PROFILE
THE PEOPLE DEVELOPER
“ IF YOU LOOK AT
MOST MARKETS , YOU HAVE MAINSTREAM BRANDED HOTELS AND THEN AIRBNB , AND NOTHING IN BETWEEN . THAT ’ S OUR OPPORTUNITY .
” to know team members ’ likes , hobbies and families . Vision says it offers competitive wages and benefits , celebrates work anniversaries and makes an effort to create a fun workplace . It also provides sabbaticals to employees .
“ We want this to be an extension of our staff ’ s lives , not just a place to clock in and clock out ,” Patel explains .
True Blue , Vision ’ s corporate culture , is defined by seven values : dedication , integrity , respect , excellence , community , teamwork and spirit . In the past , his managers would recruit , then indoctrinate ; today , they are more likely to look for people who already share those values .
As for bending the brand , Patel is a fan of designing hotels to reflect the community and the local neighborhood , so Vision properties often feature local art or amenities like rooftop bars where they make sense .
ROAD AHEAD Patel says not much keeps him awake at
The first new-build Moxy hotel from Vision Hospitality
Group and BMC Investments night , but rising construction costs , labor costs and impact challenges that recent mergers have created are all on his mind . So is Airbnb , of course .
It ’ s hard to escape the impact that Airbnb has had on travel , but Patel sees its strength not as value but personal experiences . As a hedge against Airbnb , Vision ’ s “ bend the brand ” approach has morphed into the company ’ s first boutique hotel , The Edwin , which will open this year in Chattanooga ; Patel plans to do a handful more . “ I love storytelling , taking a building that ’ s 100 years old and bringing it back to life , creating unique food and beverage — it ’ s a great opportunity ,” he says . He also is hatching a plan to launch a small branded collection a la Thompson or Ace , with up to 10 locations .
Vision ’ s boutique approach will stress value ; Patel thinks most boutique hotel rates are out of reach for many travelers . “ If you look at most markets , you have mainstream branded hotels and then Airbnb , and nothing in between . That ’ s our opportunity ,” he says .
Going forward , Patel says he is focused more on quality than quantity . “ We don ’ t want to be the biggest , we simply want to be the best . We would rather have 20 to 30 hotels that are award-winning and have maintained our culture with great people than have 50 mediocre hotels .”
The Mitch Patel of today isn ’ t so different from the engineer who returned to his hospitality roots 21 years ago . It ’ s evident when he speaks about the business that his passion remains strong , but he has realized the importance of carving out time for family , so he has learned to delegate more . And his success growing Vision Hospitality has stoked a confidence that might have been lacking at the beginning .
“ That ’ s very powerful ,” he says . “ Confidence helps you believe you can do great things — it has to start with that .”
April 2018 hotelsmag . com 51