Since immigrating to the U.S. at age 21, Vimal (Ricky) Patel has owned both branded and independent hotels. He has served in a variety of AAHOA leadership positions, notably as Ambassador, as Gulf Regional Director, and on multiple committees including Government Affairs, Strategic Planning, Education & Professional Development, and Bylaws & Governance.
Patel also chaired AAHOA ad hoc committees on two topics of importance to members and the hotel industry. These were focused on insurance, a role in which he led a search for affordable property premium options, and revenue generation, an initiative that raised $1.8 million in new funds for the association.
Beyond his service in AAHOA, Patel has scored significant achievements on behalf of
hotel owners in volunteer executive roles as a board member of the Louisiana Economic Development Corporation and as board chairman for Layette Travel.
