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Indians own more than 60% of America’s hotels. How did the so-called “Patel Motel Cartel” grow from humble mom-and-pop motels to multi-billion-dollar hospitality empires?
In this episode of The Core Report Weekend Edition, Govindraj Ethiraj is in conversation with Emmy & Peabody-winning filmmakers Amar Shah and Rahul Rohatgi, directors of The Patel Motel Story, whose new documentary traces this journey — from 1940s California farm labor camps to AAHOA’s 33,000-member powerhouse network.
They unpack handshake loans, family-run operations, franchising leaps, women-led growth, risk, resilience, and the post-COVID reset that reshaped the industry.
What You’ll Learn:
• Why Patels control ~60% of U.S. hotels and motels
• The Kanji Monshu Desai origin story and early Gujarati networks
• How “live-in, run-lean” operations outcompeted higher-cost players
• Franchising, asset ownership, and the move to premium brands
• How 2nd/3rd-gen operators turned into real-estate powerhouses
• The pivotal role of women in scaling and governance
• Headwinds: safety issues, racism, immigration sentiment, and COVID shocks
• What’s next — consolidation in the U.S. or global expansion?
If you’re into business strategy, entrepreneurship, hospitality, real estate, immigration economics, or great origin stories — this episode is unmissable.
Suggested Chapters:
1.30- Introduction
2.55- The Idea Behind the Patels’ Motel Legacy
7.05- Tracing the Patels’ Roots: A Generational Story
12.10- How the Patels Spread Across the U.S
16.55- The Start of the Patel Motel Revolution
21.00 - How Patels Built a Distinctive Hospitality Model
23.50- How New Generations Are Shaping the Patel Motel Legacy
30.38- The Role of Women in the Patel Motel Legacy
36.25- Reflections on 70+ Years of the Patel Motel Story
40.25- Challenges for Patel Motel Owners in Today’s America
48.30- The Most Enduring Patel Motel Stories
51.45- Closing
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