Ian Schrager Company Appoints New Chief Operating Officer

NEW YORK, April 8, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Ian Schrager Company is pleased to announce the appointment of Danette Opaczewski as Chief Operating Officer. Ms. Opaczewski joins Ian Schrager Company with a strong, multi-disciplined financial and operational background with over 20 years in the hospitality industry. 

In her most recent position as Executive Vice President of Operations and Technology for the Denihan Hospitality Group, a privately held hotel management company that owns and operates high-profile properties, Ms. Opaczewski's leadership and strategic direction added hundreds of millions of dollars in real estate value to the company by renovating, repositioning and adding keys to assets in several major urban markets. During her tenure, Ms. Opaczewski oversaw 14 hotel assets valued at $2.5BN; increased food and beverage revenue from $25MM to $100MM; restructured the Sales and Marketing platform; and defined the company vision and lead pitches to major hotel and real estate equity investors.  She also restructured the company internally to increase operational efficiencies in marketing, branding, sales, revenue, human resources and IT areas. 

Prior to Denihan, Ms. Opaczewski served as Chief Financial Officer for James Hotels where she was responsible for leading, directing and developing all financial and accounting standards. In this role Ms. Opaczewski executed all aspects of acquisitions, dispositions and financing of hotels assets.  Previously she held the position of Vice President of Finance and Operations for Morgans Hotel Group, formerly known as Ian Schrager Hotels, in New York City. 

"We are incredibly fortunate to be working with Danette again," said Ian Schrager. "I consider her to be one of the ablest operators in the business.  With her on board, we are now in a position to leverage her abilities to really expand our brands and grow."  

"I'm very excited to be joining Ian Schrager Company at this stage in its growth and development," said Danette Opaczewski.  "Ian is a true visionary in the industry.  There is tremendous potential in the PUBLIC brand on how it both connects emotionally with the modern traveler and drives real estate value for its owner.  I look forward to growing Ian's company and partnering with his talented team."

A known industry leader, Ms. Opaczewski currently serves on the Board and Executive Committee of the New York City Hotel Association.

About Ian Schrager Company:  In 2005 Ian Schrager sold Morgans Hotel Group, a company he founded, to develop Ian Schrager Company, which currently owns, develops, manages and brands hotels, residential and mixed use projects.  Since the company's foundation, Ian Schrager Company has transformed the fabled Gramercy Park Hotel in New York City and created two groundbreaking residential properties, 40 Bond and 50 Gramercy Park North. Schrager is currently developing several new hotel brands, in addition to a partnership with Marriott International on a new luxury lifestyle brand. Schrager's first brand, PUBLIC, is a new genre of hotel offering great value, great service and great style that will set a new industry standard. The first hotel PUBLIC Chicago, debuted in October 2011 to critical acclaim. The second hotel brand is yet to be announced. EDITION Hotels, Ian Schrager's partnership with Marriott International, combines the personal, intimate, individualized and unique lodging experience that Ian Schrager is known for with the global reach, operational expertise and scale of Marriott. There are currently EDITION hotels in London and Istanbul, with plans for properties in Miami Beach, New York City, Abu Dhabi, New Delhi, multiple cities in China, Bangkok, West Hollywood, Paris, and other cities around the world.

 Media Contact: Samantha Kain | Purple: (212) 858 9888, E: [email protected]

SOURCE Ian Schrager Company