Aimbridge Hospitality, the world’s leading third-party hotel management company, today announced an expanded partnership with Portman, a national real estate investment, development and management firm, that brings The Westin Cincinnati into Aimbridge’s operating portfolio and names Aimbridge as the future operator of the Cincinnati Downtown Marriott, a large-scale hotel development now under construction in the city’s Convention District.

The two properties reflect the type of large-scale, full-service hotels Aimbridge is built to manage. The Westin Cincinnati is an established, 456-key hotel already serving downtown Cincinnati’s group, business, and leisure travelers, while Cincinnati Downtown Marriott is a large-scale, ground-up development currently under construction that will anchor the ambitious $828 million Convention District redevelopment project once complete. Together, the hotels mark a deepened partnership between Aimbridge and Portman and add to Aimbridge’s portfolio of large-format, full-service hotels in major U.S. markets.

“This partnership with Portman reflects exactly the kind of complex, large-scale hospitality asset Aimbridge is built to operate,” said Chris Tatum, President, Full Service Division at Aimbridge Hospitality. “Running an established downtown hotel while preparing to open a landmark development takes a different kind of operational depth, and we are proud Portman trusted us with both. We look forward to delivering strong results for The Westin Cincinnati today and to leading the Cincinnati Downtown Marriott into its opening.”

  • The Westin Cincinnati: Located on Fountain Square in the heart of downtown Cincinnati, The Westin Cincinnati sits at the center of the city’s commercial and cultural activity, with direct access to the market’s entertainment and event venues. Portman acquired the hotel in 2025, marking the firm’s first hotel acquisition and the start of its value-add hospitality strategy. Portman has outlined plans for a renovation of the property, which the firm will begin next year.

  • Cincinnati Downtown Marriott: The groundbreaking for the Cincinnati Downtown Marriott took place on July 21, 2026. Once complete, the 700-key, full-service hotel will anchor Cincinnati’s Convention District revitalization, bringing 60,000 square feet of meeting space and a 17,000-square-foot events terrace to the market. The project closed on $540 million in financing earlier this year, with Aimbridge serving as an equity partner in addition to being named as the hotel’s future operator.

“Cincinnati shows both sides of our hospitality strategy at work: acquiring and repositioning a well-located hotel on Fountain Square and building the ground-up hotel that will anchor the city’s new Convention District,” said Kaunteya Chitnis, Managing Director of Hospitality for Portman. “We are thrilled to be partnering with Aimbridge as the single operator for both hotels, capable of navigating the Westin’s comprehensive renovation, the Marriott’s opening and a coordinated approach to downtown Cincinnati’s convention and group business.”

Both hotels are located within Cincinnati’s central business district, an area served directly by Interstate 71, Interstate 75 and Interstate 471, giving each property convenient access to the region’s primary commercial corridors. The Westin Cincinnati sits two blocks from the First Financial Center, positioning it to capture existing convention and group demand. The Cincinnati Downtown Marriott will be connected to the First Financial Center by skybridge upon completion, providing direct access to the exhibition space expected to drive future convention bookings in the market.

About Aimbridge Hospitality

Aimbridge Hospitality is the world’s leading global hospitality management company. A trusted operator of over 80 globally recognized lodging brands and distinctive luxury and lifestyle assets, Aimbridge delivers compelling results for hotel owners by leveraging proprietary data and insights as an authority in key markets and destinations, while creating exceptional guest experiences. To learn more, visit www.aimbridgehospitality.com.

About Portman

Portman Holdings, LLC is a national real estate investment, development and management firm with a rich history spanning seven decades and three continents. Founded by famed architect and developer John C. Portman, Jr., who originated the concept of the architect as developer and created a global legacy of large-scale mixed-use developments, the firm is led today by Chairman and CEO Ambrish Baisiwala and President John Portman IV. Portman’s expertise spans office, hospitality, residential, industrial, retail, multifamily and mixed-use development throughout the United States.

Portman is widely recognized as a leading developer and investor in full-service hotels and pursues growth through both ground-up development and value-add acquisitions. The firm currently has approximately $1.5 billion of hospitality assets under management comprising eight hotels and more than 4,000 rooms across five major U.S. markets. The hospitality portfolio includes the Hyatt Regency Salt Lake City, the Westin Charlotte, the InterContinental San Diego Bayfront, the Residence Inn / Springhill Suites San Diego Bayfront, the Indigo Atlanta Downtown, the Kimpton Sylvan Buckhead, the Westin Cincinnati and the Westin Peachtree Plaza.

Portman has developed or owned more than 20 hotels totaling approximately 18,000 keys including the Hyatt Regency Atlanta — where the firm pioneered the multi-story atrium hotel concept that became an industry standard — the Atlanta and New York Marriott Marquis properties, the Hyatt Regency San Francisco, the Hilton San Diego Bayfront and the Portman Ritz-Carlton Shanghai. The firm has a long history working with leading global hotel brands, including Marriott, Hyatt, Hilton and IHG.

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