Kendra Plummer – founding partner, Elise capital, which owns the Hampton Inn in Douglas, GA
“The road to hotel ownership often comes with hurdles and significant barriers to entry. From lending to raising equity, the main hurdle I faced was the question of ‘Who are the experienced partners in this deal?’
While I had years of corporate experience in hotel investments and acquisitions throughout my career, establishing Elise Capital and going after my first hotel acquisition on my own was new territory. Beginning with licensing all the way through post-closing ownership relations, the partnership and support of Hilton’s team aided in reducing roadblocks leading to a successful experience as a first-time hotel owner.”
Ellen Bryant-Brown – winner of the 2022 NABHOOD, Hotelier of the Year award
“I am a people person and I love to serve. I travel a lot and stay in many hotels that are not what I expected, so I decided to provide a top-notch service to all of our guests at the Quality Inn & Suites Absecon-Atlantic City North.
I currently do not have a dedicated mentor, but I look forward to finding a mentor through HERtels. The program provides access to executive coaching from industry veterans and connects new owners to current Choice owners to receive best practices.
Compared to men, women face drastically different lending terms and conditions. We do not get a fair share of the funding. We need an even playing field. We need to put a stop to stereotypes. When you provide women with the tools and resources, we manage successful properties. We need to give women a seat at the table.”
Maya Patel – owns four Red Roof hotels in Mobile County, AL
“Hospitality was the environment that raised me. My dad opened his first hotel in Asheville, NC, in 1975, and I was involved with the day-to-day hotel operations from an early age. I drifted away from hospitality as I grew up, but I returned to the business to help my father run his hotels as he grew older.
My first hotel was located in Nashville. Running a 25-room hotel in the early 1990s was a challenge because much like today, it was difficult to locate and retain quality employees. There were times where we were able to manage the property with a small core staff, but finding ways to overcome turnover will always be a concern in hospitality.
My father, who is now 80, always supported me in each of my endeavors and goals. Whenever I would encounter a challenge, he would encourage me. The best advice he gave me in the face of an obstacle was, ‘Don’t give up, and move on to the next person.’ He always believed someone out there is willing to listen and help you. If you remain positive, it’s much easier to overcome setbacks and deal with the unexpected.
While the opportunities available to women hoteliers have improved in recent years, we still have a long way to go. Despite seeing more women owners and leaders in hospitality, it can still be a challenge interacting with contractors and other third parties, who sometimes assume we lack industry knowledge and may attempt to exploit them. They often cut corners, offer higher-than-usual bids or are disrespectful during business communications. The best way for women leaders in hospitality to overcome this challenge is to acquaint themselves with experts they can trust. In moments like these, associating with a brand is precious. Red Roof’s procurement team provides the resources franchisees need to remain successful in the face of some third parties willing to take advantage of them”
Purvi Patel – owner/general manager, AmericInn in San Antonio
“My parents had a small mom and pop hotel…when we had the Days Inn, the Recession hit. My family needed help. The other managers weren’t doing that great, so I found the opportunity to jump into the business. It wasn’t the best time, but it was my opportunity. I told my family to give me three to six months to see how I do as a manager. If it did’t work out, we could always look for another manager.
Being a family business, I was going to put everything into it. I was only 28 years old. After a few months, my parents were convinced that I was able to do this. I had learned everything on my own and continued to educate myself.
I used to cry because I was so new—I didn’t know what was going on. I had no idea about managing a franchise. I reached out to Wyndham to learn how to manage and educate myself. They sent me to manager’s training and I started gaining more confidence. I started using more and more tools from Wyndham—revenue management, how to train your staff and tons of other tools. Then, I was able to turn things around and I started to think about what’s next.”
