HFTP Names Raymond Martz Its 2026 Paragon Award Recipient
Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals named Raymond Martz its 2026 Paragon Award recipient. Martz is co-president and chief financial officer of Pebblebrook Hotel Trust (NYSE: PEB).
HFTP cites his work across hospitality finance and technology and his service to the association.
The USALI Revision He Co-Chaired
Martz served as co-chair of the Global Finance Committee, jointly sponsored by the American Hotel & Lodging Association and HFTP. The committee guided the revision process for the Uniform System of Accounts for the Lodging Industry, 12th Revised Edition, published in July 2024.
The new edition updated the industry's financial reporting framework on labor, market segmentation and sustainability, and extended its use by hotel owners, operators and brands. HFTP states that Martz led its development through his USALI roles.
Pebblebrook, From a $400 Million IPO to a Lifestyle REIT
Martz has been Pebblebrook's chief financial officer since its formation in 2009 and co-president since 2023. HFTP states that he helped build the company from a $400 million blind-pool initial public offering with no hotel assets into one of the nation's leading owners of lifestyle hotels and resorts.
He has played a central role in Pebblebrook's strategy, capital allocation, financing and corporate development. His work included financing the company's $5.2 billion acquisition of LaSalle Hotel Properties. HFTP states that he has led more than $15 billion of capital markets transactions across public and private equity, debt financings and refinancings.
The Finance and Technology Argument
HFTP states that Martz focuses on the convergence of strategy, finance and technology. He has challenged hospitality leaders to judge technology on measurable business outcomes. The association also records his advocacy for greater use of artificial intelligence, automation and data analytics in productivity, decision-making and guest experience.
The Chief Executive's Citation
"Ray is the definition of what volunteership is for nonprofit associations," said HFTP chief executive officer Frank Wolfe. "Ray has been an excellent ambassador for both HFTP and AHLA and as a result of his leadership, the language of hospitality finance is not only clearer but also has expanded to a more global audience."
The Career Before Pebblebrook
Martz was chief financial officer of Phillips Edison & Company from 2007 to 2009 and chief financial officer, secretary and treasurer of Eagle Hospitality Properties Trust from 2005 to 2007. From 1998 to 2005 he held finance roles at LaSalle Hotel Properties, including treasurer and vice-president of finance. Earlier he was an associate at Tishman Hotel Corp from 1995 to 1997 and held hotel operations roles at Orient Hotel Group from 1994 to 1995.
The Award
The Paragon Award recognises people whose contributions have marked the hospitality finance and technology community. The named earlier recipients run from Alice Banks and Henry "Buddy" Weeks in 1999 to Robert Mandelbaum in 2024 and Chris Garland in 2025. The announcement names no date and no venue for the presentation.