Hospitality Management’s Steve Martens honored as Developer of the Year

Steve Martens, President of Wichita, Kansas-based Hospitality Management LLC and The Martens Companies, was named the Developer of the Year by Best Western Hotels & Resorts during the hotel chain’s Annual Convention in Phoenix this week.

Martens was one of two recipients to receive the inaugural award, which was created this year to honor those developers whose new properties deliver superior quality in interior and exterior design, function and guest amenities.

Hospitality Management owns and operates three properties under the Best Western flag, including the Best Western Blackwell Inn in Blackwell, Okla., the Best Western Plus Patterson Park Inn in Arkansas City, Kan., and the recently opened Best Western Plus in Norman, Okla. Hospitality Management was also named an Endorsed Management Company by Best Western earlier this year, making it one of only six U.S. management firms the chain has endorsed.

Martens, who has more than 40 years of experience in the commercial real estate industry, gained his hospitality industry experience by operating a variety of hotel chains over the past 25 years. Martens says that although competition has soared in recent years, he believes the hotel market is stratified enough to provide savvy developers with significant opportunities.