120-Room Courtyard by Marriott Hershey Chocolate Avenue Awarded 2017 Marriott Opening Hotel of the Year

Officials of Bears Creek Hershey Hotel, LLC, a joint development between Shaner Hotels, an award winning, international hotel owner, operator and developer, and Chafia Capital Partners, a real estate investment and private equity firm, today announced that the 120-room Courtyard by Marriott Hershey Chocolate Avenue was named the 2017 Marriott Opening Hotel of the Year. The Pa. hotel is managed by Shaner Hotel Holdings, LP.

“While it is wonderful to receive praise from our guests for our day-to-day operations during their visits, it is immensely gratifying to be recognized by industry leaders for our earliest ramp-up efforts,” said Plato Ghinos, president, Shaner. “The real winners here are the hotel associates who have done a tremendous job driving the stay experience at the property to the next level. Hershey visitors looking for top-quality, select-service lodging options can sleep confidently knowing that they are in a truly ‘award winning’ setting.”

Located in historic Hershey, Pa., at 515 E. Chocolate Avenue, the four-story hotel is situated downtown between Hershey Chocolate World, Hersheypark and the Hershey Medical Center. Other nearby sites of interest include Indian Echo Caverns, Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course and ZooAmerica North American Wildlife Park.

“Since the doors first opened, the Courtyard by Marriott Hershey Chocolate Avenue has performed well beyond our expectations,” said Jim Kwon, founder of Chafia Capital Partners. “We could not have achieved this great honor without the hard work and dedication of all involved, including the entire team at Shaner Hotels.”

The hotel offers guest laundry services, a fitness room, indoor pool and full-service business center. The hotel features the brand's new Courtyard Refreshing Business lobby, which provides breakfast, coffee and cocktails at the C-Bar. Also located in the lobby are flexible seating options, ranging from a communal table to more private media booths with high-definition televisions to a more intimate and a semi-enclosed lounge area. Guest rooms have free Wi-Fi, plush bedding and an internet TV equipped with Netflix, YouTube, Hulu and 40 HD channels.

“Having a successful hotel opening, it is always key to have the right staff in place,” said Elias Thompson, general manager. “I could say that we achieved that goal more in this hotel as we had some phenomenal leaders and hourly associates that work tirelessly at achieving an outstanding opening.”

About Chafia Capital Partners

Founded in 2003, Chafia Capital Partners is a real estate investment and private equity firm. Chafia Capital Partners, through its related entities, has invested in numerous commercial real estate assets across a variety of property segments and has experience in developing and repositioning commercial properties. Chafia Capital Partners also participates in private equity and venture capital transactions as a capital provider and advisor to both startup and existing operating businesses. For more information, visit www.chafiallc.com.

About Shaner Hotels

Headquartered in State College, Pa., Shaner Hotels is one of the foremost owner-operator companies in the hospitality industry with more than $1 billion invested in 50 hotel properties owned and managed across the U.S., Italy and the Bahamas. Over the past 40 years, the company also has been engaged in both new development and redevelopment of more than 80 hotel projects with leading brand affiliations such as Marriott International, InterContinental Hotels, Choice Hotels and Hilton. New properties are constantly evaluated as Shaner Hotels continues a conservative yet opportunistic approach to growth. For more information about the company and its divisions visit www.shanercorp.com.

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