Hotel owners, investors and developers have a new ally in their corner. Seasoned hospitality executive Thomas John (TJ) has launched Gopherwood Hospitality, an independent, owner-side advisory practice that helps hotels grow through smart development, run more efficiently and give guests a better stay.
TJ launches Gopherwood after his role as Vice President – Strategy & Development at Panache Hotel Group, where he led strategy and development across Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific, spanning lease, franchise and management opportunities. He brings more than 25 years of hands-on hotel experience across South Africa and Australia.
The timing is no accident. New hotel supply remains tight, construction and funding costs are still high, and owners are asking harder questions of their brands, operators and contracts. TJ sees that as an opening, not a roadblock.
“There’s real growth out there for owners who know where to look,” said TJ, Founder & Principal of Gopherwood Hospitality. “It might be a regional city crying out for a quality hotel, a tired asset ready for a new brand and a second life, or a conversion that makes the numbers work where a new build won’t. My job is to help owners find that opportunity, test it properly and see it through.”
Gopherwood works across the full life of a hotel. For new builds and conversions, that means feasibility, development planning and brand and operator selection, making sure the product, the operating model and the commercial assumptions all line up. For existing hotels, it covers asset management, budget and performance reviews, capital planning, operator oversight and performance recovery. Clients deal directly with TJ, whether they need a one-off review or ongoing asset management and owner representation.
Gopherwood can also connect owners and operators with qualified hotel opportunities and introductions. A big part of the work is closing the gap between how a hotel looks on paper and what actually reaches the bottom line.
“A hotel can post strong RevPAR and still be going backwards if its costs are growing faster than its revenue,” TJ said. “I always encourage owners to ask their operator one question: ‘What would you do differently with this asset if it were yours?’ The answer tells you a lot. The brand, the contract and every dollar of capital should be earning their place.”
The same thinking applies to how a hotel is structured. Gopherwood helps owners compare leases, hotel management agreements, revenue-share and franchise-plus-operator arrangements, as well as “Lanchise”, a structure developed by TJ that combines a lease-based operating arrangement with a hotel franchise. Suitability is assessed for the asset, with obligations and risk determined by the negotiated agreements.
“The structure should serve the asset, not the other way round,” TJ said. “Every model has trade-offs. Owners need to know what they’re signing up for, in practice as well as on paper.”
For TJ, efficiency and great hospitality go hand in hand.
“The best hotels I’ve worked with use technology to take the friction out of the back of house, then put their people where guests actually notice them,” he said. “Get the culture right and the guest experience follows. So do the results.”
TJ’s career spans IHG hotel operations in South Africa and Australia. As General Manager of Holiday Inn Darling Harbour, then Australia’s largest Holiday Inn, he led the hotel through its closure and reopening. In a previous portfolio role, he oversaw seven properties across Perth, Melbourne and Sydney, including Accor’s Mantra, Peppers and The Sebel brands in the franchised estate. He has also worked on the ownership side as an asset manager, including representing and chairing strata committees, giving him a view from both sides of the table.
He’s a regular on stage at industry events including AHICE and has built a following on LinkedIn for his straight-talking take on hotel development, management agreements and what really drives owner returns.
Where a project calls for it, Gopherwood brings in trusted specialists in revenue management, marketing, hospitality technology and building management.
“I’ve spent my career on both sides of the table, and the hotels that do well over the long run have one thing in common: they were set up properly from the start,” TJ said. “The right asset, the right model, the right partners. That’s what Gopherwood is about – helping owners build hotels that are built to last.”
