In 2019, Chris Kraus launched Saddle Peak Hotel Advisors, a Bozeman, Montana-based boutique hotel advisory and valuation firm serving clients throughout the Western United States.

Prior to launching Saddle Peak Hotel Advisors, Chris spent 22 years with CBRE Hotels and PKF Consulting, USA (1997 to 2019) where he served as the Managing Director and Practice Leader for Northern California, the Pacific Northwest, and the Northern Rocky Mountain states. Chris maintained offices in San Francisco, Seattle, Denver, and Bozeman.

Between 1992 and 1996, Chris worked as a Hotel Manager for Winegardner and Hammons, Inc., a leading hotel management company based in Cincinnati, Ohio. During this time, he managed hotels in Connecticut, Florida, Kentucky, New York, Ohio, and Texas.

A frequent guest lecturer at university-level hotel school programs and related industry events, Chris’s insights regarding lodging trends are often quoted in industry publications. 

Chris holds a Bachelor's of Science degree from Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration and received his MAI Designation from the Appraisal Institute in 2008. He also serves as an Advisory Board Member for the Hospitality Management and Culinary Arts Program at Montana State University in Bozeman.

When not in the office or touring hotels with clients, Chris spends his time in the mountains skiing, mountain biking, and camping or on any of Montana’s pristine rivers and lakes fishing, rafting, or canoeing.