Partnering with owners and operators to grow the business and the people inside it.

Bringing experience that spans branded hotels to experiential and outdoor lodging.

What the firm does

A partner across the full range of hospitality operations.

Forgemark Advisory helps strengthen the operation, develop leaders, and build teams that stay, and remains involved throughout. Engagements flex from a single scoped project to embedded leadership over time.

01

Project Engagements

Targeted expertise, scoped and delivered
02

Ongoing Engagements

Embedded leadership, retained over time
Who you work with

You are buying judgment earned in the operator's seat.

Dave DiFalco, Principal and Managing Director of Forgemark Advisory
Dave DiFalco
Principal & Managing Director

I've spent 26 years leading hospitality operations, from branded hotels to some of the best-known names in experiential and outdoor lodging. Along the way, I've learned that strong businesses come down to a few things: sound operations, leadership that people trust, and teams that want to stay. That's the perspective I bring to every engagement. It's grounded in years of actually running businesses and working through the challenges operators face every day.

I started at Marriott, spending eleven years there and eventually launching the 348-room Renaissance New York Midtown as its opening general manager. From there I moved into senior operational leadership, first as Chief Operating Officer of Under Canvas, the largest glamping company in the country, then as Regional Vice President at Great Wolf Resorts, where I oversaw six resorts, roughly $500 million in revenue, and more than 5,000 people. Most recently I served as President and COO of AutoCamp, leading an eight-location outdoor hospitality portfolio. That range, from big branded hotels to boutique outdoor concepts, is why I can walk into almost any operation and understand quickly how it really works.

26 Years
In hospitality operations
MBA
University of Notre Dame
PhD Student
University of Denver, Business Administration
Hotel Opening of the Year
Marriott International
GM of the Year
Stonebridge Companies
Adjunct Instructor
University of Denver, Fritz Knoebel School of Hospitality Management
Experience across
Marriott
White Lodging
Stonebridge
Under Canvas
Great Wolf Resorts
AutoCamp
Mission

Forgemark Advisory partners with hospitality owners and operators to strengthen the operation and develop its leaders. Success is measured by the lasting health of the business and the people inside it.

Vision

A hospitality industry that grows the good in every business, where better leaders build better teams and stronger teams create lasting results.

In their words

What partners say about the work.

David doesn't just give you an answer and move on. He takes the time to really understand the business, ask the right questions, and genuinely cares about helping you succeed.
As a first-time founder, having someone like David in my corner from day one has been invaluable. David has been with Caravan since the very beginning and has played a huge role in helping me build the business and navigate the challenges of starting and growing a company. He has an incredible understanding of the operational and financial side of the business and is always willing to go above and beyond to get into the weeds, understand the problem, and help identify real solutions.

What I appreciate most is that David doesn't just give you an answer and move on. He takes the time to really understand the business, ask the right questions, and genuinely cares about helping you succeed. That level of support has been incredibly valuable to me as a first-time founder.

I genuinely can't recommend David highly enough. Caravan would not be where it is today without his mentorship and the perspective he has shared with me throughout this journey.
Cara Lash
Founder, Caravan
While Dave has deep experience with some of the biggest players in the industry, he's incredibly practical about what can actually be done with the resources you have today. He's realistic, thoughtful, and a rare talent.
From the start, Dave has been hands-on and really taken the time to understand our glamping business. He's challenged us to stop solving the issue at hand and instead think about the decisions and structure we need to scale. Among other things, he's also helped sharpen our financial strategy, provided candid feedback on key hires, and audited our operations manuals.

While Dave has deep experience with some of the biggest players in the industry, he's incredibly practical about what can actually be done with the resources you have today. He's realistic, thoughtful, and a rare talent who can balance practicality with growth. We would highly recommend him to any hospitality business looking to get to the next level.
Brian & Joanna Linton
Co-Founder, Ferncrest Campground
Get in touch

Let's talk.

Every good engagement starts with a conversation. Tell me a bit about your business and what you're working through, and we'll go from there.