Industry veteran with $1B+ in originations to lead firm’s hospitality finance practice from Florida

NEW YORK and TAMPA, Fla., May 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Blue Mountain Capital (BMC) is pleased to announce the appointment of Suraj Desai as Partner and Head of Hospitality. Based in the firm’s Florida office, Mr. Desai will lead Blue Mountain Capital’s national hospitality finance practice and oversee the origination, structuring, and execution of debt and equity transactions across the full spectrum of commercial real estate (CRE) asset classes.

Mr. Desai joins BMC with more than 13 years of capital advisory experience and a career production exceeding $1 billion in closed debt and equity transactions. His appointment signals a strategic expansion of the firm’s hospitality platform at a time when the sector is seeing increased demand for sophisticated capital structures.

“Suraj is one of the most respected hospitality capital advisors in the country and bringing him on as a Partner is a defining moment for our firm,” said Damien Lolos, Managing Partner at Blue Mountain Capital. “He has built his career on closing the deals other people walk away from. That is precisely the kind of advisor our clients want in this market, and the standard we hold ourselves to at BMC.”

“Suraj brings a depth of hospitality structuring experience that very few advisors in this business can match,” said Vivek Jagadish, Managing Partner at Blue Mountain Capital. “His arrival accelerates everything we are building at BMC: an execution-focused advisory platform that competes directly with the largest names in the industry while delivering the responsiveness and creativity our clients require.”

“I am thrilled to join Blue Mountain Capital as Partner and Head of Hospitality during this pivotal phase of growth,” said Mr. Desai. “The firm’s dynamic reputation and its nimble, results-oriented approach in the CRE space provide a premier platform to tailor innovative financing solutions for our clients. I look forward to leveraging my experience to expand our national hospitality footprint and deliver bespoke financing solutions to sponsors who demand a higher level of service and structuring discipline.”

Prior to joining Blue Mountain Capital, Mr. Desai served as Senior Managing Director and Head of Capital Markets & Hospitality at Black Bear Capital Partners in New York. He previously held senior leadership roles at Chicago-based firms Alpha Capital CRE and Mag Mile Capital. Mr. Desai began his career within a specialized New Jersey family office, where he assisted in the management of a diversified commercial real estate portfolio.

Mr. Desai holds a Bachelor of Science from Rutgers University and a Master of Education from DePaul University. His multi-regional experience across New York, Chicago, and Florida brings a national perspective to Blue Mountain Capital’s hospitality and structured finance practice.

About Blue Mountain Capital

Blue Mountain Capital is a leading commercial real estate capital advisory firm specializing in structured debt and equity solutions. The firm provides strategic advisory services across all major asset classes, with a commitment to execution excellence and long-term client partnerships. Blue Mountain Capital.

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SOURCE Blue Mountain Capital