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The unique vision that Karl Hoagland brings to Larkspur Hotels & Restaurants is reflected in every Larkspur team member. A native of Alton, Illinois, Hoagland attended Brown University, graduating with honors in 1987. His next stop was Goldman Sachs, where he was an analyst in the firm’s Mergers & Acquisitions department.
Hoagland moved on to California and went to work for Montgomery Securities in San Francisco, specializing in the gaming and lodging industry. The young investment banker was extraordinarily successful in taking companies public and raising capital for clients such as Doubletree, Red Lion, La Quinta, and Marriott, among others. Over time, however, Hoagland became more passionate about his clients’ properties than the financial machinations and in-house politics behind them.
Admiring the entrepreneurial and creative spirit of hoteliers, Hoagland decided it was time for him to create his own product. In 1996, he founded Larkspur Hospitality Development & Management Company. With its financial partner, the new company developed 16 extended-stay properties (Larkspur Landing hotels) in suburban California, Oregon and Washington, based on an innovative concept that increased efficiency for both the operator and the business-oriented travelers Larkspur was serving people whose lives were rapidly changing due to new technologies. These guests needed to be productive while on the road, but they also demanded the comfort and genuine hospitality that would become a Larkspur hotels’ signature. To Hoagland, it is critically important that guests feel warmly welcomed, as if they were in a friend’s home.
Hoagland is dedicated to promoting eco-conscious practices as evidenced in his Marin County home, which uses solar power, is insulated with fiber from old denim jeans, and captures rain run-off for irrigation. He also drives cars powered with bio-fuel. During his free time, Hoagland can be found at home with wife Pauline and their three young children. He also enjoys hunting, fishing and running 100-mile ultra-marathons. | 