Roy Patel moved to the United States in July 1977. He began working with his in-laws at their hotel where he learned about the hotel business. He was eager to purchase his own place and make something of himself. In less than a year, he purchased his first hotel in Livingston, CA. He got some more hands on experience with this property before selling it a little over a year later. His next hotel was a slightly larger, but run down property in Redlands, CA. Here, he redeveloped the property and learned the basics of construction along the way. Two years later, the family decided to sell the hotel and pursue business in the South for a change. He moved to Yoakum, Texas and bought another closed property and began redeveloping it. Here he learned a lot about updating electrical and plumbing for a hotel. Once redeveloped, he sold it in 1982 and moved to Mississippi. He sought an opportunity with his cousin, who had land in a great location in Vicksburg, MS. In March 1983, after much speculation they decided to build their very first hotel. In December of the same year, they completed and opened their very first franchise hotel with 50 rooms.
From that point onwards, Roy has continued to develop new properties constantly seeking new opportunities. Along this journey, he has developed many relationships and partnerships. As the company was getting larger, there was a need for a better infrastructure for the future. In 2003, Roy and his partners founded Southern Hospitality Services, LLC to manage this growth. Through this management company, they were able to centralize operations and accounting. Later in 2010, Roy and his partners decided to integrate the construction process, cutting out the costs of general contractors in the process of development. This lead to the founding of SHS Development, Inc.
Currently, Roy Patel is still directly involved in the development and management of the company’s portfolio. Throughout his growth, his family has supported and immersed themselves as well. His wife, Gita, assisted in operations in any way that she could. In 2003 she took on the challenge of operating the company’s first Marriott franchise. She operated the property for nine years and is now retired, along the way winning Hotel of the Year. His son and daughter, Jignesh and Shetal, are also heavily involved in the business. He is also the proud grandfather of three boys. He enjoys playing golf, travelling, and has a passion for volunteering with BAPS, a socio-spiritual worldwide Hindu organization.
