Ryan Schatz.
Ryan Schatz, 27
Senior associate in real estate at Blackstone Real Estate Debt Strategies
Who could have known that Ryan Schatz’s mom’s culinary career would someday be the secret ingredient in his own chef’s kiss of a career?
“My mom is a trained chef who helped open some restaurants, which initially drew me to the hospitality industry,” he said. “While getting my undergrad business degree, I wanted to focus on investing, and I thought the hospitality space would be a really exciting way to start my career.”
He interned with Blackstone’s debt team while a junior in college and, since 2017, he’s been involved in $4.3 billion in deals, with a special focus on the crème de la crème of hospitality transactions in South Florida.
Case in point: Early in 2021, he closed the $345 million construction loan for Terra Group and Crescent Heights’ high-end rental building on South Beach in Miami, which was subsequently converted to a condo project named Five Park.
Outside of the Sunshine State, Schatz worked on a $191 million loan for The Four Seasons and Hyatt Andaz hotels on Peninsula Papagayo in Costa Rica this year for sponsors Gencom and Mohari Hospitality. The deal was a complex transaction in a brand-new jurisdiction for BREDS.
There have been plenty of market twists and turns to navigate these past few years, but Schatz is taking it all in his stride. “The last two and a half years have almost seemed like multiple cycles, and it has definitely shown me how lucky I am to be at a place with senior members of the team who have the experience of working through cycles over time,” he said. “I’ve also been able to take on more responsibility in terms of leading deal teams through some of the volatility.”
Schatz’s hometown of Miami continues to be a big focus for Blackstone, happily for both Schatz and his family (with him taking frequent trips down there).
In addition to closing deals, Schatz has been busy leading recruiting efforts for the BREDS team, and working alongside senior managing director Katie Keenan to expand the team’s focus on ESG. He’s also working with the Bard Prison Initiative, which works to provide career opportunities to formerly incarcerated individuals.
On a personal note he’s also busy. He’s getting married in July, and is the new owner of a 3-year-old Havanese, which keeps him on his toes, especially during off-leash hours at Prospect Park.—C.C.
