About Us
Blaine & Walker Group is a premier hospitality advisory and management firm specializing in upscale markets. We provide hands-on leadership for new developments, underperforming assets, and properties facing operational challenges.
Founded in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, Blaine & Walker Group emerged to support hospitality owners and operators with strategic expertise, helping assets stabilize and thrive. By aligning all stakeholders on key financial objectives, operational excellence, and market positioning, we have consistently driven recovery, accelerated growth, and enhanced enterprise value.
In today’s post-pandemic landscape, the hospitality industry faces new complexities that demand specialized expertise. Blaine & Walker Group delivers agile, high-impact solutions to guide owners and operators through transitions, ensuring long-term stability and success.
Industry veterans Robb Walker and Steve Giblin have assembled a team of discipline-specific professionals with the experience, insight, and agility to tackle any challenge. Our tailored approach and unmatched breadth of services make us the trusted partner for hospitality businesses navigating change and pursuing excellence. The Blaine & Walker Group focuses primarily on upscale markets. We provide hands on management to owners and enterprise operators for new developments, underperforming assets, and properties under duress.
Advantages:
Over 8 decades of hotel, real estate, transaction, re-financing, market analysis and turn around experience
Clients receive direct access to the Blaine & Walker Group Principles with each engagement
Extensive network of trusted industry talent for each project
Market knowledge across the United States and Canada
Projects have included brand reviews, construction, renovations, re-positioning, mixed use projects, multiple and individual hotels and receivership
Redefining corporate and enterprise operations
Pre-investment due diligence, market analysis and contract negotiations
Our Team
Robb Walker
President & Managing Director
Newport Beach, California
Robb is a skilled and high-performing hospitality and real estate executive, specializing in optimizing corporate and property performance while driving revenue, profitability, and enterprise value. A passionate hotelier, he has dedicated his career to transforming operations and fostering sustainable growth across multimillion- and billion-dollar platforms. With a relentless focus on luxury standards, strategic stewardship, and enhancing enterprise value, he has successfully led new builds, turnarounds, and underperforming properties from New York to Honolulu, Vancouver to Varadero.
Robb has held leadership roles in food and beverage, general management, and vice presidency with leading hospitality companies, most recently serving as Chief Operating Officer for destination-resort platforms. His oversight has included $1.5 billion in asset value and $500 million in revenue.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Commerce from Western University and has completed executive leadership programs at Harvard Business School in real estate, capital markets, project management, finance, and business strategy. Additionally, he is a Certified Food and Beverage Director and a Board Director (Corporate Governance) certified by the Institute of Corporate Directors.
Steve Giblin
Managing Director
Vancouver, British Columbia
As President and CEO, Steve has led five companies through major transitions, guiding them to successful capital events. Working closely with investor and ownership groups, he has steered management teams through large-scale developments, acquisitions, global economic downturns, and periods of growth. His investor partnerships have included Wharf Holdings (Hong Kong), Kolberg Kravis Roberts (San Francisco), Soros Real Estate Investments (London), and British Columbia Investment Management Corporation (Vancouver).
Steve's expertise spans both public and private businesses, with a focus on managing complexity, distressed assets, and turnarounds. He has a proven track record of building high-performing boards, CEOs, and executive teams while leveraging technology and strategic partnerships to drive success.
Currently, Steve serves as a board chair, audit chair, and advisor in the global hospitality, real estate, and brewery industries. His recent designations include certification as a Board Director (Corporate Governance) with the Institute of Corporate Directors, along with specialized training in cybersecurity from Harvard and blockchain from MIT Sloan School.