Skip to content

Search

Latest Stories

Banyan Investment Group is now the Satori Collective

Its subsidiary, Banyan Tree Management, will now be called Aperture Hotels

Modern select-service hotel in a U.S. growth corridor, part of Satori Collective’s $477 million investment portfolio

Banyan Investment Group : The Awakening of Satori Collective

ATLANTA-BASED BANYAN Investment Group, led by Rakesh Chauhan and Andy Chopra as managing partners, is rebranding as Satori Collective, an investment management firm focusing primarily on hotel property investment. Its subsidiary Banyan Tree Management also has become Aperture Hotels.

Satori and Aperture will work independently of one another.


The awakening

Satori focuses on investment into select-service, upper select-service extended-stay and lifestyle hotel properties, according to the company. It concentrates on investment in growth corridors located in top MSAs across the U.S. which have established hotel demand generators such as tourism, corporate group travel, state capitals, conference universities, healthcare, heavy manufacturing and military.

“Satori is a Buddhist term meaning ‘awakening and deep understanding,’ which is how our team approaches commercial real estate investment,” Chopra said. “With more than 140 years of combined investment experience in virtually all markets and segments, our team has an unparalleled understanding of both the environment and the marketplace. We realized that our true, core business is real estate investment, so we have renewed and doubled our focus on raising and deploying capital in pursuit of consistent, risk adjusted returns while allowing our former management platform to stand on its own and pursue additional third-party management business opportunities.”

ENEWS 04 05 23 Aperture Hotels Andy Chopra Andy Chopra, founder and managing partner of Banyan Investment Group, now known as the Satori Collective, said is a Buddhist term meaning “awakening and deep understanding.”

Chopra said Satori offers the same level of service as Banyan.

“We have a rigorous underwriting process and employ conservative leverage structures to ensure a higher probability of investment success,” he said. “Over the past decade, we’ve evolved into an institutional quality firm. Our investment edge is our resilience and the depth of our operational expertise combined with a sophisticated understanding of asset management, deal structuring, capital markets and economic cycles.”

Chauhan said the company has made 24 hotel investments utilizing four investment vehicles totaling $477 million in assets under management since its founding 14 years ago.

“We look forward to improving upon our successful track record in the coming years,” Chauhan said. “Our investments feature the standard hallmarks of being in growing submarkets with substantial drivers of commercial real estate demand. We view investments through the lens of risk adjusted returns and focus on properties which offer value add potential while still providing current cash flow with room for growth.”

More than a matter of identity

Aperture’s rebranding is aimed at separating it from its parent company to expand its third-party management portfolio and possible management company M&A. The company currently operates more than 2,000 rooms across 15 hotels and resorts.

“Historically, we have been seen almost exclusively as an extension of Banyan Investment Group, providing services only for their portfolio,” said Charles Oswald, Aperture’s president and CEO. “The truth of the matter, however, is that we actively and eagerly provide third-party operating services for all hotel owners, and we feel relaunching as a stand-alone entity helps clarify that. We’ve assembled a senior team that has collective experience operating over 400 hotels in every chain scale, from select-service to premium lifestyle, and we look forward to deploying that experience to help more owners achieve superior guest experience, team member engagement and improved bottom lines.”

The change goes deeper than the new name, Oswald said.

ENEWS 04 05 23 Aperture Hotels charles oswald headshot Charles Oswald, Aperture’s president and CEO, said the rebranding is meant to clarify that the company is available for third-party management contracts.

“It's bigger than identity. It's that we've added to the leadership team, we've added capabilities and resources, we've also reconfigured our tech stack and changed our processes,” Oswald said. “For all intents and purposes, it's a different company.”

Aperture provides its services for the entire ownership cycle, from pre-opening through eventual sale, Oswald said. It has worked with branded and independent properties in urban, suburban and leisure destination markets throughout the U.S. and employs more than 500 people.

“We recognize is there is a void in the industry today. You have a lot of very large companies out there, where there's been a ton of M&A, hundreds of hotels strong now, and, and they've become too big, somewhat siloed, a little bit out of touch with their properties,” Oswald said. “Or you have a lot of smaller companies where maybe they're a little too small and they don't have the subject matter expertise. They don't support the tech stack and so on. So, we recognize that if we got out there, and we hired some top-notch people with a lot of experience, and we could punch above our weight, and build a team with the capacity to grow.”

Oswald said market conditions are good for the coming year.

“When you look forward, I think there are going to be there's going to be an increase in transactions,” Oswald said. “And, when transactions occur, that's when management tends to change. I think transactions will pick up in the second half of 2023 and we want to be there and ready.”

Chopra said he is confident in Aperture’s ability to stand on its own.

“Charles has a sterling reputation as one of the best operators in the business, which made the decision to have him to serve as president and CEO of Aperture obvious,” he said. “His leadership and skill sets have already brought tangible value to the platform as it relates to people and processes. As owners of the company, he has our full and total confidence to grow the business exponentially.”

In August, Banyan Group announced that its $35 million Banyan Lodging Enhanced Value Fund had been fully subscribed.

More for you

Auro Hotels Launches $2M 'Rama Legacy' Scholarship

Auro launches $2M scholarship for employees’ children

What is the Rama Legacy Scholarship by Auro Hotels?

AURO HOTELS LAUNCHED its $2 million Rama Legacy Scholarship endowment for employees' children, continuing a tradition started by company co-founder H.P. Rama. Several students received scholarships in this inaugural year, reflecting the company’s view that its success depends on its people.

As founding chairman of AAHOA and past chairman of the American Hotel and Lodging Association, Rama believes the hospitality industry’s strength lies in developing its people, Auro said in a statement. He established the first scholarship under his family’s name in 1998.

Keep ReadingShow less
Colliers: US hotel assets improve in 2025, led by Northeast and Central regions

Report: Hospitality health up on travel, events

What are the key findings from Colliers’ 2025 Hospitality Outlook?

THE FINANCIAL HEALTH of hospitality assets, especially in the northeast and central regions, is improving, driven by leisure travel and the return of conferences and events, according to Colliers. U.S. hotels saw RevPAR rise 2.4 percent, ADR 1.9 percent and a slight uptick in occupancy from April 2024 to March 2025.

Colliers' 2025 Hospitality Outlook report found that some regions are still returning to pre-pandemic demand levels, while others are reaching prior cyclical peaks.

Keep ReadingShow less
Extended Stay America survey 2025

Study: Extended-stay hotels feel more like home

What makes extended-stay hotels better than vacation rentals?

EXTENDED-STAY HOTELS OUTPERFORM vacation rentals and apartments in comfort, value and sense of home, according to a survey by Extended Stay America. About 79 percent of respondents said extended-stay hotels are like a home away from home, while 82 percent said they offer a stronger sense of home than vacation rentals or apartments.

In the national survey by ESA and Wakefield Research, respondents preferred extended-stay hotels over other options, citing amenities at 34 percent, comfort and familiarity at 33 percent and personalization at 30 percent.

Keep ReadingShow less
Zack Gharib Red Roof

Red Roof bets on people, tech for growth

Red Roof’s 2025 Vision: Innovation, Inclusion & Growth

RED ROOF IS focusing on strategic investments in people and technology to advance the brand amid evolving challenges, said Zack Gharib, Red Roof’s president. Gharib also spoke about the company’s new prototype, the power of the extended stay segment and human trafficking.

Regarding its diversity and inclusion efforts, the company focuses on its long-standing initiatives including SHE, inspired by Red Roof and Road to Inclusion, Diversity and Equality. SHE and RIDE recently helped Red Roof prioritize women and underrepresented communities with more than 30 new projects.

Keep ReadingShow less
Analyze competitive set data to boost revenue in the USA hospitality market

HotStats: Updated comp sets boost revenue

Why U.S. Hotels Must Regularly Update Their Competitive Sets

HOTELS SHOULD USE an updated competitive set to maximize revenue, control costs and maintain market position, according to HotStats. Those that fine-tune their comp sets consistently outperform others by using real-time insights to guide pricing, labor and revenue strategies.

The comp set should be reviewed at least once a year, HotStats wrote in a recent blog post.

Keep ReadingShow less