In 2009, GEI partnered with Crescent Hotels and Resorts (U.S.) to form Crescent Hotels and Resorts Canada. Crescent is one of North America’s largest and most successful third-party hotel management companies. Crescent manages 75 hotels in the U.S. and 15 properties in Canada. Crescent Canada has a full complement of corporate personnel who oversee their Canadian operations and are based out of the Canadian offices in Toronto. Crescent is one of only a handful of third-party management companies that is approved to manage all of the major hotel brands (Starwood, Intercontinental, Hyatt, Marriott and Hilton). Crescent Canada will, on a select basis, invest in hotels in Canada.