Community Involvement
The Patel brothers’ haven’t just built their business … they’ve done considerable work building the community.
For example...
Today, our core business is still hotels … but we also own and operate companies that are strategically
linked to the hospitality industry or that offer special growth opportunities.
- In 1989, Mike founding members of the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA), which was formed as a forum for advocacy and education.
Today, AAHOA has grown into one of the hotel industry’s most influential groups with about 8,300 members who together own more than 20,000 properties. This membership represents more than 50 percent of the economy lodging properties and nearly 37 percent of all hotel properties in the United States.
Mike served as chairman of AAHOA for 18 months in 1998-99, during which time he introduced “the 12 points of fair franchising” as a way of reforming relations between franchisees and franchisers. These points are still widely referred to in the hotel industry and have even been used in Congress as the basis for legislation affecting various franchise-based industries.
Mike continue to serve in a variety of AAHOA leadership roles.
- In 2000, Mike was appointed by President Bill Clinton to serve as a commissioner on the White House Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Today, Mike continues his strong working relationship with Mr. Clinton, having traveled with the former president to India several times to raise funds for Gujarat earthquake relief and rebuilding.
- Mike serves on numerous boards, including the Metropolitan Atlanta Transit Authority (MARTA), the advisory committee for Georgia State University’s Cecil B. Day School of Hospitality, and as a member of the State of Georgia’s Minority Business Council. He is also a trustee of the American Hotel Foundation and a member of the Board of Councilors at The Carter Center.
- Mike have led political fund raising campaigns, and both are active in Atlanta’s Asian-Indian community, including Shakti Mandir, and Gujarati Samaj of Altanta, including service as chairman for numerous Indian cultural events.
