# Monty J. Bennett

> Monty J. Bennett is a Dallas-area hospitality executive, founder and chairman of Ashford Hospitality Trust, and chairman and CEO of Ashford Inc. A Cornell hotel administration graduate and MBA, he worked across hotel operations at Remington before leading Ashford Hospitality Trust from 2003 to 2017. His public activities include publishing the Dallas Express, education philanthropy and support for Dallas HERO charter amendments. His tenure has also drawn shareholder challenges over governance and advisory relationships.

- **Role:** Founder and Chairman at Ashford Hospitality Trust; Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at Ashford Inc.
- **Organizations:** Ashford Hospitality Trust, Ashford Inc., Remington Hospitality, Braemar Hotels & Resorts (founder; separation from Ashford announced June 2026), The Dallas Express, Dallas HERO (supporter), Cornell Hotel Society
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** BS with distinction, Cornell University, School of Hotel Administration, MBA, Cornell University, Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management
- **Known for:** Helped establish Ashford Hospitality Trust and led it as CEO from 2003 to February 2017., The trust expanded from six initial hotels in 2003 to interests in 112 properties at year-end 2007., Built experience across hotel information systems, property management, operations and investment.

## Career timeline

- **1988** — Completed his BS at Cornell University.
- **1989** — Completed his MBA at Cornell University.
- **1992** — Joined Remington; held information systems, property management, operations and executive roles.
- **2003** — Became founding CEO of Ashford Hospitality Trust, which commenced operations with six hotels in August.
- **2013** — Became chairman of Ashford Hospitality Trust in January and chairman of Ashford Hospitality Prime, later Braemar, in April.
- **2014** — Led Ashford Inc. as chairman and CEO as it became a separate public company.
- **2017** — Ended his tenure as CEO of Ashford Hospitality Trust in February; retained the chairmanship.
- **2021** — Launched the modern Dallas Express and became its publisher.
- **2023** — Dallas Bright Futures announced the Monty J. and Sarah Z. Bennett Dallas Scholarship.
- **2024** — Tendered his resignation after failing to receive majority support at the trust’s board election; the board declined it. Backed Dallas HERO proposals, two of which voters approved.
- **2026** — Braemar announced plans to separate from Ashford, become self-managed and substantially replace its board.

## Achievements

- Helped establish Ashford Hospitality Trust and led it as CEO from 2003 to February 2017.
- The trust expanded from six initial hotels in 2003 to interests in 112 properties at year-end 2007.
- Built experience across hotel information systems, property management, operations and investment.
- Launched the modern Dallas Express in 2021.
- Established a named scholarship with Sarah Bennett through Dallas Bright Futures for college-bound Dallas ISD seniors.

## Latest updates

- **2026-06** — Braemar announced plans to become self-managed, terminate its Ashford advisory relationship and replace most of its board. The announcement described a transition rather than a completed separation.
- **2026-05** — His LinkedIn profile lists Chairman’s Brief #8, dated May 21, 2026, among his hospitality commentary.

## Links

- Website: https://montybennett.co/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/montybennett
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/MontyBennett
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkNia98qHib28OyznBMPUzg

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/monty-bennett
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-24