Cinnaminson Man Named Chair Of Country's Largest Hotel Owner's Association

CINNAMINSON, NJ — Cinnaminson native Bhavesh Patel has been named the new chairman of the world’s largest hotel owners association. Patel took the reins as the new leader of the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA) at the group’s annual convention in San Antonio, Texas, last week, AAHOA announced on Wednesday. Patel called it “one of the greatest accomplishments of his life.

“We have over 16,000 members who own half of the hotels in the country,” Patel said. “They've placed their trust in me to be their representative on the national stage. I’m excited to take on the responsibility and work to make AAHOA even greater.”

“A big congratulations to Bhavesh Patel on becoming chairman of the Asian American Hotel Owners Association,” Rep. Tom MacArthur (R-3) said. “I've spoken with Bhavesh many times over the years about how to help our hotel industry thrive and I'm proud to represent him in Congress. I know he'll be an excellent leader for AAHOA and I look forward to working with him to help support hotel owners across the country and in New Jersey.”

Patel is a principal of ADM Hotels, a family-owned, full-service real estate company specializing in hospitality management, development and investments. His portfolio features several multi-brand and independent hotel properties in the northeast.

He has been on the Board of Directors since 2009, and was elected secretary by the other members of the board in 2014.

The group’s officers are elected to the position of secretary and automatically ascend to treasurer, vice chair and chair annually.

Patel said he wants his tenure as chairman to be marked by even greater member engagement in AAHOA’s educational programs, one of the central pillars of the organization’s mission.

“You have to know the ins and outs of running a hotel to be the best you can be,” Patel said. “AAHOA offers so many opportunities to become a better business owner and better hotel owner, including advocacy and knowing what the state and federal governments are doing that affect our industry. I want to continue to expand on and emphasize the importance of these programs with all the different educational platforms we offer and are going to be offering.”

Patel is a Certified Hotel Owner, or CHO, AAHOA’s nationally recognized certification program for hotel owners. It is the only program of its kind in the country. In 2016, AAHOA graduated a record 312 new CHOs.

AAHOA is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, and has a government affairs office in Washington, D.C. The group has more than 16,500 members throughout the country, including more than 470 in New Jersey and 340 in Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1989, and its owners own almost 50 percent of the hotels in the country.

The attached image of Bhavesh Patel was provided