Mark Durliat

Bio:

Mark Durliat is CEO and co-Founder of independent brand Grace Bay Resorts (GBR), a market leading development and hospitality company based in the Turks & Caicos. Durliat has been involved in the growth of luxury resort and residential development in this destination for 25 years.  Over this time Durliat and GBR partners have owned, managed or developed more than a dozen resort & residential communities and have led the investment into the Turks & Caicos of more than $100 million in equity and nearly $200 million in institutional debt.

The company’s managed & owned properties include award-winning residential resorts Grace Bay Club, Rock House (members of Leading Hotels of the World), the Point / Point Grace, West Bay Club and South Bank, (all three members of Small Luxury Hotels of the World) and its private uber-luxe single family vacation homes.  Each of these operations were developed on the residential ownership model under the GBR brand, with all 3rd party owners participating in its professional rental program.

GBR properties generate nearly $130 million in annual revenues and employ over 800 staff.

Born in Colorado, Mark built his vision from experiences gained around the world. Having graduated from USC with majors in Business and French, he seized his first opportunity to travel abroad. He initially moved to Paris and then ultimately in Belgium where he worked on the development of a master-planned community with celebrated golfer Gary Player, forever changing his career path. From this encounter, he moved to South Africa, where he started a company developing residential and hospitality properties.

Driven to create a distinctive destination in the Caribbean, Mark set off to find the right opportunity in 2001, where he found that rare combination of perfection and potential and with his partners purchased the tiny Grace Bay Club and expanded it to the award-winning resort it is today.  Mark continues to lead the growth and innovation of Grace Bay Resorts as it seeks to grow to its portfolio of luxury resort and residential properties in Turks and Caicos and in the Caribbean region.