President/Chief Executive Officer

Since 1999, Sergio F. Ortiz, President and CEO of ORION HOTELS, INC., has become a trusted and reliable advisor to hotel owners, operators, and developers in a wide array of hotel concepts and market segments, including independent boutique luxury hotels, resorts, condo-hotels, and major flag affiliations. As a commercial real estate broker, he has negotiated and structured hotel deals ranging in size from $4,000,000 to $400,000,000. Sergio earned his Certification from Cornell University in Hotel Real Estate Investments and Asset Management, and graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Stout, earning a bachelor’s degree in Hotel & Restaurant Management. UW-Stout is the only university in the world that has been recognized with the prestigious Malcom-Baldrige Award of Quality Excellence. He also completed the Dale Carnegie Course and Stephen Covey's 7-Habits Course. This formative culture of excellence instilled in him a relentless drive for continuous improvement and excellence during his extraordinary and successful 40+ year career in hospitality. His career encompasses all aspects of hotel & restaurant operations and disciplines, including asset management, financing, operations, marketing, food & beverage, real estate development, brokerage, investment, and technical consulting.

ORION HOTELS's deep practical knowledge and 'nuts & bolts' experience in all facets of hotel development, investment, and operations, complemented by substantial financial acumen and a keen understanding of the latest technology applications, serve as a reliable resource for investors, developers, portfolio managers, operators of independent or branded hotels, institutional investors and Trusts. Sergio's leadership and expertise ensure that ORION HOTELS, INC. remains at the forefront of the hospitality industry, delivering reliable and exceptional results for all its stakeholders.

“Sergio Ortiz, a sharp consultant, has been instrumental in providing us with a clearer understanding of our hotel business. His expertise has illuminated pathways for operational improvements and unlocked significant opportunities for increased revenue. Furthermore, his insightful valuation of our property and business, both currently and projected over the next five years, has been invaluable for strategic planning.” 

- Cinda Palacios, CEO, Palacios Murphy LLC

"Sergio's extensive knowledge and insights in the hospitality industry have been a great contribution to the strategic planning for our Peninsula Beach Resort. His advice, based upon many years of 'hands-on' management, has aided us in the success of our design process."

- Jim Hayes, Managing Partner, Bolivar Investment Group

“It’s been a genuine pleasure working with Sergio to help us in the overall strategic planning for the Peninsula Beach Resort. His hospitality knowledge is second to none. His dedication to getting it right, along with his meticulousness, makes him indispensable. He provides a great return on investment!”

- Michael Wiglesworth, Partner, Bolivar Investment Group

“Sergio deploys a broad commercial and business applications skill set with professionalism and high integrity. He is remarkably calm in high-pressure situations, demonstrates exceptional ability to mentor others, and consistently searches for new ideas to improve issues."

-Yusha Abouhalka, Board President, The Galvestonian Beach Resort

“Sergio is a capable and genuine mentor who has his subordinates' best interests balanced with the organization as a whole to achieve results. He identifies talents and strengths, bringing out the best in others, challenging them, guiding them and supporting them. He embodies the definition of servant leadership. His leadership and team-building skills are inspiring and reassuring. I personally grew enormously working with him, and I would love the opportunity to work for him again."

-Silvia Aguirre, General Manager, The Galvestonian Beach Resort

“Meticulous attention to detail, in both the financial and experiential, along with vast market knowledge and passion for the industry, make Sergio invaluable to any organization. He has been a pleasure to work with, and we will continue to work with one another in the future.”

-Dan Zimmerman, President, La Colombe D'Or and New Form Real Estate

"Sergio Ortiz is extremely talented in maximizing a given hotel project's potential, regardless of the size, difficulty, segment, quality level, or stage of development. He has a proven record in achieving above-average results and accomplishing the owner-clients' goals with competence and integrity".

-Ray Hankamer President/CEO, Hankamer & Associates, LLC

“Sergio consistently exhibited an attention to detail combined with quality leadership without ever compromising the highest moral and ethical standards, a rare combination in business these days”.

-J William Sharman, Jr., President/CEO, The Lancaster Group, Inc.

“Sergio's professionalism makes him a pleasure to work with, and he is always committed to the highest quality project. From an architect's point of view, his ability to visualize potential creates an enthusiasm that also adds to the energy of the project”.

- Tim Dykes. President, TLD Architects, Inc

“Through all the years that I have known Sergio, his integrity and passion for customer and employee relations have always been his focus as well as the foundation of his work ethic; his commitment to owners, customers, and employees will be a great asset to any organization”.

-Mark Yanke, Senior Vice President, Redstone, Hospitality Division

“They [Orion Hotels] also understand the hotel business, which enables them to put together hotel deals that not only work on paper but also continue to work after they are developed”.

-John Bowen, Phd, CHE, Dean of the College and Distinguished Chair, University of Houston, Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel & Restaurant Management.

“Sergio will never tell you what to do; he will present to you a few stories or scenarios, and he will let you make your own decision. It is an asset for any company to have Mr. Sergio Ortiz as a leader and mentor. If the opportunity arises in the future, I will be very happy to work for him”.

-Brane Poledica, Food & Beverage Director UofH Hilton

“Thanks to exceptional interpersonal skills, he has great relations with both company clients and potential customers. If you ever need someone to deliver under pressure, no slip-ups, just results, then Sergio is your man!”

-Cynthia Ott, Sr HR Manager, First Service Residential

“Sergio has a very strong work ethic as well as unparalleled analytic and problem-solving abilities. He has an ease in building interpersonal relations with others. He has vision to see the benefits and the passion to turn that into measurable results”.

-Leya Nguyen, HR Specialist, First Service Residential

“Not only is he a great leader, but also a great mentor. He was full of ideas on how to improve the business and implement those ideas with a full understanding of sales, marketing, and public relations”.

- Kelli Flanagan, Marketing Associate, The St. Anthony Hotel.