Lam Group is a hotel development company located in Chinatown. It was formed in the early 2000s by CEO John Lam, who began in the fashion industry but in 1996 purchased a hotel in foreclosure. After switching into real estate, the Lam Group was one of the first developers to open a hotel after the September 11 terrorist attacks. The firm has since partnered with brand name hotel chains Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Hilton, and Marriott to develop more than two-dozen hotels. The Lam Groups preferred approach has been to identify underutilized locations and then redevelop them into first-class hotels. Among its hotels are the Virgin Hotel at 1227 Broadway, which the firm purchased in 2011 and then redeveloped, and a Marriott hotel taking over the old Victoria Theater in Harlem. Besides development, the firm also owns and operates about 10 properties, including Four Points by Sheraton Manhattan Chelsea, the Solito SoHo, and Aloft Brooklyn.