Efrem Harkham is an American hotelier and philanthropist from Beverly Hills, California.
Harkham is the Founder and CEO of LeHotels.com, a company representing 200 hotels globally, and Luxe Hotels, a chain formerly consisting of three luxury hotels.
Early life Efrem Harkham was born in an Orthodox Jewish family in Israel.Hugo Martin, Efrem Harkham oversees a world of hotels, Los Angeles Times, July 10, 2011Jacqueline Maddison, Beverly Hills Spotlight: Efrem Harkham, Beverly Hills Magazine, December 3, 2013Naomi Pfefferman, Labor Pains, The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles, February 19, 1998 His maternal ancestors are keepers of Ezra's Tomb in Iraq.Laura Coleman, Luxe Celebrates 30-Year Anniversary; A Real Estate Venture That Went Global, The Beverly Hills Courier However, he grew up in Australia.Tamara Audi,In Los Angeles, Some Voters Cast Ballots in Luxury , The Wall Street Journal, November 4, 2014 He studied law at university.Keith Loria, Efrem Harkham: The Luxe Factor , C-Suite Quarterly, Q4 2013 He has a brother, Benjamin Harkham, who also studied law and is presently the chairman and CEO of Benima Pty Ltd, Wakenby Limited, Maravale Pty Ltd and the Ben Harkham Group of Companies. Efrem's also has a brother, Uri Harkham, who is the former president and chief executive officer of Harkham Industries, a women's clothing company, Chairman Emeritus of Harkham Properties, and a Director of Public Storage.
Career Harkham started his career in the fashion industry. He served as the chief executive officer of Harkham Industries, representing the Jonathan Martin and Hype brands.
He moved to Los Angeles in 1978. Five years later, in 1983, he purchased the Bel-Air Summit Hotel, now known as the Luxe Sunset Boulevard Hotel, located in Bel Air.Luxe Hotels: History A decade later, in 1993, he purchased the Luxe Rodeo Drive Hotel, located on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. He subsequently added a third hotel to his portfolio, known as the Luxe City Center Hotel, located in Downtown Los Angeles. The three hotels comprised the Luxe Hotels brand. He sold the Luxe Rodeo Drive to LVMH in 2021.https://www.costar.com/article/714446306/louis-vuitton-parent-company-confirmed-as-buyer-of-hotel-in-beverly-hills
He founded Luxe Worldwide Hotels in 1998. He serves as its president and chief executive officer. The company provides marketing, sales and reservation services to 200 hotels globally, with a workforce of 315 employees.
He serves on the Board of Directors of the Jewish Television Network.
Philanthropy In 1991, with his brother Uri, he donated $1 million to the Harkham Hillel Hebrew Academy. With his ex-wife, he also donated to the 2008 renovation of the Shalhevet High School, a co-education Orthodox Jewish school in Los Angeles.David Suissa, A school with attitude, The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles, August 27, 2008 Additionally, he has donated to the Orthodox Union and Chabad.
Personal life He is a naturalized American citizen. He was married to Kendra Harkham; they divorced in 2011.Mark David, Mary McDonald Sunburst Madness in Beverly Hills, Variety, June 8, 2011 He resides in Beverly Hills, California. Efrem Harkham is the brother of Benjamin Harkham, a renowned lawyer, entrepreneur and philanthropist who resides in Sydney, Australia.
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