Such investment firms have typically made up 20% or so of the capital pool when closing on transactions, but that number is now above 50% for Gencom, with the most recent deals almost entirely driven by wealthy families, Chief Investment Officer Alessandro Colantonio said in an interview.
Fueling that trend is a new partnership with Miami-based White Bridge Capital, which advises wealthy families mostly from Latin America and Europe on investments. White Bridge, made up of a former Citigroup Inc. private banker and a ex-Blackstone Inc. executive, have connected Gencom with cash commitments to quickly close on the recent deals.
“It allows us to focus more on where we create value, which is the buy and the business plan,” Colantonio said. “So it’s been very interesting to get a second deal done very quickly. We love this investor base.”
Founded about 40 years ago, Gencom has nearly $8 billion in assets under management, including 23 properties it owns or operates with more than 6,000 hotel rooms around the world.
In December, it acquired the InterContinental New York Times Square along with partners Highgate and Argent Ventures, and earlier this month purchased the Ritz-Carlton in Manhattan for an undisclosed amount.
After first starting conversations in the third quarter of 2025, Gencom brought White Bridge in on both deals. For the Ritz, White Bridge raised half of the equity, putting up its own capital and pooling money from Spanish partners Nortia, Mazabi and Panghea Capital Partners.
Led by Tommy Campbell and Regina Garcia Handal, White Bridge is also discussing a potential Miami transaction with Gencom with interest from Spain-based family offices. Given that luxury hospitality wasn’t an area where White Bridge or many of its clients had much experience, the firm had largely stayed away until meeting Gencom, Campbell said.
“For luxury brands in the hospitality industry, especially in the key cities for our clients, it aligns really well,” Campbell said.
Campbell’s connections to Citigroup private-banking alumni have helped produce multiple cross-Atlantic deals. His former boss, Fernando Lopez Munoz, founded Panghea last year and the two have worked together on Miami real estate investments and showcasing opportunities in Spain for US investors as well. Both men covered Latin America at Citigroup, and wealthy families from that region continue to work with them on allocating resources to the US and Europe.
Gencom’s Colantonio said another benefit to working with family offices is that they’re more patient in realizing returns on the investments. They’re also looking for direct access to deals.
“We’ve always looked to see how can we return two times the capital within three, four years, and then you’re really letting the appreciation come in and hit that multiple on an exit,” he said. “Family office-type investors value that multiple of capital more than a quick” rate of return.
By Daniel Cancel
