The story of Gujarati motel owners in the United States is an inspiring example of hard work, smart business, and strong community support. It shows how they started small and grew into a big part of the hotel industry, making a huge impact on the American economy.
Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA), founded in 1989 represents over 36,000 hotels, employs more than 1.1 million people, and adds over 1.5% to the U.S. economy. Its members spend over $50 billion every year and own properties worth $1 trillion.
The surname Patel is synonymous with motels so much that there is a light-hearted joke prevalent in America that the Patels have their own “Patel Motel Cartel”. Now let’s delve into the origins of how it all began – the story of Gujarati motels in the United States.
Kanjibhai Desai: The King of the Motel Business
It all began in 1942 when a man named Kanjibhai Manchhu Desai left Gujarat in search of new opportunities.
He was joined by two Gujarati farmworkers, and they took over a 32-room hotel in Sacramento, California, after the property’s Japanese-American owner was forced to report to a World War II internment camp.
Soon Desai moved to the Hotel Goldfield in San Francisco, where he also enlisted the help of other immigrants from Gujarat. The Immigrant and Nationality Act of 1965 also acted as a catalyst for this process, as now more Gujaratis were allowed to pursue their dreams of settling in the United States.
Other Gujaratis also followed, not only from India but also from other parts of the world. Most of them moved in as refugees from Uganda when their dictator Idi Amin ordered to expel of around 55,000 Indians who were living there, and a majority of them were Gujaratis.
They soon found a new home in the various districts of America. Some Gujaratis also came from other parts of the world, like the United Kingdom, Pakistan, etc.
By the 1980s, the second-generation kids of these immigrants started expanding the frontiers of their parent’s businesses. For example, they acquired furthermore motels to build their chain of motels across various states.
They made further renovations and this led to even more revenue. By 2007, they owned around 21000 of the 52000, a staggering 42% of the US hospitality market.
Desai’s contributions to the motel industry and the Indian American community have been widely recognized. In 2003, he was inducted into the American Hotel & Lodging Association’s Hall of Fame, and in 2006, he was posthumously awarded the Ellis Island Medal of Honor for his contributions to the hospitality industry and the country as a whole.
Gujarati-Owned Hotels in the USA
Gujaratis are a prominent ethnic group in the Indian-American community and have a strong presence in the motel industry. The Gujarati-American Hotel and Motel Association (GAHMA) represents a significant number of Gujarati hotels and motels in the United States.
Ashwini
Key Factors Behind the Rise of Gujaratis in the Motel Business in the United States
Strong Community and Family to Rely On
The Gujarati Patel community shares a strong bond, be it with their friends, family members, or anyone within their community. This can be symbolized when Kanjibhai Desai encouraged his community to enter the hospitality business with the quotation: “If you are a Patel, lease a hotel.”
It is widely reported that they trusted a fellow community member so much that they would give them when needed a “handshake loan”. These types of loans do not involve any sort of collateral, no strict payment schedule in the form of installments, or anything they can pay whenever they want.
They also took the help of their partner and children, to help them run the daily operations, and if these were not enough, they also called their distant relatives from India to aid them for free. This was different, unlike say other American owners who had to pay out a significant portion of their revenue in the form of wages to employees. Thus, the Gujarati motel owners made the motel their own home.
This statement by Gary Patel, a small motel owner in Michigan, explains the gist of the whole paragraph,
“About 40 percent of the Patels know each other, through friends or family, so when you buy your first property, there is someone to help you with the down payment, someone to be a partner.”
Strong Work Ethic
Gujarati motel owners strongly believe in “Athithi Devo Bhava” as in Guest is God. So, these Gujarati motel owners would work hard to ensure their customers faced no issues during their stay and if they somehow had, it, such as say the pipes being clogged, or say any other basic issue, they would rather learn how to fix that issue on their own, instead of hiring a third-party vendor to cut costs.
They were ready to do the dirty, unglamorous work to attain their goals as they saw the long-term benefits.
Strong Business Acumen
Gujaratis have a strong business acumen that is they always look for better opportunities and capitalize on the right moment.
This can be explained by this statement of Vinay Patel, a second-generation immigrant who currently owns a full-service Holiday Inn in Sterling, Washington where he said that his parents built one hotel and sold it, then built another and sold it, and they repeated this chain of buying motels at a low cost and selling them at a high cost.
The Challenges Gujaratis and Patel Owners Had To Face
- One of the biggest obstacles they had to face was racism and xenophobia. They were not accepted in their society and had to face taunts about how they were of an “inferior race” and so on.
- White motel owners, especially in the rural parts of America, had to put up signs with “American Owner” and so on. But they managed to overcome all of these through their hard work and determination.
- Running motels has become more expensive due to higher costs for maintenance, utilities, and staff. Patel hotel owners face labor shortages, making it hard to find and keep skilled workers. This has increased staff duties and pushed owners to find new ways to hire and manage workers.
- Patel hotel owners must manage their online presence through travel websites and reviews. They need to keep good ratings, check reviews, and update their profiles, which takes time but is important.
They made a lot of efforts to get along with the local community, they contributed a lot of their profits to the educational institutions, hospitals, etc, which won them a lot of faith. Now the second-generation and beyond immigrants are integrated with their society as a whole.
The Patel Hotel Owners: Who Owns the Most Hotels in the USA?
The Patels first entered the hotel industry in the 1940s and 1950s, with many family members immigrating to the United States to pursue business opportunities. Over time, they developed a reputation for providing affordable and comfortable accommodations to travelers, particularly those on a budget.
The Patels are not a single entity, but rather a large extended family with many branches and business operations. However, they have a number of traits and strategies in common that have contributed to their success in the hotel industry.
For example, they often purchase and operate lower-cost hotel brands, such as Motel 6 and Super 8, and tend to focus on owning and operating multiple properties near one another.
Overall, the Patel family’s success in the hotel industry has made them an important part of the business landscape in the United States, particularly in the budget hotel segment. Let’s explore the incredible journey of Chan Patel and his inspiring success story.
Bharath
Chan Patel: A Success Story
The story of Chandrakant(Chan) Patel is a good case study that enunciates all the major reasons why Gujarati motel owners have succeeded. He came to the United States in the 1960s for his higher studies and soon got a job as an executive at the now-defunct domestic airline Braniff International. He also married and had four children and life was going smooth.
In 1976, he bought Alamo Plaza Hotel Courts Dallas, in addition to his job as an executive. He was the first Indian hotel owner in Dallas. During the lunch break of his job, he would man the front desk during that time and give a helping hand to his wife to do laundry for the customers and other odd jobs.
Soon he found it tough to maintain both tasks, and while he had to sacrifice his personal life, he also realized the benefits he was having. He saved a lot of money in terms of rent, utilities, and phone bills because he was staying on his property.
He never felt bad doing small jobs because of the various gains he made financially. He wanted to focus on getting more revenue, so he took the bold risk of quitting his stable job as an airline executive.
Soon, his income doubled from the 35,000 dollars he was earning from the airline job and the motel business in USA grew exponentially like he had 13 motels under him by 1987 from the one he had eleven years ago.
After that, he passed this business to his sons and began a new venture of starting a bank, which he did by the name of State Bank of Texas, which was to help immigrants get affordable loans for their new businesses. This bank also became a successful venture and by 2018, it was seen as one of the top 100 community banks with assets less than 3 billion dollars in America.
Chandrakant Patel is thus a success story who personifies all the reasons for how Gujaratis have succeeded.
In Popular Culture
They have been depicted in various forms of media. The 1991 Denzel Washington-starrer “Mississippi Masala” is about how a Gujarati couple and their daughter had to leave Uganda and how they assimilate with African-American culture when they decide to settle in Greenwood, Mississippi as refugees.
Noted author Pawan Dhingra has also published a book titled: “Life Behind the Lobby: Indian American Motel Owners and the American Dream” in which he focuses on all these details about the Patel Motel Cartel in detail.
Indian American author Mahendra K. Doshi highlighted the important role of Patels in the U.S. hotel and motel industry, tracing their roots to Gujarat. His book “Surat to San Francisco” explored their inspiring journey, documenting how this community rose to shape the American hospitality sector.
Patel Motel Owners: Future
Future Outlook for Patel Motel Owners:
- Sustainability Efforts: Patel owned hotels are expected to adopt eco-friendly practices as environmental concerns grow. This may include improving energy efficiency, reducing waste, and saving water to meet new standards.
- Global Growth and Partnerships: Some Patel hotel owners may expand their businesses beyond the U.S. into new markets and tourist spots. They may also partner with local businesses and attractions to offer unique packages, making their hotels more appealing to travelers.
- Better Loyalty Programs and Services: To meet trends like remote work and digital nomads, Patel Motels may offer long-stay packages and work-from-hotel services. They will also improve loyalty programs with rewards to keep customers coming back.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the motel business in USA is a dynamic and rapidly growing industry, and the Gujarati community has made a significant impact with their entrepreneurial spirit. The Patel Hotel Owners are a prime example of this success, with an impressive portfolio of hotels that have made their mark on the industry.
Despite challenges, their continued growth and exploration of new business opportunities serve as a motivation to others in the industry. The Patel family’s success is a testament to the power of hard work, dedication, and a willingness to adapt and innovate in an ever-changing business landscape.
FAQs
How many US hotels are owned by Indians?
One out of two US motels or hotel businesses is owned by Indian Americans.
Who owns most hotels in USA?
Wyndham Hotel Group owns the most hotels in the USA, the company has over 9000 hotels in over 95 countries, with roughly 893,000 rooms.
How many hotels are owned by Patels in USA?
Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA), founded in 1989 represents over 36,000 hotels, employs more than 1.1 million people, and adds over 1.5% to the U.S. economy. Its members spend over $50 billion every year and own properties worth $1 trillion.
Which is the first Indian owned hotel in USA?
Kanjibhai Manchhu Desai is believed to be the first Indian to own a motel in the U.S. He bought the Goldfield Hotel in San Francisco in 1937.
