Jeff Mahan
Co-Founder

Jeff Mahan has over 28 years of executive-level experience in the hospitality industry, launching and operating award-winning luxury hotels, resorts and spas. He has a proven track record of improving revenues, employee morale, service levels and reputation, and ultimately profits for those properties he has been associated with.

As a founding member of TRU Hotels & Resorts, Mahan helped open and operated the world-renowned Inn of the Anasazi during it's first 14 years of existence. During his tenure as General Manager, the property was widely recognized as New Mexico's premier luxury hotel, not only continuously maintaining the AAA 4-Diamond designation, but also achieving the only Mobil 4-Star Hotel rating in New Mexico. Virtually every year with Mahan at the helm, the inn was featured on the Conde Nast Traveler & Travel + Leisure's “Best Of” and “Gold” lists, and was named by Departures Magazine as America's Best Boutique Hotel in 2004.

In 2008, Jeff opened and operated Encantado Resort and Spa in Santa Fe, NM, positioning the property as New Mexicos's premier resort. Under Jeff's leadership, the resort earned the coveted AAA Five Diamond award during its first and second year of operations, the first and only Five Diamond property in New Mexico, and only 80 in North America at the time. Terra restaurant was also named by Esquire Magazine as one of the Top 10 restaurants opened in 2008.

Prior to Encantado, Jeff operated El Monte Sagrado Living Resort & Spa in Taos, NM from 2005-2007. Under his leadership, the property first received AAA's prestigious 4-Diamond awards for both the resort and restaurant (De la Tierra), making El Monte the only property in New Mexico with 4-Diamond status for both the resort and restaurant.

Other projects include the acquisition and repositioning of the then-distressed Hotel Hana-Maui and Hana Ranch, successfully returning the property to legendary status as a world class resort. This 100-room luxury resort also consisted of a health and wellness spa, tennis courts, 2 pools, beach operations, mini golf course/recreation area, and retail shops. The project also included a town center, with commercial real estate, restaurant, grocery store, gas station, utility company, and a working 4,500-acre cattle ranch, located in a village on the remote, eastern rain-forested coast of Maui. Prior to his tenure with the Prairie Group, Mr. Mahan held management positions with The Eldorado Hotel in Santa Fe, NM and the Hotel Santa Fe.

Mahan has served on numerous hospitality industry boards and organizations, including President and Chair-Emeritus of the New Mexico Lodging Association, American Lodging Association Board of Directors, President of the Santa Fe Lodgers Association, Chairman of Destination Taos, and served eight years on Santa Fe's Occupancy Tax Advisory Board. He was named New Mexico's Innkeeper of the Year in 2007, and was featured as a lodging mentor on a New Mexico episode of Gordon Ramseys' “Hotel Hell” in fall 2013. Mahan currently sits on the Board of Advisors of New Mexico State University School of Hotel, Restaurant, and Tourism Management. He received a Bachelors Degree in Accounting from New Mexico State University and currently resides in Santa Fe, NM with his wife Paula; they have two sons.