US: Flexible lodging brand WaterWalk has appointed Jim Anhut as the company’s interim president and chief development officer.
Throughout his career, Anhut has held senior roles with hotel companies such as IHG where he piloted the debut of Staybridge Suites, as well as Choice Hotels where he launched MainStay Suites.
With more than 35 years of experience, he joined WaterWalk’s board of directors in January 2022 and worked alongside the company’s late founder Jack DeBoer.
In his new role as CDO, Anhut will target franchise partnerships to develop new properties as well as focus on hotel conversion opportunities.
Earlier this year, WaterWalk opened a property in Boise – Meridian, Idaho, under the brand’s 2.0 model. This particular property blended extended stay with multifamily.
Anhut will also succeed WaterWalk’s president Jim Korroch, who will retain an active seat on the company’s board of directors.
“We celebrate the achievements made possible by Jim Korroch throughout his dedicated leadership at WaterWalk,” said Mimi Oliver, chief executive officer of WaterWalk. “As WaterWalk continues to grow and propel forward as an innovative flexible lodging solution, we are confident that Jim Anhut will be an invaluable resource in realising the remarkable vision of our founder and my late grandfather, Jack DeBoer.”
Anhut said: “Jack DeBoer was a long-time friend, visionary and trusted advisor throughout my career. I am grateful for the opportunity to expand upon the revolutionary extended-stay experience he and the WaterWalk team has built. Through mutually beneficial collaborations and relationships, I foresee fantastic growth opportunities throughout the nation for this next-generation concept.”
Additional Gen 2.0 properties will be opening through the remainder of the year in Jacksonville, Florida and Huntsville, Alabama. WaterWalk plans to double its portfolio size by the end of 2024.
