ATLANTA – Officials of Five Star Group, a private commercial real estate investment, development and management firm focused on Southeastern hospitality projects, announced that Kimberly Rowell has been named Executive Vice President of Five Star Hospitality Management. Rowell joined the organization in February 2023 and has spent the past 20 months making a transformative impact, culminating in today’s formal announcement of her role.

Additionally, Dream Capital, Five Star’s affiliated full-service commercial real estate investment firm that sponsors and co-invests in projects across multiple states and segments, today announced that it has named Justin Patel senior associate, investments and asset management.

Kimberly Rowell, Vice President, Five Star Hospitality

With over 35 years of hospitality leadership, Rowell has worked for such leading industry organizations as Blackstone, Winegardner & Hammons, ZMC Hotels, HP Hotels while driving operational excellence across a diverse portfolio of Hilton, Marriott, IHG, Wyndham and Choice Hotels.  Her expertise spans operations, finance, accounting, revenue management, human resources, sales, marketing, quality control and franchise and owner relations.  A Certified Hotel Administrator (CHA) and Certified Hotel Owner (CHO), Rowell is a founding board member of the Extended Stay Lodging Association and an active advocate for Women Leading Hospitality.

“Joining Five Star Hospitality has been the perfect capstone to my career,” Rowell said. “Collaborating with our dedicated team and founding members, I am honored to contribute to our shared vision of excellence, growth, and integrity as we steer towards new heights.”

Justin Patel, Senior Associate, Investments and Asset Management, Dream Capital

“Justin takes an insightful approach to project management, making him an invaluable member of the Dream Capital team as we continue to provide our investors with the opportunity to invest in both credit and equity investments in various asset classes in commercial real estate,” said Ankit Govan, Managing Principal and Co-Founder, Dream Capital. “We remain committed to pursuing acquisition and development opportunities with well-branded hotels such as Hilton and Marriott in markets with high barriers to entry.  With a wealth of asset management and investment experience, Justin is the ideal candidate to help us along the path.”

Patel most recently was senior asset management analyst with Peachtree Group, where he asset managed more than 20 limited-, select- and full-service hotels across the nation and successfully assisted in 12 dispositions. Prior to that, he was asset manager for 33 Degrees, a commercial real estate management firm.  Patel received his bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Five Star Group is a private commercial real estate investment, development and management firm based in Dalton, Ga. Founded by Naren Patel in 1990 with a clear and concise mission to deliver exceptional guest satisfaction while attaining the highest possible return on investment, the company prides itself on building lasting relationships with its lenders, brand partners, associate and guests.