A Note of Appreciation from Mr. Larry Blumberg
A Note from Mr. Larry Blumberg
A couple of weeks ago, we celebrated LBA’s 50th anniversary. Our first hotel, the Dothan Sheraton Motor Inn, opened on June 30, 1973. It was a 100-room full-service property. Below is a promotional postcard for that hotel. We did several additions and extensive renovations over the years and, in 1990, rebranded it as a Holiday Inn. In 2010, we flagged it as a Clarion Inn & Suites, which we sold in 2018.
Sheraton Motor Inn Dothan
Today, LBA Hospitality manages over 100 hotels with more than 11,000 rooms in 12 states. We have partnered with some outstanding owners who are growing their portfolios. In addition to this organic growth, we are talking to new groups about managing their hotels. While we are positioned for robust growth, we are committed to doing it in a way that embraces our core mission of valuing our associates and providing exemplary service to our guests.
As I reflect about the past 50 years, I am enormously proud of what we have accomplished. This success would not be possible without your dedication and hard work, and that of your teams. To all of you, please know how much I appreciate what you are doing. Thank you for making LBA Hospitality a leader in our industry.
From time to time, people ask how I got started in the hotel business. In 2014, I had the honor of being inducted into the Dothan Business Hall of Fame. In my acceptance speech, I tell my story. Below is a video of that event. After introductory remarks from Barry Kraselsky, former president of LBA, my talk begins. I hope this gives you a sense of our history.
With deep gratitude to all of you, Larry
Dothan Hall of Fame - Larry's Speech