Gujaratis, mainly Patels, now own 21,000 of the 53,000 hotels and motels in the US. It makes for a staggering 42% of the US hospitality market, with a combined worth of $40 billion.
Many are rags-to-riches stories like the case of Hasmukh Rama who came from Vadodara in 1969 to start out as a waiter. Now this CEO of JHM Hotels owns 70 hotels. Dalpatbhai Patel an engineer bought his first motel in 1970. That led to a chain as motels - nicknamed Potels in the American lexicon - mushroomed.
The Asian American Hotel Owners Association, which has 9,000 members, 90% of whom are Gujaratis, says Indian American hoteliers pay $700 million in taxes every year and create a million jobs.
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