ROCKVILLE, MD—Patrick Pacious marked his first day as president and CEO of Choice Hotels International Inc. by signing franchise agreements with long-time Choice franchisee Jayesh (Jay) Patel for a new Cambria Hotels property in Nashville, TN, and a Comfort Inn & Suites hotel in New Orleans.
The Cambria Hotel in Nashville marks Patel’s first upscale hotel with Choice Hotels. He is also signing a new-construction franchise agreement for a Comfort Inn & Suites property in New Orleans. Patel has owned Choice-branded properties for nearly two decades in several segments, including economy, midscale, upper-midscale and now upscale.
“As customer demand increases and our brands grow, it’s vitally important that franchisees grow with us and help us fortify Choice Hotels. Jay is truly a member of the Choice family, and the perfect example of an owner that started with us and continues to expand his portfolio,” said Pacious. “I am thrilled to start my tenure as CEO by signing these franchise agreements for the Cambria and Comfort brands. It reinforces my commitment to stay focused on franchisee profitability and work with them to continue to fuel our strong development pipeline, especially our momentum in the upscale segment and our strong core brands.”
Patel grew up in the hotel industry and started his own business, Athena Hospitality Group, in Nashville, TN, when he was 23 years old. He currently owns six open Choice properties, with another five hotels under development. His portfolio of open properties includes Comfort Inn hotels in Antioch (Nashville), TN; Lima, OH; and Zachary, LA; a Comfort Suites hotel in Nashville, TN; a MainStay Suites hotel in Brentwood, TN; and a Quality Inn hotel in Franklin, TN.
“After having worked with Choice Hotels for many years, it truly is an honor to take part in this momentous occasion as Pat begins his new role as CEO,” said Patel.