Ayers heirs keep family business strong

Elia Powers

In 1905, an Ohio resident named Frank H. Ayres bought a $2 train

ticket to Los Angeles and brought his wife and son along to scout out

property for land development.

He had no intention of making Southern California his permanent

home, but the ocean waves, warm weather and business climate were too

intriguing to pass up.

Ayres began a family business, Frank H. Ayres & Son, that 100

years later is still in operation under a different name.

“CNN is celebrating its 25th anniversary, Disney is at 50 years,

but we have them beat,” said Donald Ayres III, who is responsible for

branding and corporate marketing.

Now called Ayres Hotel Group, the company has held three

anniversary celebrations this year. The final one was last week at

the Ayres Hotel & Suites Costa Mesa/Newport Beach.

On display at the event was a letter written by Frank Ayres to his

son, Donald Ayres Sr., that expressed trust in his ability to run the

family business.

Ayres Sr.’s grandsons are now mostly in charge of operations. They

all live in Newport Beach, and the company’s corporate office is in

Costa Mesa.

“They say it’s hard to move past the second generation,” said Jim

Roos, company president. “Making it into the fourth and fifth

generation is quite remarkable.”

It all began with Frank’s ingenuity. He bought eight small ranches

in the mid-Wilshire area of Los Angeles and started by developing

land throughout Los Angeles County.

“He was an entrepreneur,” said Douglas Ayres, who is in charge of

exterior and interior design and refurbishment. “He paved the way for

what the company is today.”

Donald Ayres entered the business in the 1920s and took over land

subdivision in the 1950s. His son, Donald Ayres Jr., enlisted in the

middle of the century, and was integral in the development of 30,000

homes in planned communities from Los Angeles to San Diego.

Ayres Jr., now the chairman, moved the family to Newport Beach and

founded Ayres Hotel Group in 1984. Now, the company’s focus is on the

hospitality industry, and it owns and manages 16 European-style

boutiques throughout Southern California.

Ayres Jr.’s four progeny, sons Bruce Ayres, Douglas Ayres, Donald

Ayres III and daughter Allyson Ayres D’Eliscu, are all involved with

the family business in some capacity.

“Every one of us is doing this because we want to,” Ayres III

said. “We’ve all worked our way up the chain.”

The fifth generation is now getting acclimated to working at the

company, as well. Some teenagers work at the hotels during their

summer vacation.

Roos was hired a year-and-a-half ago and handles hotel operations

for the Ayres Hotel Group properties, seven of which are in Orange

County.

The company’s corporate and hotel staff totals more than 600

people. Properties used to be called Countryside Inn or Countryside

Inn & Suites, but the family wanted to bring its recognizable name

back into the title.

Each hotel is designed differently, with floral bouquets and

classic art prints highlighting the decor. Ayres D’Eliscu brings her

interior design experience to many of the properties.

Ayres Hotel Group also sells original products, including the

Ayres Dream Sleeper mattresses that can be found in all of the hotel

rooms.

Doug Ayres said the key to the company’s longevity has been

sticking to Frank Ayres’ principles.

“It’s been about humility and caring for people,” he said.