Hotel firm expands in Florida

ST. PETE BEACH — Philadelphia-based Hersha Hospitality Management plans to expand its business operations in Florida, starting with taking on the management of the Postcard Inn on the Beach, a popular hotel in Pinellas County.

The full-service boutique hotel, in St. Pete Beach, is one of three Florida properties Hersha now manages. The company also recently announced it has contracts to manage the 263-room Cadillac Hotel Courtyard Miami Beach and the newly renovated Postcard Inn at Holiday Isle in Islamorada. The Holiday Isle inn is a full-service resort spread over 12.5 acres of oceanfront property.

Hersha's expansion, in addition to Florida, includes the West Coast. “Our goal is to continue building a meaningful presence in Florida and the West Coast with six to 12 properties in each geographic market over the next 18 months,” Hersha President and CEO Naveen Kakarla says in a release. “We have invested in people and infrastructure, with a plan to achieve even greater economies of scale as we grow in these markets.”

Hersha now manages more than 80 hotels nationwide. Brand affiliations include Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, Starwood and Intercontinental Hotel Group.