#323: Making Hotel Ownership and Commercial Real Estate Investing Accessible | with Davonne Reaves

What does it really take to own a hotel, and how can more people gain access to hotel investing?

In this episode of The Modern Hotelier, Davonne Reaves, founder and CEO of The Vonne Group and Vesterr, shares her journey from working on the front lines of hospitality to becoming a hotel owner, investor, entrepreneur, and advocate for greater access to hotel ownership.

Davonne explains how her grandmother’s hospitality influenced her career, what she learned at Hyatt Regency Atlanta, and how hotel consulting and asset management opened her eyes to the business of hotel ownership. She also shares why she created Vesterr to connect commercial real estate deal sponsors with investors.

David, Steve, and Davonne also explore the growing role of AI in hotel investing—and why some parts of the acquisition process still require a human touch.

Davonne shares candid advice for young entrepreneurs and women entering the industry: stay authentic, keep learning, find mentors, work hard, and never let someone else's “no” stop you.

In this episode, you'll learn:

What working in hotel operations taught her about ownershipHow to evaluate a hotel investment opportunityWhy the sponsor, location, brand, and operator matterWhere human expertise remains essential in hospitalityAdvice for aspiring hotel owners and young entrepreneursWatch the FULL EPISODE on YouTube: https://youtu.be/v4Ju_rdcVd8

Links:

Davonne on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davonnereaves

Vesterr: https://www.vesterr.com/

For full show notes head to: https://themodernhotelier.com/episode/323

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