Christopher W. Brown

Christopher W. Brown

President

Christopher W. Brown earned his undergraduate degree in Business from Old Dominion University. Chris joined Coastal in July 2008, capping a successful thirty-two-year career in the Commercial Banking industry, with specialization in Commercial Real estate Finance. Prior to joining Coastal, Chris served as Regional Manager for the Norfolk and Richmond (Virginia) Offices of Commercial Real Estate Finance for Wachovia Bank, N.A. (now Wells Fargo). Chris also completed a Post-Graduate program at the School of Banking of the South at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, LA. In addition to traditional Income Property types (office, retail, multi-family, etc.), Chris’ Real Estate Banking background included Hotel lending. Chris’ primary role and focus is on maintaining strong Banking and Lending Relationships, with emphasis on successfully obtaining financing for all projects, including new developments, as well as refinancing of Coastal Hospitality’s existing portfolio of Hotels. Chris is responsible for the Licensing and Relicensing of all Coastal Hotels across the Brands, as well as Insurance/Risk Management for the Coastal portfolio. Despite the challenges faced by the Hospitality industry since the 2008 Banking and economic downturn, and now including the current challenges impacting Travel and Tourism, Chris has successfully secured and closed financing commitments for each of the Hotels in the portfolio; thus, ensuring Coastal Hospitality’s continued access to capital and growth.

Jack H. Zimmerman

Jack H. Zimmerman

Senior Vice President, Operations

Jack H. Zimmerman brings 35 years of successful, hands-on experience to Coastal Hospitality Associates. Jack previously served as the Senior Director of Asset Management for a very large national firm, where he provided direction to the management of a portfolio of hotels and resorts representing leading brands such as Marriott, Intercontinental, Starwood, Hilton, and Choice hotels.

Jack is responsible for Coastal’s portfolio of full and limited service hotels, including P&L accountability, guest service excellence, property performance, including brand relations, and providing strategic direction and leadership to the general managers and their respective hotel management teams. Jack has particular experience with new openings and renovations, serving as the opening General Manager for sixteen hotels, and having been involved in over fifty branded renovations. Jack earned his Associates Degree in Applied Science/Business Management from Niagara University. He received his CHA certification from the American Hotel and Lodging Association’s Educational Institute in 1999.

Thomas J. Lyons, Jr.

Thomas J. Lyons, Jr.

Founder
1941-2022

Thomas J. Lyons, Jr., a graduate of Georgetown University, founded Tidewater Hotels & Resorts in 1968. During the course of his career, Mr. Lyons developed and managed over 30 hotels in Virginia and North Carolina. In June of 2008 Mr. Lyons sold Tidewater to Crestline Hotels & Resorts, Inc. Simultaneous with the sale of THR to Crestline, Mr. Lyons also sold eight Marriott flagged hotels to Apple REIT. Following the sale, Mr. Lyons formed Weatherly Investment Associates, LLC in July of 2008 to serve as an Asset Management and Real Estate Holding company to oversee the ownership duties and requirements associated with ten hotels retained by Mr. Lyons. In anticipation of the expiration of the management contracts at several of his hotels, Mr. Lyons formed Coastal Hospitality Associates, LLC to assume the management of the hotels as the contracts matured and expired.

In addition to his leadership, Mr. Lyons’ primarily focused on overall planning and development of hotel sites, their architecture and design, new construction and capital planning/reinvestment strategies.