants (Felina, Landmark Tavern, Maddy Rose), wedding and event venues (Elkins Estate, Hotel Du Village, Ryland Inn, Liberty House, Hudson House, Stone House, Farmhouse, Cascade Lodge, The View, Logan Inn, The Albion, and others), boutique hotels (Albion Summit, Logan Inn, Mansion Inn), and lifestyle offerings (Stork Club, Memorymaker Yacht, recording studios, coworking, spa). The company supports its operations through in-house entities including Black Dog Construction for development and construction, and Pie Labs for marketing services, utilizing proprietary technological infrastructure for operations management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Black Dog Construction: In-house construction company for hospitality real estate development and building projects
• Pie Labs
• Memorymaker
• Stork Club

Products and services

• Wedding and Event Venues Distinctive wedding and event venues including historic estates, mansions, boutique hotels, farms, and waterfront properties for couples planning weddings and individuals hosting corporate or social events. Each venue offers quote-based pricing customized per event requirements.
• Felina Restaurant Brand Multi-location Italian-inspired restaurant brand offering upscale dining experiences with locations including Felina Ridgewood, Felina Summit, Felina Steak Jersey City, and Felina Steak South Orange. Open to individual diners with table reservations available via the website.
• Landmark Tavern Brand Tavern dining brand featuring multiple establishments including Logan Inn, Stone House, and Private Dining at Ryland Inn, offering casual dining and private event experiences.
• Maddy Rose Restaurant Brand Upscale dining restaurant brand offering upscale dining experiences with locations including Liberty House in Jersey City and The Landing in New Hope, PA.
• Boutique Hotels Boutique hotel accommodations including Albion Summit, Logan Inn, Mansion Inn, Hotel Du Village, Elkins Estate, Cascade Lodge, and Ryland Inn, plus private retreats, targeting travelers and staycationers seeking distinctive accommodation experiences.
• Stork Club Membership Members-only social club offering exclusive perks, benefits, and experiences for members on a monthly subscription basis. Provides ongoing customer engagement across the By Landmark venue portfolio.
• Black Dog Construction Services In-house construction company that handles development and building for Landmark Developers' hospitality properties, securing approvals, building with their own team, and ensuring quality from the ground up to add value at every step of the development process.
• Pie Labs Marketing Services Resident in-house marketing firm providing centralized marketing capabilities across the entire By Landmark venue portfolio, enabling advanced operations and minimized costs without diluting guest experience at each venue.
• Lifestyle Events and Experiences Ticketed events, experiences, lounges, spas, travel services, productions, recording studios, and coworking spaces offered through the By Landmark lifestyle platform, targeting guests seeking memorable hospitality experiences beyond standard offerings.

Quantifiable outcome

• Decreased opening costs for new venues
• +2 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Black Dog ConstructioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn-house construction company that builds and develops properties for the company. By controlling construction through Black Dog Construction, the company secures approvals, builds with their own team, and ensures quality from the ground up, adding value at every step of the development process.
• Pie LabscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResident marketing firm providing centralized marketing capabilities across the entire venue portfolio. Enables advanced operations and minimized costs without diluting guest experience at each venue.
• Local MunicipalitiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnerships with local municipalities to restore historic structures to their original glory, bringing new life into neighborhoods while putting properties back on the tax rolls. Generates positive press and community goodwill.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Hay Creek Hotels: Hay Creek develops and operates a portfolio of historic inns, boutique hotels, and restaurants (e.g., Historic Hotels of America members), with a focus on full-service F&B and event programming. Its scaled, multi-property historic hospitality model is closely comparable to By Landmark's inn/estate portfolio.
• AJ Capital Partners (Graduate Hotels): AJ Capital develops and operates Graduate Hotels and other boutique lifestyle properties, with deep expertise in adaptive reuse of historic structures near college and gateway towns. By Landmark's estate/inn playbook in getaway towns is conceptually aligned with AJ Capital's town-and-gown expansion thesis.
• Aparium Hotel Group: Aparium operates a portfolio of boutique hotels and restaurants in adaptive-reuse historic buildings (e.g., Hotel Emblem, The Talbott). Its food-and-beverage-heavy operating model and focus on character-rich urban and resort properties directly mirrors By Landmark's vertically integrated, brand-driven approach.
• Noble House Hotels & Resorts: Noble House owns, operates, and manages a portfolio of upscale boutique hotels, resorts, and restaurants across the U.S., including adaptive reuse of historic properties. Its brand-house structure (Jackson Hole, Little Palm, Ocean Key) is analogous to By Landmark's Felina / Landmark Tavern / Maddy Rose brand family.
• Lark Hotels (Pineapple Hospitality): Lark operates ~30 boutique hotels in New England and other Northeast markets, with a strong food-and-beverage component and design-forward adaptive reuse of historic buildings. Comparable to By Landmark in regional scope, property type, and event-driven demand mix.
• Soho House & Co: Soho House combines members-only clubs with boutique hotels and event programming targeting affluent professionals — closely paralleling By Landmark's Stork Club + boutique hotel + ticketed experiences flywheel across its venues.

Broad incumbents

• Hersha Hospitality Trust: Hersha is a publicly traded REIT focused on boutique and lifestyle hotels in urban gateway markets (e.g., The Beekman, Hotel & bar districts). While asset-light and broader in scope, it overlaps with By Landmark in the upscale boutique hotel category and Northeast concentration.
• KSL Capital Partners: KSL Capital is a private equity firm specializing in hospitality and leisure real estate, owning and operating resort and boutique hotel portfolios (e.g., Timbers Resorts, Estate Companies). It is comparable as a capital partner and operator of differentiated leisure hospitality assets.
• Pebblebrook Hotel Trust: Pebblebrook is a public REIT owning lifestyle and luxury hotels in urban and resort destinations (e.g., Hotel Vitale, The Marker). It competes for the same affluent leisure and event-driven customer base as By Landmark, though at larger scale and without an in-house construction arm.

Regional players

• Distinctive Hospitality Group: Distinctive Hospitality manages a portfolio of full-service hotels, restaurants, and event venues primarily in the Mid-Atlantic/Northeast U.S. — a comparable regional competitor for both event space and boutique lodging demand in markets adjacent to By Landmark's footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries2 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 Landmark Developers