Group of Asian American Hoteliers Donate 25,000 Masks

NATIONAL REPORT—A dozen second- and third-generation hoteliers at eight hotel ownership companies have collaborated to purchase and donate 25,000 protective masks to 11 hospitals in the four states where the respective companies operate their hotels—California, Texas, Oregon and Washington.

The 12 hoteliers and their eight companies include the following:

• Taran Patel, managing partner at A1 Hospitality Group, which operates properties in Oregon and Washington: “As our company thought about what our local communities needed, we quickly realized there was a dire need for protective medical equipment, masks in particular. We immediately put together an energized group of young hoteliers who could act fast to leverage our collective resources and to make an immediate, meaningful impact.”

• Neal Patel and Avi “Sunny” Patel, founders and managing partners of Blue Chip Hotels, which operates in Texas: Neal Patel: “Hoteliers are experts at providing a safe, easy night of rest to travelers who have spent a hard day on the road. During this crisis environment, we want to make work a little safer and easier for the healthcare first-responders who are working so very hard on behalf of the communities where we do business.”

• Shirin Patel, principal at Canterbury Hotel Group, with properties in Oregon

• Suraj R. Patel, president, and Ravi Govin, VP, of Clutch Hotel Group in Texas

Bijal Patel

• Bijal Patel, CEO and principal of Coast Redwood Hospitality, in Northern California: “Hospitality is not just our job; it’s a calling and a lifelong bond to serving people. Although we are currently physically separated from our guests, helping our neighborhoods has no boundaries—especially medical workers who are facing and overcoming a very special level of hardship every minute.”

• Mayur “Mike” Patel, managing partner, and Amish Patel, director, of Prosper Hospitality in Texas

• Mitesh and Alpesh Jivan, founders and managing partners of TenSeventy Hospitality in California. Mitesh also operates Jivan LED, an LED lighting business and was able to use his LED contacts in Asia to secure a large quantity of masks at a time of high-demand: “Americans were being told to watch and wait, but my style is not to wait—I act. I never thought I would be figuring out the logistics of importing surgical masks as fast as possible, but it’s been great to mobilize our resources in support of the healthcare workers who are supporting us every day.”

• Sawan H. Patel, managing partner at Unity Hotels Group in Texas: “Hoteliers understand the importance of doing little things behind-the-scenes for our guests, so providing these masks is a small way we can give medical workers a valuable tool as they fight for us on the front line.”

The donation represents a joint effort by Neal Patel, who also serves as secretary of AAHOA, and Bijal Patel, who is chairman of the California Hotel & Lodging Association (CH&LA).

The masks will go to the following hospitals: Adventist Health, Ukiah Valley and Dominican Hospital, Santa Cruz in California; Legacy Emanuel Medical Center, Portland and Providence Memorial Hospital, Hood River in Oregon; Parkland Health, Dallas, Memorial Hermann, Sugar Land, Memorial Hermann Southwest, Houston and Ascension Seton Williamson, Round Rock in Texas; and Trios Health, Kennewick, Lourdes Medical Center, Pasco, and Kadlec Regional Medical Center, Richland in Washington.