Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration has partnered with eCornell to create a six-course certificate series on the dynamics of hotel real estate and management contracts for property owners, operators and lenders.

Authored by Jan A deRoos, associate professor and HVS International Professor of Finance and Real Estate at the Cornell Hotel School, the series is adapted from his courses delivered in the school's Professional Development Program in Ithaca, Brussels, and Singapore.

“Professor deRoos is widely recognized as one of the foremost authorities on hotel development in the industry,” says Tom Kline, director of Executive Education at the school. “We are very pleased that he has made his popular executive courses available in an online format for eCornell. Cornell can now offer year-round, global access to this important knowledge.”

The six courses focus on three main themes central to maximizing value for hotel property owners, operators, and lenders:

• The separation of real estate ownership and control as a vital way to increase value;
• The valuation and financing of hotel real estate investments as a key competency for today’s decision makers; and
• Asset management as a legitimate and respected tool for value creation and value improvement

According to Cornell, this certificate provides a rigorous framework for participants to learn the practical aspects of ownership and management of hotel real estate including negotiation of management contracts; revenue and cost forecasting; valuing hotel intellectual property; and the strategies and tactics necessary to achieve asset management objectives.

“My eCornell courses provide students with a convenient way to learn this material,” deRoos says. “Students have access to tools and concepts they can use immediately to increase value in the workplace.”

Each course is designed to be both a part of the certificate program and a stand-alone learning experience. The courses in the series are: Financial Analysis of Hotel Investments; Control of Hotel Real Estate; Valuing Hotel Investments Through Effective Forecasting; Valuing Hotel Intellectual Property and Structuring the Capital Stack; Developing an Asset Management Strategy; and Achieving Hotel Asset Management Objectives.