Backed by KSL, the new business represented a major shift in focus, from investing in prestige hotels (think: Margaritaville Hollywood Beach) to extended stay hotels (think: a college town Residence Inn). Kennealey was principal and head of hospitality at private equity firm KSL Capital Partners LLC, a premier investor in travel and leisure, in 2021, when he launched a spin-off firm, Denver-based Mission Hill Hospitality. Greg Kennealey ’03 MBA, thinks of his career-defining pivot as an entrepreneurial leap, but he acknowledges that other people might call it a wild idea.
