From Dishwasher to Data Scientist: A Hotel Investment Journey

The Guy Behind the Algorithm

Hi, I'm Andrew Fritz, and I've probably washed more dishes, scrubbed more toilets, and fixed more ice machines than any other hotel tech founder you'll meet. And yes, that's exactly why you should listen to me.

The Unlikely Path to Hotel Valuation Expertise

  • Chapter 1: "How Hard Could It Be"

    Ten years ago, I had what seemed like a brilliant idea: buy a well-known property in beautiful Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. I had an MBA in International Business from Pepperdine, some confidence, and absolutely no idea what I was getting myself into.

    Spoiler alert: It was much harder than it looked.

  • Chapter 2: "Learning Every Job the Hard Way"

    When you own a small hotel and money is tight, you learn everything. And I mean everything:

    ·     Finance & Accounting: Because somebody had to balance the books (and that somebody was me)

    ·     Housekeeping: Ever tried to get mysterious stains out of carpet at 2 AM I have.

    ·     Bartending: Mixing drinks and listening to guests' life stories (surprisingly good market research)

    ·     Maintenance: YouTube University taught me more about HVAC systems than I ever wanted to know plus I had Pancho.

    ·     Front Desk: The art of smiling while dealing with... well, people

    ·     And yes, Dishwashing: Because at 11 PM on a Saturday, everyone pitches in

    For over ten years, this was my life: long days, longer weeks, and even longer months alongside the most incredible team of employees who became friends, family, and occasional therapy group.

  • Chapter 3: "The Expensive Education"

    Let's talk about that first hotel. Remember my $1 million valuation mistake from earlier Yeah, that was this property. I lost money. A lot of money. Enough money that I now have strong opinions about proper due diligence and an intimate relationship with Excel spreadsheets.

    But here's the thing about failure: It's an incredible teacher if you're willing to listen.

  • Chapter 4: "Figuring Out the Math"

    After licking my wounds (and my bank account), I got serious about understanding hotel valuation. Not just the "gut feeling" approach I'd used before, but the real math behind what makes hotels valuable.

    I dove deep into:

    ·     Market analysis and competitive positioning

    ·     Revenue management and optimization

    ·     Financial modeling and cash flow analysis

    ·     The dark arts of hospitality accounting

    By the time I bought my second property, I actually knew what I was doing. Result I made "a bunch" of money (technical term) and proved that the first hotel wasn't just bad luck, it was bad analysis.

The Credentials (Or: How I Became a Legitimate Expert)

After proving I could actually make money in hotels, I decided to get formal about it:

Cornell University - Hotel Real Estate Investments & Asset Management

Because when you want to learn hospitality, you go to the place that literally invented hotel school. Cornell's program taught me the institutional-grade approaches to hotel investment and asset management. Finally, I could speak the language of the big players.

University of Chicago - Machine Learning for Finance

Plot twist: I realized that the future of hotel valuation wasn't just about traditional appraisal methods. Machine learning and data science could revolutionize how we analyze hospitality investments. UChicago taught me how to build the algorithms that now power our platform.

Steve Rushmore's Certified Hospitality Appraiser (CHA) Program

This one's the big kahuna. Steve Rushmore is basically the godfather of hotel valuation—if you're in hospitality and don't know his name, you're probably overpaying for properties. His CHA program is notoriously difficult and is considered the gold standard for hotel appraisers.

I passed in 2024. (Yes, I'm still very proud of this.)

Pepperdine University - Masters in International Business

Where it all started. This gave me the business foundation to understand that hotels aren't just about hospitality—they're complex international business ventures requiring sophisticated analysis.

Why This Matters (And Why You Should Care)

Here's the thing: most hotel "experts" fall into one of two categories:

1.   Academics who understand theory but have never cleaned a toilet at 3 AM

2.   Operators who know the business but rely on "gut feeling" for valuations

I'm the rare breed who's done both. I've been in the trenches, lost money, made money, and then got the education to understand why. I've lived through the late-night maintenance calls, the difficult guest situations, the cash flow crunches, and the triumph of a profitable quarter.

More importantly: I've translated all of that real-world experience into data science and machine learning algorithms that can help you avoid the expensive mistakes I made.

The Mission

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The Mission *

This platform exists because I believe every hotel investor deserves access to institutional-quality valuation analysis, not just the folks writing eight-figure checks. Whether you're buying your first property or your fiftieth, you shouldn't have to choose between expensive consultants and expensive mistakes.

I've been where you are. I've made the mistakes you're trying to avoid. And I've learned the lessons you need to succeed.

My job now Making sure you do better than I did on my first go-around.

The Personal Touch

When I'm not building valuation algorithms or analyzing market data, you can find me:

·     Still visiting Lake Geneva (those sunsets never get old)

·     Nerding out over hospitality industry reports (I know, I know...)

·     Probably fixing something (old habits die hard)

·     Planning my next property investment (because apparently I'm a glutton for punishment)

I'm an introvert who somehow ended up in the people business, a data scientist who learned math by losing money, and a tech founder who still thinks the ice machine is the most important piece of equipment in any hotel.

And honestly That weird combination of experiences is exactly what makes this platform work.

Let's Talk

Whether you're a first-time hotel buyer or a seasoned pro, whether you're looking at a roadside motel or a luxury resort, I've probably been in your shoes. And if I haven't, I've definitely made a similar mistake.

The best part about being an expert You get to help other people avoid learning things the hard way.

The best part about being an introvert I actually listen when you tell me about your challenges.

So let's figure out your hotel valuation challenges together. I promise it'll be more fun than washing dishes at midnight.

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