Dive Brief:
- The Asian American Hotel Owners Association named hotelier Kamalesh Patel chairman for the 2025-2026 term, according to a Thursday announcement.
- AAHOA’s board also announced a new secretary, Vimal Patel, and 10 new members at the association’s annual AAHOA Convention and Trade Show in New Orleans.
- Kamalesh Patel’s platform for the coming year prioritizes member empowerment. In a statement, he said he was committed to empowering AAHOA members and strengthening the organization’s foundations “as we navigate an ever-changing industry.”
Dive Insight:
Per the announcement, Kamalesh Patel’s vision for his term centers on eight principles: putting profitability first, strengthening advocacy, engaging members, fostering open dialogue, driving unity across leadership, investing in the future, maintaining transparency and accountability, and giving back.
“If AAHOA isn't delivering value, creating opportunities and strengthening this industry, then we're not doing our job,” Kamalesh Patel said.
A second-generation hotelier from Santa Cruz, California, Kamalesh Patel manages properties alongside his wife. His father, Suresh Patel, is a former AAHOA board member. Prior to being named chairman, Kamalesh Patel was AAHOA's North Pacific Regional Director; he was elected board secretary in 2022.
Newly elected secretary Vimal Patel is president and CEO of Louisiana-based QHotels Management, according to his LinkedIn profile. His prior AAHOA leadership positions include Gulf regional director and work on committees dedicated to government affairs, strategic planning, education and professional development and bylaws and governance. Vimal Patel also chaired ad hoc committees on insurance and revenue generation — the latter of which raised $1.8 million in funds for AAHOA.
Outside of the association, Vimal Patel is a board member of the Louisiana Economic Development Corporation and a director at the Louisiana Hotel & Lodging Association.
“My style as an officer will be to work energetically on today’s issues while at the same time proactively anticipating tomorrow’s problems,” Vimal Patel said, adding: “I want hotel owners to win the economic future.”
AAHOA also elected 10 new members to its board: Neil Patel, Alabama regional director; Viral Patel, Central Midwest regional director; Preyas Patel, Northeast regional director; Taran Patel, Northwest regional director; Pinkesh Patel, North Carolina regional director; Kalpesh Joshi, Upper Midwest regional director; Priyank Patel, Washington, D.C., area regional director; Bhavin Patel, director at large, Eastern Division; Arti Patel, women hoteliers director, Western Division; and Paavan Patel, young professional director, Western Division.
AAHOA’s convention, dubbed AAHOACON, took place from April 15-17 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans.
AAHOA is the largest hotel owners association in the U.S., and its 20,000 members own 60% of all hotels in the country, according to the organization.
