Steve Marx has gained a unique perspective of the hotel industry over the past twenty-five years successfully completing a wide variety of hotel dispositions and advisory assignments during many economic cycles. As President of Hotel Source, Inc., Steve's experience combines hotel brokerage, operations, ownership and commercial real estate. He founded Hotel Source in 1996 to create an innovative and uniquely focused company to combine hotel industry-specific insight with superior real estate knowledge. Steve quickly assesses shortcomings and opportunities in most every type of hotel asset and is able to implement a plan to maximize value.

Steve has successfully represented institutional and private sellers, hotel companies and owner-operators in the value-driven disposition of full, limited and select service hotels ranging in size, location and market orientation. He is particularly proficient at selling hotels performing below their potential. Steve is also Managing Member of a private equity firm that invests in distressed hotel assets and then turns them around to reach their maximum potential and value.

Steve gained operations experience with Hyatt, Four Seasons, Fairmont, Sheraton, Holiday Inn and independent hotels. During his employment with Fairmont, Steve assisted in the opening of the 700-room Fairmont Hotel Chicago and implemented policies and procedures required to achieve five-star standards. In addition, Steve has gained experience working at several Chicago commercial real estate firms. He is a member of
the International Society of Hospitality Consultants (ISHC), International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), Urban Land Institute (ULI) and Turnaround Management Association (TMA). Prior to forming Hotel Source, Inc., he worked for the Chicago-based hospitality brokerage firm Hotel Partners, where he was consistently a top sales producer.

Steve received his Masters of Business Administration degree from DePaul University in Chicago, with a concentration in entrepreneurship and finance. While at DePaul, he participated in an international business program in Thailand, Laos and Vietnam. He obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree from the Michigan State University School of Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management and studied at Ecole Hotelière in Lausanne, Switzerland, and University of Wisconsin - Madison. He also is a graduate of Archeworks, an alternative design school focused on addressing social issues.

Steve has been a guest lecturer at Michigan State University, Kendall College and Roosevelt University. He has completed real estate development courses at New York University and hotel coursework offered by Cornell University. In addition, Steve leads architectural walking tours with the Chicago Architecture Foundation and volunteers with many local organizations.

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