Our Story
Headquartered in New York, the hotel-focused private equity firm, AWH Partners, has acquired over $2 billion of hospitality real estate, representing more than 10,000 keys across 45 investments. AWH serves a diverse investor base, including institutional investors, family offices, and high-net-worth individuals.
AWH’s vertically integrated platform—combining investment, operations and development—enables disciplined execution across the full lifecycle of each asset. Our proprietary AWH MIDAS platform is integral to our process and enables us to identify, evaluate and execute on opportunities with consistency and discipline.
Our Leadership
AWH Partners was founded by Chad Cooley, Russell Flicker, and Jonathan Rosenfeld, experienced real estate and finance professionals with backgrounds at The Blackstone Group and The Related Companies.
As Co-Managing Partners, they lead a New York-based platform that combines institutional investment discipline with an entrepreneurial, ownership-driven approach.
Chad Cooley
Co-Founder & Managing Partner
Prior to co-founding AWH Partners, Chad Cooley was a Vice President at The Related Companies, where he managed investments through all stages of acquisition and development totaling hundreds of millions of dollars.
With more than two decades of experience, Mr. Cooley oversees the firm’s strategic direction and day-to-day management across its investment, development, and operating platforms, with a focus on sourcing and executing value-add, core-plus, and opportunistic investments.
Mr. Cooley received his bachelor’s degree from Colgate University, where he serves on the Board of Trustees and recently retired as chair of the Colgate Real Estate Council. He was awarded the Maroon Citation in 2020.
Russell Flicker
Co-Founder & Managing Partner
Russell Flicker has more than two decades of experience in hospitality real estate investment, development and operations. He oversees the firm’s strategic direction, institutional capital relationships, and platform execution.
Prior to co-founding AWH Partners, Mr. Flicker served as Chief Investment Officer at the Ian Schrager Company. He previously led hospitality development, redevelopment and repositioning at Blackstone Real Estate Advisors and began his career at The Trump Organization.
Mr. Flicker holds a J.D. from Duke University School of Law and a bachelor’s degree from Washington University in St. Louis, where he serves as President of the Olin Alumni Board.
Jon Rosenfeld
Co-Founder & Managing Partner
Jonathan Rosenfeld oversees corporate strategy, financial structuring, and the firm’s operating businesses.
Prior to co-founding AWH Partners, Mr. Rosenfeld was a senior analyst at Wesley Capital Management and Scout Capital Management, focusing on public real estate securities. He previously spent eight years at The Blackstone Group, including roles in mergers and acquisitions and Blackstone Real Estate Advisors.
Mr. Rosenfeld graduated summa cum laude from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania with concentrations in finance and accounting.
Our Companies
Spire Hospitality, AWH Partners’ wholly owned management subsidiary, provides direct operational insight that enhances investment underwriting and execution.
With more than 35 years of operating experience, Spire manages a diverse portfolio of independent and branded hotels and resorts throughout the United States, representing over 6,500 guestrooms across 27 properties and more than $430 million in managed revenue. Spire applies institutional operating standards with an ownership-oriented approach to maximize asset performance.
AWH Development is AWH Partners’ full-service development platform, specializing in complex renovations, ground-up construction, and repositioning.
With more than 3,950 keys developed and over 10,000 keys renovated, AWH Development delivers projects on time and on budget while maintaining rigorous oversight across all phases of execution. This capability enhances cost control, reduces execution risk, and drives value creation that pure-play investment firms simply cannot replicate.
Careers
We seek high-performing, entrepreneurial professionals who are committed to excellence.
AWH Partners is a hotel-focused private equity firm headquartered in Manhattan. We offer a collaborative environment where individuals are empowered to contribute meaningfully, develop their expertise, and deliver strong outcomes for our investors and partners.