Douglas Vanstrom
President and CEO
The ability to listen makes leaders great. You'll know it when you meet Douglas Vanstrom, and you'll wish you'd known him all your life.
There's an understanding quality in Douglas Vanstrom's demeanor that makes him the executive you want in charge of your project.
How does he listen so well?
Douglas is a musician with an ear for that which is supposed to sound just right, whether it's a power chord from his 1964 Les Paul or the most intricate details of a building contract. It's Douglas, or his exceptional listening skills, that hotel owners across North America have put to work directly for them.
And he's been making music and building other people's dreams - from offices to hotels - ever since he was in high school. Douglas started as a laborer, digging foundations and lugging 100-pound roofing bundles up ladders with his father's company, Vanstrom Construction Corporation, founded in 1969 in Jamestown, NY.
As Douglas explains, there was no family favoritism. He had to sweat, bleed, work and prove himself as he made his way through the ranks at Vanstrom. And it's the same way today at Eastern Hospitality Advisors (EHA), the Vanstrom family business.
With over 30 years of experience in construction as field engineer, project manager, contract administrator, cost estimator and value engineer, Douglas knows every detail of the hotel construction business, from initial idea to grand opening. He founded Vanstrom's Construction Management Division in 1984, specializing in hospitality construction and renovations, which evolved to EHA.
The company was designed around great listening skills and that which is everything in the business community - reputation.
Why do people choose EHA?
Everyone - literally every partner, from architect to banker to owner - who has worked with EHA has had their hotel built on time and under budget. When Douglas isn't listening, he's pausing just long enough to offer: "We simply do what we say we'll do."
As an Allied Member of the Asian American Hotel Owners Association, since its inception, Douglas enjoys sharing his expertise and experience, and building lifelong partnerships with young entrepreneurs, as well as veteran hotel franchisees.
