Interview: Mark Labovitz, Lion Hotel Group CEO

When the new Element by Westin hotel next to Target Field in downtown Minneapolis opened in January, Lion Hotel Group CEO Mark Labovitz was there with his wife and two children to stay on opening night. Lion is part of the fourth-generation Labovitz Enterprises, a Duluth-based company that owned clothing retailers Maurices from its founding in 1931 until 1978. The Element marks a high point for Lion, which got its start as an investment vehicle for the family business. Labovitz is serious about the hotel business and makes it a point to stay overnight in the company’s properties. It’s a business he came to a little late when he joined the family business in the early 2000s after working in finance for the First Bank System (now U.S. Bank) and progenitors of RBC Wealth Management. Now 57, the Duluth native is focused on drawing guests to the Element. But, he’s pretty confident that the hotel’s location next to Target Field, the city’s largest light rail station and on top of the new Fillmore music venue will do a lot of the work for Lion. In late January, Reporter Matt Johnson sat down with Labovitz to learn about how he wound up in the family hotel and commercial real estate business, and what he likes to do with his free time. Related links: https://finance-commerce.com/2020/01/qa-family-brings-labovitz-home-to-hotels/