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Courtesy photo
Greater Boston hotel developer Mark Stebbins, co-founder of hotel developer-operator XSS Hotels, died suddenly on June 17.
Stebbins was 67, according to an obituary released Monday by New Hampshire-based design-build firm PROCON, of which Stebbins was chairman and CEO. No cause of death was released but PROCON’s statement said the event was unexpected and peaceful “after enjoying a beautiful sunset with his wife, Sally”.
Stebbins, a Manchester, New Hampshire native, founded Schleicher & Stebbins Hotels in 1995 to develop an manage hotels throughout the Northeast. Known as XSS Hotels since 2008, the company owns prominent properties like the Sheraton Framingham Hotel & Conference Center, the AC Hotel Downtown Boston, and was the primary force behind the development of four hotels in Chelsea in recent years.
XSS also led the revitalization of downtown Portsmouth, New Hampshire, building three hotels on long-vacant parcels cleared by mid-20th century urban renewal policies.
Stebbins’ father founded PROCON, and Stebbins joined the firm himself in 1979 after a stint at Chase Bank in New York City to gain experience in real estate and finance, where he met his wife, Sally Stebbins. Stebbins eventually rose to lead PROCON and grow it into the largest design-build construction company in the state.
Stebbins also helped grow XSS into the self-described owner of “largest number of hotel rooms in Greater Boston.” According to PROCON’s statement, he also owned a fabric company, a biotech company, a senior living development company and a commercial real estate brokerage at the time of his death.
“He truly loved his work and the people he worked with. Many of his business partners became close friends, and one of his greatest joys was working alongside his children, John and Jennifer, as they joined the business in the last decade,” PROCON said in a statement.
Stebbins also made his mark in the state’s philanthropic sector, donating money and time to a range of causes.
In addition to his wife, mother, brother and sister, Stebbins leaves three children and six grandchildren.
A memorial to Stebbins will be livestreamed on June 29 at 3 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the Stebbins family is asking well-wishers to donate to one of a list of six charities:
