Monday, June 9, 2025
Charlestowne Hotels, a distinguished hospitality management firm renowned for its diverse and creative portfolio of lifestyle-driven hotels and dining destinations, has officially appointed Alicia Carr as its new Vice President of Finance. This appointment marks a strategic advancement for the company as it continues to expand its national footprint and deepen its focus on fiscal discipline, long-term planning, and tailored property support.
In this key leadership role, Carr will take charge of the company’s overarching financial operations. Her responsibilities will span strategic budgeting, capital planning, performance evaluation, and the integration of scalable financial systems designed to meet the individualized needs of Charlestowne’s growing collection of independent hotels, resorts, and food and beverage outlets. She will also be responsible for leading Charlestowne’s accounting team and cultivating collaborative financial partnerships with hotel ownership groups and on-site management teams.
A Hospitality Finance Leader with Proven Results
Carr arrives at Charlestowne with more than two decades of financial leadership experience in the hospitality industry. She is widely recognized for her capacity to balance strategic oversight with hands-on execution, ensuring accountability at all organizational levels while advancing forward-thinking financial initiatives.
Before joining Charlestowne Hotels, Carr served as Vice President of Finance for Collegiate Hotel Group, where she led the company through a critical period of expansion. Under her financial leadership, the group successfully grew its hotel portfolio from 31 to 57 properties. One of her most notable accomplishments in that role was managing the sale and subsequent brand transition of Graduate Hotels into the Graduate by Hilton system. This complex transition involved deep coordination across operational, financial, and ownership structures — a challenge Carr navigated with expertise, reinforcing her strengths in acquisition integration and change management.
“Strong financial leadership is foundational to the way we scale our operations while driving strong revenue and elevating the guest experience,” said Kyle Hughey, Chief Executive Officer of Charlestowne Hotels. “Alicia brings the experience, precision, and strategic mindset needed to help our growing portfolio reach new heights. Her ability to align financial structure with long-term, individualized ownership goals will be instrumental as we continue expanding into high-performing, competitive markets.”
Earlier in her career, Carr held senior financial roles with Bunkhouse Management, a boutique hospitality company known for its unique, design-forward properties. Her more than 10-year tenure at Bunkhouse included time as Vice President of Finance and Corporate Controller, where she helped build financial processes from the ground up, establish robust reporting frameworks, and support the brand’s creative vision through agile and effective financial planning. Her background in both independent hospitality and corporate finance allows her to bring a rare blend of structure and flexibility — essential qualities for supporting Charlestowne’s highly customized management style.
Overseeing a Scalable and Agile Financial Infrastructure
In her new position, Carr will lead Charlestowne’s 12-person accounting and finance team, tasked with standardizing best practices while remaining nimble enough to serve a wide array of property types. Her immediate focus will include strengthening financial reporting systems, enhancing budgeting tools, refining performance analytics, and guiding capital allocation strategies.
Carr’s mandate also extends to improving system scalability, an increasingly important priority as Charlestowne Hotels expands its reach in markets nationwide. Her strategic initiatives will include upgrading technologies, aligning financial tools with property-level needs, and ensuring real-time data insights that support quicker and more informed decision-making for both corporate leaders and property teams.
By ensuring consistent communication between corporate finance and on-property teams, Carr aims to promote a culture of transparency, trust, and collaboration. Her leadership style is rooted in accountability and empowerment — offering hotel owners and general managers the financial clarity they need to drive profitability while allowing them to maintain their own distinct operational identities.
Supporting a Customized Management Philosophy
Charlestowne Hotels is known for its differentiated approach to hospitality management, operating a wide range of properties that include historic inns, boutique hotels, luxury beach resorts, and distinctive food and beverage concepts. Rather than following a one-size-fits-all model, the company builds customized strategies for each hotel, tailored to market dynamics, brand identity, and guest expectations.
This flexible operating model places high demand on the finance team to deliver both standardized frameworks and customized support. Carr is uniquely equipped to meet this challenge, thanks to her experience balancing the financial needs of individual hotels with the overarching requirements of a growing enterprise. Her deep understanding of how to integrate brand-specific goals into a broader financial vision makes her a strategic fit for Charlestowne’s evolving needs.
A Strategic Investment in Leadership and Longevity
Carr’s appointment represents more than just an internal promotion — it’s a reflection of Charlestowne Hotels’ long-term investment in its leadership team and financial infrastructure. As the company continues to expand into new markets and add diverse hotel assets to its portfolio, the need for strong, strategic financial guidance becomes more critical than ever.
Carr is expected to play a key role in evaluating potential acquisitions, streamlining ownership transitions, and helping the company remain financially agile in an ever-changing hospitality landscape. Her expertise will also be instrumental in helping Charlestowne navigate external market pressures, including interest rate shifts, inflationary trends, and evolving guest spending behaviors.
A New Chapter in Financial Stewardship
The addition of Alicia Carr to Charlestowne Hotels’ executive leadership team marks the beginning of a new chapter in financial oversight and innovation for the company. Her combination of operational fluency, financial acumen, and collaborative leadership is poised to strengthen the company’s internal capabilities while enhancing its partnerships with hotel owners and stakeholders.
“Joining Charlestowne feels like a natural next step,” said Carr. “This is a company that celebrates the individuality of each of its hotels, supports entrepreneurial thinking, and collaborates closely with owners to deliver financial success in innovative and creative ways. I’m excited to bring my expertise and approach to a team focused on thoughtful growth and delivering exceptional experiences.”
As Vice President of Finance, Carr will serve as a cornerstone for Charlestowne’s next era of growth — supporting the company’s mission to operate exceptional, one-of-a-kind hotels with financial excellence at the core. Through data-driven decision-making, scalable systems, and personalized support, she will help ensure that each property under Charlestowne’s management has the tools and insight needed to thrive.
