Rafael Torres
Managing Partner
Rafael, a founding partner of Luxe Capital Americas, is focused on assisting clients in the hotel, tourism, real estate and financial sectors achieve their goals with hotel sales transactions, optimization of hotel concepts, branding and performance as well as strategic growth plans. He has proven expertise in hotel transactions across Europe, Caribbean, Latin America and Africa.
His experience and proven track record as CEO and senior executive positions in international hotel companies in various destinations in Europe and the Americas, and at one of the most recognized master planned communities in the Caribbean. He has proven to be a strong commercial leader able to drive profitability through operational optimization and the creation of innovative products.
Rafael’s clients appreciate his insights derived from his experience transforming underperforming hotels, lines of business or assets and effectively growing/repositioning them within a short timeframe. Rafael puts his operational insights to work on behalf of clients by identifying interesting opportunities for expansion that contribute to their strategic plans.
George Spence
Managing Partner
George assists clients in the hotel, tourism, real estate and financial sectors. He focuses on complex acquisitions, mergers, valuations, workouts, restructurings, project development, branding, feasibility studies and hotel product concept optimization.
A founding partner of Luxe Capital Americas, George is recognized as an experienced negotiator of sale-purchase transaction documentation and hotel management and franchise contracts on behalf of clients. His experience as CFO, CEO and Senior Development Officer of various hotel and master planned resort companies, and participation in transactions and project planning across the Caribbean, Mexico, Latin America and Africa, provides real-world and multi-cultural insights to our clientele.
Dione Lee
Associate
Dione provides critical transactional, due diligence and analytical services on behalf of clients for Luxe Capital. She also leads Luxe Capital’s tourism and hospitality research area as well as the financial analysis and modeling that is required from our clients.
Dione has years of direct experience in hotel and tourism project analysis, transactions and feasibility studies. She has worked on sales processes and valuations for hotels in diverse countries, such as the Dominican Republic, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Mexico, Jamaica and Zanzibar. She is recognized for her skills for mixed-use projects and master planned communities.
Prior to that, she served as an analyst at the World Bank and as International Financing Manager at a large master planned community and tourism development. Dione is particularly recognized by clients for her work on feasibility and valuation. She hones her analytical skills in hotel real estate investment and asset management courses offered by Cornell University and by HVS International.
Gema Nieto
Associate
Gema manages processes directly with clients and prospects, who appreciate her responsiveness and extensive hands-on experience in the hotel and resort sector. She has distinguished herself in the practice of hotel brand searches and optimization and in the selection of hotel operators for Luxe Capital’s clients.
Prior to joining Luxe Capital she worked in executive positions for recognized international hotel chains in Europe, the United States and the Caribbean. She has served as general manager through the pre-opening, opening and operations phases for a top five international hotel chain, as Rooms Division Manager for a large international upscale all-inclusive brand, and in a senior position at a successful master planned resort complex in the Caribbean.
Gema enjoys assisting clients in hotel purchase-sale processes, feasibility studies, brand search and product optimization processes. She gives back to the community by serving as a university professor in hotel and tourism studies.
Andrés Vidal
Associate
Andrés has extensive experience in real estate operations and development in the Caribbean and Latin American context. He has participated in multiple negotiation processes with international brands, commercial mix planning and projections for mixed-use real estate developments. A production engineer with extensive experience in business administration and project development, Andrés brings to clients a disciplined and quantitative approach to program development, and valuable tools for the management of real estate projects once they are open and in the operations phase in order to optimize financial and operational performance for owners.
James R. Hepple
Associate
Dr. James “Jim” Hepple has years of experience in the hotel and tourism sector in the Caribbean, the United States and Canada.
He has served as the CEO of several leading hotel associations and of a number of tourist Boards within the Caribbean, after earlier executive assignments in sales and marketing and with two leading Canadian hotel and tourism consulting firms.
Dr. Hepple possesses extensive knowledge and skills in tourism research and analytics, destination marketing development, feasibility studies, as well as assistance in positioning destinations, resorts and hotels, to achieve their full potential.
Álvaro Tejeda
Associate
Alvaro Tejeda provides clients with the benefit of over 30 years of direct experience in multiple aspects of the hotel and resort business. Alvaro has held senior executive positions in the European, American, Latin American and Caribbean hotel markets, and has accumulated solid credentials in managing and developing hotel projects, joint ventures and management agreements.
Clients appreciate Alvaro’s insights and ability to leverage his experience and successes to evaluate and recommend business solutions, identify operational inefficiencies, execute necessary process improvements, and utilize his extensive network of contacts to benefit their businesses.