Hotel Online  Special Report


advertisements
..
..
 Hervey Feldman, "Father of Embassy Suites,"
Dead at 67

.

IRVING, Texas�September 8, 2004 - Hervey Feldman, 67, co-founder and Chairman Emeritus of FelCor Lodging Trust (NYSE: FCH), passed Tuesday, September 7 at his home in Dallas, Texas. 
 
A pioneer in the lodging industry, Mr. Feldman was best known as the �father of Embassy Suites.�  He was the founding President and Chief Executive Officer of Embassy Suites, Inc., serving in that capacity from 1983 to 1990, and as its Chairman of the Board from 1990 to 1992.  Under his leadership, the Embassy Suites brand grew from one hotel to more than 130 hotels nationwide.

In 1991, Mr. Feldman co-founded FelCor, Inc., with longtime partner and friend Thomas J. Corcoran, Jr., FelCor�s President and CEO.  They purchased their first hotel - the Holiday Inn® at Dallas/Fort 


Hervey A. Feldman
Worth International Airport.  Over the next decade, the two entrepreneurs took FelCor public in 1994, purchased more than 200 hotels and established one of the nation�s premiere hotel real estate investment trusts.

�Hervey has been my partner and friend for more than 30 years.  His vision and leadership set the standard for the lodging industry,� said Tom Corcoran, FelCor�s President and CEO.  �He was one of the most respected leaders in the hotel industry.  Hervey�s contributions to the industry and community will long be remembered.�

During his 42-year career in hotels, Mr. Feldman became known as a lodging innovator and a candid and colorful spokesperson for industry events and publications. 

Feldman�s industry honors and board appointments included: Vice President and Member of the Hotel Committee of Holiday Corporation�s Board of Directors, Member of the Board of Trustees of New York University�s (NYU) Center for Food and Hotel Management, Speaker and Fellow of the NYU Hospitality Industry Investment Conference, and Member of the Board of Directors of First City Bank, Dallas.

Feldman began his career in the lodging and hospitality industry in 1960 with Brock Hotel Corporation, the first Holiday Inn franchisee and the largest single owner of Holiday Inn® hotels at the time.  In 1974, Feldman joined Holiday Inns of America and was the first chairman of the Holiday Gaming Committee.  He oversaw Holiday enter the casino gaming business by purchasing 40 percent of the Holiday Inn Center Strip Casino, followed closely by Holiday�s purchase of Harrah�s.

Feldman�s career also included founding Sunbelt Hospitality Corporation, which owned, developed and built the first Crowne Plaza hotel in Fort Wayne, Indiana; and re-joining Brock Hotel Corporation to buy and co-found Residence Inns (now Marriott Residence Inns).  In 1983, Feldman left Brock to found and lead Embassy Suites.

Mr. Feldman is survived by his three children: Debra, Josh and Jordana, grandson Eric Schwarz, and his brother Larry Feldman of Seattle, Wash., and his sister Lynn Wittman of Newton, Mass.

Memorial services will be held at 3:00 p.m., on Thursday, September 9, 2004 at Temple Emanu-El, Lefkowitz Chapel, 8500 Hillcrest Road, Dallas, Texas, 75225.  Phone (214) 706-0000.

Donations may be made in the memory of Hervey Feldman to either of the following charities: the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Greater Dallas Chapter, Attn: Melissa Knight, 9400 N. Central Expressway, Suite 1201, Dallas, Texas, 75231, or the American Red Cross, Disaster Relief Fund, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, D.C., 20013. 

FelCor is the nation's second largest lodging REIT and the largest owner of full service, all-suite hotels. 


 
Contact:
Thomas J. Corcoran, Jr.
President and CEO
(972) 444-4901
[email protected]

Monica L. Hildebrand
Vice President of Communications
(972) 444-4917
[email protected]

www.felcor.com

Also See: Hospitality Industry Icon Larry Chervenak Dies; Known as Hotel Technology Guru / April 2004
Kemmons Wilson Dies at Age 90; Established First Holiday Inn Hotel in 1952 / Feb 2003


To search Hotel Online data base of News and Trends Go to Hotel.Online Search

Home | Welcome! | Hospitality News | Classifieds | Catalogs & Pricing | Viewpoint Forum | Ideas/Trends
Please contact Hotel.Online with your comments and suggestions.