Truly a hotel savant, Michael has built his career in the high-end, high-brow, uber-luxe realm of the hospitality industry. It is in this ultra elite world — catering to the most discerning traveler, that Michael is completely comfortable. Michael has an affinity for stacking his team with the best and running operations seamlessly and flawlessly.

Michael’s tenure with the company began in 2011 as Assistant General Manager of the Washington School House Hotel. He joined before the launch and quickly rose to the position of General Manager. Under Michael’s stewardship, Washington School House Hotel became an industry leader and media darling.

With his most recent position as Managing Director of Pilot Hotels, Michael has moved to France and will oversee the launch of Pilot’s newest project, Hotel Château du Grand-Lucé, while maintaining oversight of both Hotels in the Pilot portfolio as well as future launches and operations.

Michael is an avid cyclist and hiker and has been exploring the Loire Valley in France in his free time. His French has improved dramatically as has his love and knowledge of French wines. Insightful and intuitive, if you have met Michael chances are he remembers you — and everything you need to have an incredible curated travel experience.

Always a visionary, Holthus embraces bold ideas and new possibilities. Holthus loves to think outside the box and is adept at continually shifting vision and strategy. A preservationist at heart, she is in her element when brainstorming with her team about her portfolio of historically and architecturally significant properties.

Holthus spent the first decade of her career in commercial banking providing loans to real estate developers. It was in this industry that she mastered developing spreadsheets, analyzing financial statements and understanding various business models. This disciplined corporate background laid the groundwork for Holthus’ move into the entrepreneurial side of finance and real estate.

With an affinity for high-end travel, Holthus is constantly searching for authentic luxury travel experiences and remarkable destinations. With the purchase and development of the Washington School House Hotel, Holthus became an accidental hotelier. Marcy, along with her husband Tom, launched Pilot Hotels in 2018 after purchasing the Château du Grand-Lucé in France as the next hotel project.

Marcy is married to Tom Holthus, an attorney and Pilot Hotels co-founder. The two have worked together often over their decades-long marriage. The Holthus’ have five kids and one dog. Living in Southern California, the Holthuses are an avid sailing family. On weekends they can be found along the Southern California coast, either on a boat or along the shore — binoculars in hand.