AAHOA Member Vijay Patel will be honored on November 7, 2024, at the Washington Hospitality Association Conference as this year's recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award.

• Vijay Patel began his life journey in Uganda before moving to India for his education and then to London to start a career in his family’s retail operations, managing grocery stores and retail chains throughout London. 
• After moving to the United States with his family in 1993, he took over the management of a family-owned motel in Klamath Falls, Oregon. Vijay found his calling in hospitality, so in 1997, he and his wife Mita started A-1 Hospitality Group and purchased their first hotel property in Eastern Oregon.
• A-1 Hospitality Group and Columbia Hotel Management now own and manage eight hotels throughout Oregon, Washington, and Texas. Vijay and his team, including his daughter, Preena, and son, AAHOA Northwest Regional Director Taran Patel, have managed several properties in receivership at the request of banks and investor groups. He is a frequent collaborator in public and private partnerships intended to spark community revitalization and economic development.