Boutique Hotel<.> Group has named Michael Murphy Executive Vice President and General Counsel. Mr. Murphy brings more than twenty years of transactional real estate experience to BHG with specific expertise in the hospitality industry. He will be responsible for sourcing and structuring new acquisition, management and advisory opportunities for the Company as it aggressively seeks to expand its portfolio.

Boutique Hotel Group properties include The Mansfield, The Roger Williams, The Shoreham, The Franklin and Hotel Wales, all in New York City, making it the largest boutique collection in Manhattan. Just this month the historic Peery Hotel in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah was added to the portfolio.

Prior to joining Boutique Hotel Group, Mr. Murphy was CEO of Triquest Partners, a New Jersey based real estate investment, research and consulting firm with clients that included Fidelity National Title Insurance Company, the world`s largest title insurer, Dyson and Dyson Real Estate Inc., a leading California based luxury real estate and marketing firm and The Lyle Anderson Company, the recognized leader in the development and management of private luxury residential golf course communities.

Prior to Triquest, Mr. Murphy was Senior Vice President, Acquisitions for Boykin Lodging Company, a Cleveland based publicly traded hospitality REIT. There he engineered one of the first public/private joint ventures between a hospitality REIT and a private partner to provide substantial acquisition capital to the new venture. Previously, he was Senior Vice President, Acquisitions at Patriot American Hospitality Inc., a publicly traded hospitality REIT located in Dallas. As head of acquisitions for Patriot, Mr. Murphy structured and closed approximately $900 Million in asset and management company transactions and increased Patriot`s portfolio from 31 to 70 properties. He also was responsible for managing Patriot`s ventures with Doubletree Hotels, Carefree Resorts and Grand Heritage Hotels.

Before joining Patriot Mr. Murphy was CEO of The Stonebridge Group and a principal in Affirmative Equities Company, both New York City based real estate investment and advisory firms. While at Stonebridge, in addition to sourcing and structuring the firm`s capital markets transactions and asset management assignments, he co-founded REITRAC, a real estate database and information company that he sold to a subsidiary of Dow Jones & Company, Inc. in 1995. At Affirmative he directed the acquisition, redevelopment and management of The Patrick Henry Hotel, an historic, boutique hotel in Roanoke, Virginia.
Prior to Affirmative, Mr. Murphy practiced transactional real estate law in New York City with several prestigious firms.

Mr. Murphy graduated from Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts and Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts. He received his JD degree from Fordham University School of Law.

Boutique Hotel Group continues to take the industry lead in developing the overall brand, while marketing the unique aspects of each property. The portfolio of five Manhattan hotels is known for being among the early trailblazers in the city`s boutique hotel movement and has since been recognized for its enduring design and fresh approach to the industry. The Group earned worldwide recognition for branding its own line of Jazz CD`s and was awarded Best Hotel Design 2000 by Interiors magazine. The hotels continually integrate local dance and theater organizations into the marketing mix, and have staged a number of rotating exhibitions by emerging artists.