About Us

Hotels are a Beautiful Business

We love what we do. We get to work alongside talented, thoughtful teams to build remarkable properties that become the beating heart of vibrant communities. Our hotels are the backdrop for first dates, proposals, weddings, and milestone celebrations – the settings where lifelong memories are made.

We’re passionate about creating spaces that bring people together, and we know that when our teams thrive, our guests feel it – and our hotels flourish. That’s why we invest in people, foster authentic connections, and approach each project with a spirit of creativity and collaboration.

Building successful, profitable hotels isn’t just a business – it’s a calling. And we have a lot of fun along the way.

LEADERSHIP

Mark Keller

 Principal

With over 30 years of experience in the hotel industry, Mark Keller has overseen the development and management of more than 20 properties, including independent boutique hotels like The Cannery Pier, The Independence Hotel, and The Dundee Hotel, as well as brand-affiliated properties such as Marriott Residence Inn and Holiday Inn Express.

Mark’s passion for hotel design and guest experience sets him apart. He has a keen eye for interpreting plans, recognizing the nuances that transform a space into an exceptional hospitality environment. This design sensibility is matched by his commitment to empowering teams to deliver authentic, meaningful guest experiences.

As a sought-after consultant, Mark advises local governments, planning firms, and private owners, leveraging his sharp intellect, innovative mindset, and deep industry knowledge to guide projects from concept to execution.

Before co-founding Embarcadero Hospitality Group, Mark served as Operations Director for Pacific Inns and Rooms Division Manager for Portland’s historic Benson Hotel, earning numerous national and regional awards for customer service, profitability, and management excellence.

Mark’s path to hospitality was shaped by an early career in the arts. After studying biology and music at Stanford University, he toured internationally as a member of the Grammy Award-winning classical ensemble Chanticleer. Today, he brings the same creative passion and meticulous focus to every aspect of hospitality, blending artistry and operational expertise to deliver exceptional guest experiences.

Sondra Storm

Principal

Sondra Storm began her hospitality journey as a front desk agent while still in college, discovering a deep passion for authentic connection and crafting memorable guest experiences. Today, as the Co-Founder and CEO of Embarcadero Hospitality Group, she has launched and managed three boutique hotels in Oregon Wine Country and Boise, Idaho, with two additional properties set to open soon. These projects span adaptive reuse of historic buildings, new builds, and strategic repositioning, each with a design-forward, community-focused approach that prioritizes exceptional guest experiences.

Beyond property development, Sondra has extensive experience in community engagement and strategic planning. Her background in grant writing has contributed over $5 million in funding to the communities where EHG operates, reinforcing a deep commitment to local impact and collaboration.

Known for her infectious enthusiasm and relentless drive, Sondra has a rare ability to bring people together, energize teams, and push ambitious projects across the finish line, even in the face of complexity. Her approach to hospitality ensures each property celebrates local identity while creating lasting value for both investors and the communities they serve.

OUR VALUES

  • We use a multiple bottom line approach: our staff satisfaction, guest response and community engagement are bound with each other and bolster our financial success.
  • Staff empowerment, career development, low turnover and great community relationships are the right thing to do and they drive higher profits.
  • We have diverse customers and staff; equity and inclusion are foundational in our hiring, our policies and our training for our managers and staff. It’s not empty marketing, it is who we are.
  • We use progressive, effective environmental practices that create a better workspace for staff, better experience for guests and save money for owners over time.
  • We recognize hotels are uniquely positioned to stimulate local economic activity and we look for ways to creatively partner with local, community-based non-profits.
  • We view our commitment to the guest as sacred. Guests entrust us with their safety and well-being while staying at our properties, we take this very seriously. Our customer service isn’t the regurgitation of shiny marketing lingo, but comes from a genuine place of responsibility and care.

OUR PARTNERS

Hotels become great because of great partnerships. We view every relationship as an opportunity to build lasting benefits for both parties and their stakeholders. We have established a robust network of innovative and forward-thinking collaborators and our customers benefit from these connections. We invest in our relationships, tend to the teams we create, and highly value our mentors.