Chris Jones, a 15-year veteran of the real estate development industry, joined NYLO hotels in mid-2004. Chris was at the top of his career with LaSalle Investment Management at Jones Lange LaSalle (JLL), one of the world's leading real estate services and investment management firms, when he recognized the opportunity for a different venture.

“The timing is right for something new in the hotel industry,” Chris explains. “For the past two years, our team at NYLO has analyzed just about every aspect of the traditional way of doing things. Where something worked we kept it; where something didn't work we changed it. The result of our comprehensive analyses is a loft hotel product that, in my opinion, will define a new sector and new generation of hotels.”

During Chris's 11 years with JLL, he led the development of numerous projects throughout Europe and the Americas, totaling approximately $3 billion. In 2001, Chris was the recipient of the JLL LaSalle Award, selected from among 8,000 employees worldwide as one of the firm's top 10 most admired professionals.

Innovation
Early in his career as an associate of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, Chris became one of the youngest associate partners in the real estate and development firm of Jones Lang Wootton, London. In 1997, he relocated to New York to spearhead the firm's development group, where he was responsible for unprecedented growth in the investor-led development practice in the United States.

As senior vice president of the development group, Chris managed all aspects of his clients' investments in real estate, including investment and feasibility underwriting, land acquisition and negotiation, debt and equity financing, and development management and procurement.

Integrity and Respect
Throughout his tenure at JLL, Chris managed numerous sophisticated development projects, ranging from office complexes and a biotech lab to retail venues and luxury resorts. He earned the respect of his colleagues, clients and the many professionals he managed not only because of his broad industry experience and his expertise in construction, but also through his honesty, integrity and straightforward approach to development management.

Chris's clients included many of Europe's leading investors and banks. Under his direction, they invested in a $500-million, mixed-use development with biotech lab, offices, retail space, condo, hotel, garage and performing arts center in Cambridge, Mass. Working as development advisor for a major consortium of lenders, Chris also managed investments in the $300-million hotel and residences at the Ritz Carlton, Grand Cayman, and the $350-million Four Seasons Emerald Bay, Bahamas.

Leadership
In 2000, Chris led a mid-stream takeover of the development of the $800-million Diplomat Hotels Resort and Spa, a 1,060-room luxury resort in Hollywood, Fla., for LaSalle Investment Management.

This multi-faceted, ground-up development project comprised a 1,060-room hotel; a 250,000-square-foot convention center; golf course; country club and spa; marina; retail village; and a high-rise luxury residential condominium. The Diplomat was widely regarded as one of the most challenging development projects recently undertaken in the U.S. It required the highest level of responsibility, because it was governed by ERISA, a level of fiduciary responsibility imposed on all pension fund investments.

Chris managed the development, reigning in costs, revising schedules, and motivating a 1,500-person team of professionals, consultant and contractors. The project was completed on time and under the revised budget. For his work on the Diplomat, Chris was widely recognized for his leadership, a point reinforced by his client and his firm when he received the JLL LaSalle Club Award.