Hospitality Design - April 2022 - 38

perspectives business sense
The Lodge at Sonoma's lobby reinforces the surrounding
nature with earth tones and floor-to-ceiling windows
A rendering of the Jenesis House in
Prescott, Arizona from Jenesis LaForcarde
The lobby at the Lodge at Sonoma
showcases local craftsmanship
Even hospitality veterans insist funding is
as glaring a problem as ever. " Access to capital
is the number one issue African Americans
are having, " says Andy Ingraham, president,
CEO, and founder of the National Association of
Black Hotel Owners, Operators, and Developers
(NABHOOD). " The issue is not that African
Americans aren't interested in the hotel business.
The problem is they'd never been exposed to the
ownership side of it. "
Without proper guidance, ownership can
be a trial by fi re. Just ask TLTsolutions founder
Tracy Prigmore, who pursued commercial real
estate while working as a healthcare executive.
Gleaning information wherever she could-
conferences, online resources-Prigmore's fi rst
hospitality property, a Comfort Inn & Suites, went
under contract in 2008. But when she was denied
a Small Business Administration loan, Prigmore
was uncertain of what to do next. " I didn't have a
mentor to ask, 'What do I do?' I was naïve, " she
says. Prigmore turned to information sessions
from major hotel brands like Hilton and Marriott
for help, but there was a limit to the aid available.
" I heard they wanted to get more women and
people of color into ownership, " Prigmore recalls.
038
Amenities at the Lodge at Sonoma include a spa,
three F+B options, and an outdoor pool
" They tell you about all their brands and they
may have one person talk about fi nancing, but
how do you connect the dots? "
Prigmore now does her part to support
Black women as the founder of She Has a Deal,
an organization that empowers clients with a
roadmap to becoming hotel owners. " She Has
a Deal came about because of the challenges I
faced, and I could see how I could actually elevate
women in the space, " she says. " I've been to
many conferences. There are panel discussions
and great networking, but there's not really [a
step-by-step guide]. " Prigmore curated a selfstudy
curriculum, as well as a lineup of industry
luminaries who share wisdom along the way. " I
take these complex issues and put them into a
framework that's digestible, " she adds.
Community Building
Damon Lawrence, founder of Homage
Hospitality, " didn't know this was going to be
a career path until aſt er I was already out of
school, " he says. " Once I fi gured out hospitality
was my route, there were a few people-not as
many as I would've liked-who were helpful and
allowed me to dream big. "
April 2022 hospitalitydesign.com
With Homage, Lawrence is focused on
celebrating Black history and catering to Black
travelers. Take the Hotel Gordon in Albany,
Georgia, Lawrence's second hospitality project
since launching the four-room Moor in New
Orleans in 2018, which he has since sold.
Expected to open later this year, the hotel will be
housed within an early-20th-century structure
near Albany State University, one of the largest
HBCUs in the country, and feature a design by
Chicago fi rm Curioso that draws on the sett ing's
legacy as a civil rights epicenter.
" Real estate takes a long time [to build a] solid
track record, " he says. Indeed, a track record is a
pivotal asset when wooing investors, which is yet
another challenge when building a portfolio takes
time. Especially for newcomers, connections
are key. " What's helped tremendously is being
connected to as many people as possible who are
doing what you're trying to do, " Lawrence adds.
" Those introductions go a long way. "
Companies like the 26 Co. are trying to
revolutionize and demystify the sector through
a range of management, analytical, and
optimization services that maximize asset value
and facilitate more fl uid dynamics between
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