#706 How Patels Built America’s Motel Empire? | Govindraj Ethiraj | The Core Report

The Core Report

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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