LIVE from The Nittany Lion Inn: Scholar Hotels Founder Gary Brandeis
Gary Brandeis is the CEO and Co-Founder of Scholar Hotels, a hotel ownership and management group with a focus on properties close to major college and university campuses. Gary acquired his first hotel in 2006 and has since been directly involved in the hospitality business as an investor, developer, and manager. Scholar Hotels made its State College debut in March 2017, when it opened the 165-room Hyatt Place State College. Since then, the group has expanded its State College properties to include the Scholar Hotel, the Courtyard by Marriott, the Residence Inn by Marriott, The Penn Stater Hotel & Conference Center, and, of course, The Nittany Lion Inn. Gary graduated from the Penn State Smeal College of Business with a degree in accounting.
In this live episode recorded in the 1855 Lounge at The Nittany Lion Inn, Gary shares how his background in accounting prepared him for the real estate industry, the details of the Inn’s renovation, as well as how he thinks about and manages risk.
*Please excuse some of the lower quality audio present in this episode – live events can be unpredictable!
Episode Chapters
0:00 – 3:52
Early life, working first jobs in restaurant industry
3:52 – 8:44
Studying accounting, finding love for real estate at Pricewaterhouse
8:44 – 13:44
Gaining experience, building a network, and forming a track record
13:44 – 17:16
Finding a business partner, developing first property
17:16 – 19:57
The draw of the hotel sector
19:57 – 24:14
Developing the Fraser Center in downtown State College
24:14 – 27:43
Developing the Scholar Hotel
27:43 – 38:10
The Nittany Lion Inn purchase and remodel process
38:10 – 45:30
Audience questions