Pinal Patel elected as AAHOA secretary

PINAL PATEL WAS elected secretary of AAHOA in the culmination of 2024 AAHOA Convention & Trade Show held this week in Orlando. New members of the association’s board of directors also were elected and new industry partners were announced.

Pinal, of Goodlettsville, Tennessee, defeated H.K. “Hare Krishna” Patel for the secretary position. He was born in Bardoli, India, and his family moved to the U.S. in 1984 when he was 2, according to AAHOA. They lived in Nashville, Tennessee, Pinal said his parents did not speak any English when they brought him and his 1-year-old brother to America.

Pinal’s parents bought their first independent hotel in 1991, and he is a second-generation hotelier even after graduating flight school at Embry Riddle in Daytona Beach, Florida, before buying his first franchise property. Previously, he has served as an AAHOA ambassador and as AAHOA’s director at large Eastern Division.

“Hard work definitely pays off,” Patel said. “I'm going to make sure we do what's right for the association and for the members. I promise to all my supporters, my family, and my fellow members that I will not let you down. I will do what's best for the association's interests."

Taking to the debate stage

During AAHOACON24, Pinal and H.K. took to the debate stage where they each answered questions from the moderator, John Crow, president and founder of Crow Hospitality Investment Group and founding member of AAHOA. Some of Pinal’s answers included:

Question: Do you believe that AAHOA should continue its current plan for fair franchising legislation, or is there anything we should change in AAHOA’s position in any way to bring back the big brands?

“We have been supporting fair franchising for the past 30 years and will continue to support fair franchising. But what's more important is the] four pillars that we have right now. Right now, we have to make sure that the brands do not have mandated vendors, they are fully disclosing brand rebates, do not sell our loyalty points and also no new fees without the approval of the [Franchise Advisory Council].”

Question: What should be AAHOA’s advocacy priorities?

“We need to get advocacy at the grassroots level. We need to educate our ambassadors, our regional directors where they are connected to their local officials, we need to be more proactive than reactive. We need to get in front of the issues before they're happening.”

Question: Should AAHOA raise its $3,000 fee for its lifetime memberships or changing benefits to help protect AAHOA’s future finances?

“AAHOA’s membership fee has been the same for the last 20 years now? Have your hotel rates been the same for the last 20 years. We must raise rates on everything. I understand that AAHOA’s membership has been $3,000, however, now it's time that we need to raise the rates on everything in order to be able to sustain. To be able to help you we have to be able to get profits now.”

Question: Should AAHOA be adding education, conference, and other support to encourage young hoteliers in pursuit of new and different opportunities?

“Absolutely, we just launched our very first HYPE conference in New Orleans just a few months ago and it was an absolute success. You know what, we're going to continue to do this.”

Question: In light of cost overruns for last year’s AAHOACON, do you believe that it's sometimes acceptable to exceed the budget for AAHOACON as an investment in members to provide greater venues and amenities or of it's important to stay within budget, even if it means less expensive venues let's beverage speakers and entertainment?

“Yes, in Los Angeles, we did lose money for the very first time and avoid history, but that is the planning. I have that experience to be able to plan future conventions. I was a big advocate on reducing this convention now by one day, if we reduce this convention now, it saves the association $1 million.”

New board members and industry partners

Newly elected board members include:

• Gulf Regional Director: Vimal Patel
• North Florida Regional Director: Jayesh “Jay” Patel
• Mid Atlantic Regional Director: Mahendra “MZ” Patel
• Mid-South Regional Director: Ajay Patel
• South Carolina Regional Director: Fenil Desai
• South Pacific Regional Director: Nilesh “Neil” Bhakta
• South Central Texas Regional Director: Vikash Patel
• Southeast Texas Regional Director: Bhavik Patel
• Southwest Regional Director: Dharmesh Ahir
• Women Hoteliers Director Western Division: Shetal Zina Patel

Three new industry partners for the 2024-25 term are Amir Ahmed, executive vice president, DISH Business; Kevin Sloan, managing partner, Gauthier Murphy & Houghtaling, LLC; and Abraham Tieh, director of National Commercial Property Tax, O’Connor & Associates.