Phd Hotels, Inc.

What Phd Hotels, Inc. does

PHD Hotels, Inc. is a privately held hotel development and management company founded in 1998 by Tom Hunt (Thomas L. Hunt, Jr.) and headquartered in the Opelika-Auburn area of Alabama. The firm develops, operates, and sells branded select-service and extended-stay hotels exclusively under Hilton and Marriott franchise systems, with an active portfolio spanning Hilton Garden Inn, Home2 Suites, Homewood Suites, Fairfield by Marriott, TownePlace Suites, and the proprietary Arbor Suites brand. Operating geographies are concentrated in the Southeastern United States — primarily Alabama, with additional exposure in Georgia and Mississippi.

The business model is a develop-to-stabilize-to-sell cycle. PHD raises equity from outside investors to fund ground-up hotel construction, manages each property under a "hands-on" approach that the firm limits exclusively to self-developed assets, stabilizes the hotel to peak operating performance, and then divests it to qualified national or regional buyers. Revenue mechanics therefore derive from a mix of development fees, asset-level management fees on the small standing portfolio, and eventual gain-on-sale proceeds, with pricing not publicly disclosed. GTM motion is referral-driven through direct investor relationships and brand co-marketing within Hilton and Marriott networks.

Since inception, PHD has developed 20 hotels with combined project costs exceeding $135 million, raised $41 million in equity from investors across multiple deals, and sold 14 hotels — including a 2006 portfolio sale in which 8 of 10 hotels were acquired by a national hotel REIT. The corporate office is small (1-10 employees) while hotel-level staff execute operations. PHD has received multiple top brand-level awards, including Hilton Multi-Brand Developer of the Year, Hilton Garden Inn Owner of the Year, and the Marriott TownePlace Suites Diamond Circle Award, and its CEO has served on Hilton advisory councils including the Hilton Garden Inn Advisory Council.

Name

Phd Hotels, Inc.

Legal name

PHD Hotels, Inc.

Website

https://phdhotels.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

PHD Hotels is a privately held hotel development and management firm that builds, operates, and sells Hilton and Marriott branded select-service hotels in the Southeastern United States, raising outside equity to develop, stabilize, and divest each property.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hotel Development & Management Services

NAICS

Hotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (72111)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHAGABAM

Budget Hotel Chains & Franchises

Travel & Hospitality/Lodging & Accommodation/Limited-Service & Budget Hotels

SECONDARYBPAJAGAG

Hospitality (Hotel) Property Management

Business & Public Services/Real Estate Services (Brokerage, Property Management)/Commercial Property Management

SECONDARYBPAJAMAE

Hospitality (Hotels & Resorts) Asset Management

Business & Public Services/Real Estate Services (Brokerage, Property Management)/Real Estate Asset & Portfolio Management

Keywords

• Hotel development services
• Hotel management services
• Branded hotel operations
• Hospitality real estate
• Franchise hotel development

Headquarters

HQ city

Opelika

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

PHD Hotels develops and manages branded hotel properties under Hilton and Marriott franchise systems. The company provides end-to-end hotel development (site selection through construction oversight and brand affiliation) and hands-on operational management of those properties, growing them to stabilized operating levels before eventual sale to national or regional buyers. Since founding in 1998, the company has developed 20 hotels with total project costs exceeding $135 million.

Product overview

PHD Hotels is a hotel development and management company that builds and operates quality hotels under Hilton and Marriott brand franchises. The company operates two core offerings: Hotel Development Services (end-to-end development from site selection through construction and brand affiliation, having developed 20 hotels totaling over $135 Million) and Hotel Management Services (hands-on operational management focusing on guest satisfaction and investor returns). The company's branded hotel portfolio includes Hilton brands (Hilton Garden Inn, Home2 Suites, Homewood Suites) and Marriott brands (Fairfield by Marriott, TownePlace Suites), plus the Arbor Suites brand. PHD Hotels follows a business model of developing hotels, operating them to stabilization, and eventually selling to national and regional buyers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hotel Development Services End-to-end hotel development services for investors, covering site selection, construction oversight, and brand affiliation with Hilton and Marriott; the company has developed 20 hotels with over $135 million in total project costs since 1998.
• Hotel Management Services Hands-on operational management of branded hotel properties developed by PHD Hotels, focused on guest satisfaction and delivering returns to investors; management is limited to properties the company develops itself.
• Hilton Garden Inn Properties Upscale Hilton Garden Inn hotels developed and managed by PHD Hotels under Hilton franchise; includes properties such as Hilton Garden Inn Madison, AL (Huntsville Airport).
• Home2 Suites by Hilton Properties All-suite extended-stay Home2 Suites hotels developed and managed by PHD Hotels under Hilton franchise, including properties in Madison, AL (Huntsville Airport), LaGrange, GA, and Opelika, AL (Auburn).
• Homewood Suites by Hilton Property Upscale extended-stay Homewood Suites hotel under development by PHD Hotels in Madison, AL, operating under the Hilton franchise.
• Fairfield by Marriott Property Upper-midscale Fairfield by Marriott hotel under development by PHD Hotels in Decatur, AL Downtown, operating under the Marriott franchise.
• TownePlace Suites by Marriott Properties Extended-stay TownePlace Suites hotels developed and managed by PHD Hotels under Marriott franchise, recognized with the TownePlace Suites Diamond Circle Award.
• Arbor Suites Properties PHD Hotels branded hotel properties under the Arbor Suites name, located in Prattville, AL and Auburn, AL.

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully developed 20 hotels with over $135 Million in total project cost
• +2 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Hilton Hotels CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPHD Hotels is a focused Hilton brand developer operating Hilton Garden Inn, Home2 Suites, and Homewood Suites properties. The company has received top recognition from Hilton including Multi-Brand Developer of the Year and Hilton Garden Inn Owner of the Year awards.
• Marriott InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPHD Hotels develops and manages Marriott brand hotels including Fairfield by Marriott and TownePlace Suites. The company has earned the Marriott TownePlace Suites Diamond Circle Award.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Midas Hospitality: Family-owned hotel developer, owner, and operator focused on Hilton and Marriott select-service brands across the Midwest. Closely matches PHD's developer-manager hybrid model at similar regional scale.
• Pyramid Hotel Group: Hotel ownership and management company operating franchised properties across major brands including Hilton and Marriott. Comparable in its franchise-brand operating focus and portfolio diversification.
• Schulte Hospitality Group: Family-owned hotel development and management company focused on Hilton, Marriott, and IHG properties. Closely matches PHD's develop-then-manage franchise model at similar scale.
• LBA Hospitality: Hotel management company with a portfolio of franchised select-service hotels across Hilton, Marriott, IHG, and Hyatt brands. Comparable in franchise-brand management focus.
• Peachtree Hotel Group: Hospitality investment, development, and management firm focused on premium-branded select-service hotels. Directly comparable to PHD in Hilton-brand development focus and develop-stabilize-sell strategy.
• Concord Hospitality Enterprises: Developer, owner, and operator of select-service and full-service hotels under Hilton, Marriott, Hyatt, and IHG brands. Highly comparable to PHD given its parallel focus on Hilton/Marriott multi-brand development and operating model.
• Aimbridge Hospitality: Largest third-party hotel management company in North America, operating across major franchise brands. While significantly larger and asset-light, it is directly comparable to PHD in managing Hilton and Marriott franchised properties.
• Vision Hospitality Group: Developer and operator of Hilton, Marriott, and Hyatt select-service hotels across the Eastern US. Comparable to PHD in its brand focus, develop-stabilize-sell approach, and regional operating footprint.
• Crestline Hotels & Resorts: Hospitality management company operating franchised hotels across major brands including Hilton and Marriott. Comparable to PHD in franchise brand management and select-service operating focus.
• HVMG (Hospitality Ventures Management Group): Hotel owner and third-party operator focused on premium-branded select-service and full-service properties, with Hilton and Marriott among its core brand relationships. Directly comparable operating model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/phd-hotels-inc.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Phd Hotels, Inc.