Driftwood participated in the financing through a Driftwood-affiliated private lending fund alongside New York-based Madison Realty Capital. The financing was provided to Cain, a real estate investment firm based in London, along with Saunders Hotel Group and Noannet Group.
Courtyard by Marriott Fort Lauderdale Weston at 2000 N. Commerce Parkway Driftwood launched a Delaware statutory trust and seeded it with the 176-key Courtyard by Marriott Fort Lauderdale Weston, according to a release.
Ian Chandler serves as Senior Associate – Originations & Asset Management at Driftwood Capital, which is headquartered in Coral Gables, FL. He sources, underwrites and executes transactions for Driftwood’s lending platform, Driftwood Credit, and procures debt for the firm’s acquisition and development projects.
Our CEO, Carlos Rodriguez Jr., has been recognized by GlobeSt. as one of CRE’s Aspiring Leaders of 2026 — a testament to years of disciplined execution, thoughtful risk-taking, and a long-term belief in hospitality as a resilient asset class.
Driftwood Hospitality Management announced the appointment of Gregory Maliassas as chief executive officer. Maliassas brings three decades of leadership experience to the role. Maliassas joins DHM from Playa Hotels & Resorts, where he served as executive vice president and chief operating officer, overseeing operations for a portfolio of branded all-inclusive resorts across the Caribbean and Mexico.
Jorge L. Gomez-Moller, Partner, Chief Legal Officer, and General Counsel, has been elected as a member of the Orange Bowl Committee, one of South Florida’s most prestigious civic and nonprofit organizations.
Rodriguez Jr. has served as president and COO since co-founding Driftwood Capital with Carlos Rodriguez Sr. in 2015. Over the past decade, Driftwood Capital has grown from an entrepreneurial hospitality investment firm into a scaled owner, developer, and lender, with approximately $3.5 billion in hospitality assets under management.
With over 5,000 rooms in ownership and management across 32 properties in FIFA’s U.S. tournament host cities, Driftwood Capital sees the World Cup as an exciting chance to thrive, with the prolonged schedule offering plenty of room for prosperity.
Driftwood spent the $11 million on renovating guest rooms as well as adding an M Club lounge, which is complimentary for Marriott members of certain status. The lounge offers food, drinks and other amenities.
Miami-based Driftwood Capital, with its vertically integrated model and dedicated Driftwood Lifestyle & Luxury (DLLX) division, is uniquely positioned to capitalize on macroeconomic shifts, evolving demographic preferences and experiential travel demand.
The transaction includes the full replacement of a 2024 $270 million CMBS loan with a new $300 million senior loan originated by Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase Bank. In tandem, DLP upsized its original $30 million mezzanine loan to $35 million. The two-year loan includes three one-year extension options.
Here are five projects that could help lead to an explosion in growth for the Space Coast - if they all come to fruition.
The award recognizes 40 outstanding professionals under the age of 40 based in Miami-
Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties for their leadership, success in business and
contributions to their communities.
Azevedo is charged with launching a dedicated new investment fund to seek luxury, lifestyle and branded residential deals, and oversee management of the hotels and resorts already part of the Driftwood portfolio that fit that bill.
Driftwood Capital, through its lending fund Driftwood Lending Partners, provided $18.5 million in mezzanine loans for the refinancing of the Northeast Select Service Portfolio, a five-property portfolio encompassing Hilton- and Marriott-branded select-service hotels across New Hampshire and Massachusetts.
The 4,203-key portfolio represents some of Driftwood’s “most strategically located and well-performing assets,” backed by $370 million worth of renovations or new construction in recent years, according to the company.
This year, LODGING highlights over 50 management companies that can help hoteliers meet those aims and navigate any upcoming challenges.
Driftwood Capital today announced the successful closing of a $1.2 billion portfolio consolidation involving 18 Hilton, Marriott, and Margaritaville-branded hotels across 10 states.
Following the $800 million recapitalization for their Space Coast portfolio, this transaction allows for some added leverage and liquidity for investors.
Driftwood Capital launched its Driftwood Lifestyle & Luxury Division (DLLUX), enhancing management, investment, and development services and initiatives within the luxury, lifestyle, and branded residences sector.
Opened in 2024 following a multimillion-dollar transformation of the former Sheraton Old San Juan, this 245-room property is the first Tribute Portfolio hotel in the Caribbean, and Marriott’s soft brand allows for lots of creativity in the hotel design. The results are impressive.
Driftwood Capital has secured $207 million in senior construction financing and Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE) financing for the 502-key Westin Cocoa Beach Resort & Spa on Florida’s Space Coast. The company also secured a $50 million credit facility for a total of $257 million in financing for the property.
Driftwood Capital announces the successful initial closing of its latest fund, Driftwood Florida Space Coast Portfolio, LP, focusing on the acquisition and development of existing and soon-to-break-ground hotel assets in Florida’s “Space Coast,” one of the state’s fastest-growing markets for business and tourism.
Driftwood Capital is taking over Florida’s Space Coast hotel market as it announces the close of the $330 million Driftwood Florida Space Coast Portfolio fund with four hotels expected to represent approximately 11% of all the hotel rooms in the market and 62% of the area’s beachfront hotel inventory.
