Certified Hotel Management Contract Negotiator

Steve will take you step-by-step through the process of selecting a hotel operator and negotiating the management agreement, revealing his thought process for making all the necessary decisions to properly perform an operator search and prepare for intense contract negotiations.

What is unique about this online course?  Steve will personally assist you throughout the course via email and Zoom calls.  You will interact and learn directly from the Founder of HVS and creator of "The Rushmore Method: Hotel Management Contracts, Operator Search and Contract Negotiations."  Many of Steve’s students go on to become his mentees, gaining the benefit of his 40+ years of career guidance along with access to his extensive industry network.

"I recently completed Rushmore's Hotel Management Contract Course, and, like his How to Perform a Hotel Valuation course, it has been an invaluable resource for me both personally and professionally. The time, expertise, and thought Steve devotes to these courses is evident -- every lesson is structured, practical, and packed with real-world insights that I have been able to apply immediately. Rushmore's teachings have had such an impact on me that I named my own bi-weekly newsletter after a concept I first learned in Steve's course."

-- Jackson Granstaff, Virtus Insurance

"I unwaveringly and emphatically recommend Steve Rushmore's Hotel Management Contract course. The course is tailor-made for any hotel professional who wishes to advance their career in hotel consulting and asset management. The content provides a foundational framework not covered in hotel operations but crucial to succeeding in hotel consulting and asset management. I credit my career progression and continued success in large part to Steve Rushmore and the knowledge I have gained."

-- Sebastian Villa, hotelAVE

"Steve Rushmore's Hotel Management Contract Negotiation course was absolutely fantastic. I walked away with a far deeper understanding of the negotiation process, uncovering nuances and strategic considerations I had never considered. The insights alone delivered a return well above my expectations for my investment in this course."

-- Hitesh Patel, Transworld Business Advisors

"This has helped me gain a much deeper understanding of Hotel Management Contracts and improve my analytical skills. I loved that you start every term with an easy-to-understand definition -- both easy to understand and practical."

-- Aliananda Lubis, Colliers

"Very insightful and practical, providing valuable knowledge that I can apply directly in my role. The relevance of the material to real-life applications, the detail of the content, and access to Steve Rushmore's experience were exceptional."

-- Mustafa Rahmatono, Colliers

Steve Rushmore, MAI, CHMCN is the Founder of HVS, a global hotel consulting organization with more than 50 offices around the world. During his 50-year career, he has advised hotel owners, developers, lenders, investors, and operators on more than 15,000 hotels worldwide.

In addition to his extensive work in hotel consulting, Steve has developed a particular expertise in hotel operator searches, management company selection, and hotel management contract negotiations. He has advised owners on evaluating management companies, selecting the most appropriate operator, structuring the operator search process, and negotiating management agreements that properly balance the interests of the hotel owner and the operator.

Steve approaches management contract negotiations from an owner’s perspective, focusing on both the economic and operational provisions that ultimately determine the long-term value and flexibility of a hotel investment. His work addresses such critical issues as management fees, incentive fees, performance tests, owner approval rights, annual budgets, capital expenditures, termination rights, operator defaults, sale and transfer provisions, non-compete protections, brand standards, lender protections, dispute resolution, and the many other provisions that can significantly affect an owner’s investment.

Over the course of his career, Steve has observed and analyzed management agreements involving many of the world’s leading hotel operators and brands. His experience helps him identify provisions that may initially seem routine but can have significant financial or operational consequences over the life of a management agreement.

Steve is also a prolific hotel industry author and educator. He has written numerous books, reference materials, and more than 300 articles covering hotel investment, ownership, valuation, operations, and management agreements. He lectures extensively and has taught thousands of hotel industry professionals worldwide.

Steve has also been a frequent lecturer at major hotel schools and universities, including Cornell, EHL, Glion, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Florida International University, IMHI, Michigan State, Penn State, the University of Houston, NYU, and Harvard Business School.

His latest educational program, The Rushmore Method: Hotel Management Contracts, Operator Search & Contract Negotiations, draws upon decades of experience advising hotel owners and analyzing hotel management agreements.

The program takes participants through the complete process of selecting a hotel operator and negotiating the management contract, beginning with establishing owner objectives and identifying qualified management companies, continuing through the Request for Proposal and operator interview process, and concluding with the negotiation and documentation of the management agreement.

Participants learn how to evaluate competing operators and negotiate the major and minor provisions of a hotel management agreement, including management and incentive fees, performance tests, budgets, owner approval rights, termination provisions, operator defaults, capital expenditures, non-compete restrictions, centralized services, loyalty programs, lender protections, sale and transfer provisions, and other provisions that can materially affect hotel ownership.

The objective is not simply to obtain a management agreement, but to create an agreement that aligns the interests of the owner and operator, protects the owner’s investment, preserves appropriate owner control and flexibility, and provides the operator with the authority necessary to successfully operate the hotel.

Upon successfully completing the program, participants may earn the Certified Hotel Management Contract Negotiator (CHMCN) certification, recognizing their specialized knowledge of hotel operator selection and management contract negotiations.

Steve has a BS degree from the Cornell Hotel School, an MBA from the University at Buffalo, and attended the Owner/President Management Program at Harvard Business School. He has held the MAI and FRICS professional designations and is a Certified Hotel Administrator (CHA).

In his free time, Steve enjoys tennis, skiing, hiking, diving, sailing, and cooking with his wife, who is a trained chef. He also holds a commercial pilot’s license with instrument, multi-engine, and seaplane ratings.