Alkesh Ranchhodbhai Patel
Former Chairman
Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA)
President – Pacific Northwest Hotel Management LLC | Vancouver (USA)
Native:
Sojitra (Dist. Anand)
Birth:
Nadiad (Dist. Kheda)
Residence:
Vancouver (Washington)
Hotel Investing and Operations Management
Headline : Big Dreams Create the Magic that Stir Man’s Soul to Greatness
A boy who came to United States as a student in 1986 is now a big name in the hospitality industry in USA. The past Chairman of the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA), Mr. Alkesh Ranchhodbhai Patel believes that his first and foremost goal is to help immigrants like as him, to better understand the opportunities offered by America famously known as “The Land of Opportunities”. In nearly three decades that he had been in US he has been a successful entrepreneur and a great community leader.
Difficulties in Your Life Don’t Come to Destroy You but to Help You Realize Your Hidden Potential
Childhood of Mr. Patel was not easy. He lost his father Mr. Ranchhodbhai Maganbhai Patel when he was barely three-years-old. A well known social worker in the community, Mr. Patel’s father was involved in the local politics but died at the young age of 37. So, it was his mother Mrs. Lila R. Patel who raised her five children Mr. Patel and his four sisters Kalpana, Nayana, Smita and Komal. His mother always told him and his sisters to volunteer at temples and ashrams during vacations and weekends and they grew up to be in the very cultured and protected environment. They still continue with that practice even after moving to the US. After coming to US he completed his schooling and graduation. In US his brother-in-law owned motel and dry cleaning businesses. Mr. Patel started taking interest in the family business from his high school and college days and soon learned the operations and management skills.
Growth Means Change, it Involves Risk Stepping from the Known to the Unknown
Family, education and lure of the American Dream had brought Patel to the US and at the age of 22, he started his own dry cleaning business with support of his mother, which he eventually expanded to five stores. He shares that while growing the dry cleaning business he also made investment in hotel-motel industry. Over the years he has added more ventures and he is presently the President of Pacific Northwest Hotel Management LLC, a family owned management and Development Company which currently owns and manages hotels and retail centers. He informs that his company is currently growing globally. They have investment in Pacific Northwest and looking to acquire several assets in different parts of USA. They are also expanding their operations in India towards the development and management in hospitality sector. He says that they are opening an office in Ahmedabad in partnership with a US company to handle the growth in India.
We Rise By Lifting Others
Besides expanding his business, Mr. Patel has been involved with Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA) since 2000. AAHOA is the largest hotel owners association in United States, whose members own more than 43 percent of all hotel rooms in the US, in all classes of hotels, from the roadside motel kinds to the Hiltons, Mariotts, and Westins and interestingly Gujaratis constitute 95 percent of the membership. Since Joining, three times he was honoured with the Chairman’s Award. He has served on various committees including the Strategic Planning Committee, India Committee, Franchise and Industry Relations (FAIR) Committee, Sponsorship Committee and Audit Committee. He has also participated on numerous education and speaking panels including the Hotel Business Executive Roundtable and has been on the panels of the Lodging Conference, HIFI, NABHOOD and various other industry events.
He entered the executive board of AAHOA in 2009, and became the Chairman of this Association in 2012. At the time when he took over as the chairman the US hotel industry has faced the worst economic downturn in over 70 years and he had some pressing issues to tackle. To start with he worked on the selection process per their policy as new Governance model was introduced at AAHOA under his chairmanship. In addition to this he worked for fair and balanced franchised agreements as majority of AAHOA members own franchise properties. He worked with membership to protect and advance their interests.
Success in Life Has Nothing to Do With What You Gain in Life or Do for Yourself. It’s What You Do for Others
Mr. Patel’s mother had always encouraged him to participate in various social and religious events. So, even in US Mr. Patel served on a local Gujarati Samaj Board and even got elected to serve as vice president and currently serves as a Trustee of GSI of Portland, OR. He is also serving as a Trustee of Kalyan Seva Ashram of USA which provides education and medical assistance in rural places in India.
Despite making the US his home, Patel has remained close to his roots. He shares that because he was born and raised in Nadiad where there is a Santram Mandir and even today he has remained closely associated with it and attends all the major events that happen at the temple.
Bridging the Indo US Gap
With Mr. Patel assistance, AAHOA has been taking a delegation of members and industry leaders to India every year. As a co-chair of the team he has been organizing this trip for several years now. He always takes the delegation to Gujarat where the Gujarat Government and leadership of Indo American Chambers of Commerce host the delegation. On these visits he also makes sure to visit his home town Nadiad. He shares that he loves kite flying and comes to Nadiad every year to celebrate the Kite Flying on January 14.
A fun loving person with a noble heart that beats for his community and friend is how one can describe Mr. Patel, who from a very humble start is now successful community leader in USA.
Mr. Alkesh Ranchhodbhai Patel’s Gujarat
Mr. Patels says that the recent developments in his native state under the leadership of Shri Narendrabhai Modi are praise worthy and what Shri Modi has done to infrastructure it gives opportunity to local citizens to grow their business in state and abroad and raise the families and become successful. In short if he has to move back and get established in Gujarat he will have no second thoughts and would do it happily with his family.
Message for Youth :
India is one of the oldest and greatest countries with youngest educated people, so he asks the youngsters to work united and make it a greatest place on earth.
Family
Mr. Alkesh R. Patel and his wife, Bindiya, have been married for 19 years and have two children – a 17-year old son, Parth, who is a junior in high school, and a 12-year old daughter, Dipali, who is a sixth grade student.
“I am very grateful to my immediate family, my extended family of relatives, and my closest friends plus business colleagues,” says Alkesh. “It’s their exceptional support that makes it possible for me to devote my time and attention to the important mission of AAHOA.”
Gallery
ISBN : 9788192722146