Placemakr, a tech-enabled hospitality platform and operator, has partnered with Marymount University in Arlington, VA, to launch Placemakr Marymount Ballston, a mixed-use hospitality and residential property next to Marymount’s Ballston Center campus.
Starting this fall, the partnership will provide students within the university’s new hospitality & innovation MBA track with an opportunity to participate in the operation of the property and support Placemakr’s technology-driven approach to hospitality management, supplementing their classroom learning with real-world experience. The property, formerly known as The Rixey, will begin welcoming guests on Oct. 28.
Placemakr Marymount Ballston consists of residential apartments used for student housing and apartment-style hotel units. All guests and residents will have access to hospitality services like housekeeping. In addition, students housed within the property will also have access to perks such as discounted stays for visiting friends and family, optional add-on cleaning, laundry services and even access to pet care services.
“Our approach to graduate education for hospitality is to focus on the intersection of data, design and entrepreneurial leadership,” said Jonathan Aberman, dean, Marymount University’s College of Business, Innovation, Leadership and Technology (BILT). “Our new MBA in hospitality and innovation is unique, and our partnership with Placemakr, an innovative venture-backed company, is indicative of our unique focus.”
“Innovation is at the core of what we bring to the hospitality industry and we’re always looking for ways to take that to the next level. This unique partnership with Marymount is extremely exciting to me because it allows us to have a hand in shaping some of the future leaders in our industry,” said Jason Fudin, CEO/cofounder, Placemakr. “By providing students with this type of experience working with co-mingled, tech-enabled properties early on, they’ll come out of school already with a leg up on their peers and an eye for innovative thinking. I can’t wait to see how the experience impacts them in the future.”
Any students interested in applying to the Marymount Hospitality & Innovation MBA track can find additional information here.
